In Australia, the effects of global warming
have raised concerns about the methods used to fire-proof buildings made of
timber, a necessary precaution in a country whose torrid summer heat and
parched climate pose significant fire hazards. However, most of the current methods
for fire-proofing timber materials involve substances
that are toxic to human health and the environment.
Flame retardants rely on chemical reactions
that impede the ignition of flammable materials and slow the spread of a fire.
But the benefits of safeguarding homes and property while protecting
humans from fire danger must be weighed against the risk of exposure to potentially
harmful chemicals.
To address that challenge,
researchers from
Stony Brook University have developed a new type of timber
flame retardant that’s not only sustainable and environmentally
friendly, but also increases the strength of treated materials dramatically. The flame retardant consists
of a phosphorus-based compound called resorcinol bis (RDP), which the Environmental
Protection Agency (EPA) has declared a preferred substitute for halogenated
flame retardants.
According to Miriam
Rafailovich, Distinguished Professor from Stony Brook's Department of Materials
science and co-director of the Program in Chemical and
Molecular Engineering, the compound penetrates the natural structure of timber
materials and interacts with its cellulose, producing a wood-plastic
composite that surpasses UL94 V-0 flammability standards. This means
that a vertical specimen of the material will stop burning in as few as
10 seconds when set alight, without giving off any lit particles.
"The breakthrough was in the
formulation of a compound that extinguishes a flame without decomposing into
toxic byproducts," Rafailovich said.
Testing by Stony Brook
medical experts also concluded that timber materials treated using RDP pose
no hazard to human health, despite the material itself being cytotoxic
when in a liquid, unreacted state. Another advantage of the treatment process
is that can dramatically improve the durability of timber materials
by reinforcing their cellulose structure, increasing their strength by as much
as five-fold. The university has filed an application for patent acquisition.
According to a BCC
Research report, global consumption of flame retardant chemicals should reach 5 billion
pounds in 2018, nearly a billion more than the level in 2013. The
report forecasts a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 5% between 2013 and
2018. Cost, performance, lack of toxicity,
recycling concerns and the push toward more green and non-halogenated products
will influence the smallest to the largest manufacturers of flame
retardant chemicals.
For our BCC
Research reports on flame retardant chemicals, visit the following links:
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