Ionic liquid (ILS) based fire retardant for wood-based panels

This study presents a novel approach for fire protection of wood-based panels for construction industry. A low-cost fire retardant, Palonot F1, is based on ionic liquid (ILs), which is a feature leading to ultimate thorough distribution within the material to be protected. Both the chemical composition and the thorough distribution result to a highly powerful and cost-effective fire retardant. Within this study, Palonot F1 treated spruce LVL was manufactured and the combustion properties were studied. According to the results, Palonot F1 fire retardant importantly decreased the charring rate of LVL compared to that of non-treated LVL reference material. In comparison to the non-treated LVL, the charring rate of Palonot F1 treated LVL decreased by ca. 39%. Additionally, during the combustion test, the Palonot F1 treated LVL performed as a quasi-non-combustible material (Q-NC) determined by the Building Standard Law of Japan.