Effects of coating with calcite together with various fire retardants on the fire properties of particleboard

Abstract

The fire properties of particleboard coated with calcite and a variety of fire-retardants (FR) was investigated. Four different chemicals, boric acid (BA), borax (BX), dolomite (DOL), and melamine (MEL), were added at the concentration of 1.0%, 3.0%, and 5.0% by oven-dry weight of calcite. The particleboard panels were tested according to the ASTM-E 69 standard to investigate their fire-retardant properties. The determination of weight loss, temperature, and the release of O2, CO, and NO by the samples was measured and recorded over 30 s intervals during combustion of the materials. The results indicated that the BA coatings exhibited better thermal stability than the other chemicals. Consequently, the lowest weight loss and temperature was found for specimens treated with 5.0% BA. These chemicals were effective relative to the fire properties of coated particleboard surfaces, depending on the type and ratio of the chemicals to the calcite.