Transparent fire protective sol-gel coating for wood panels

Abstract

A transparent fire protective sol-gel coating deposited on wood has been evaluated using different fire tests, such as mass loss cone, mini single burning item and furnace tests. The heat release rate and total heat release during combustion, but also the flame spread behavior and the thermal protection performances of the coatings have been studied. Two processes to apply the sol-gel coating on wood have been assessed to show the thickness dependence of the fire performance. When deposited as a thick coating (800 μm thick) on wood, the sol-gel coating lowers the total heat release, decreases the flame spread and greatly improves the thermal protection of the substrate.