Durability of Reaction to Fire Performance of Wood Based Panels Through Accelerated Aging Cycles: Fid-Bau Portal

Durability of Reaction to Fire Performance of Wood Based Panels Through Accelerated Aging Cycles

Mesquita, Luís / Ferle, Lucas / Santos, Gerson

Abstract Wood and wood based products application in the construction is growing due to the increasing trend of sustainable development. Because of the EU policy about constructions, each time requiring improved products against fire hazard, there is a need of developing fireproof products to wood and wood based panels and know their life time behavior. To evaluate the performance and durability of fire retarded wood based panels, concerning mechanical and reaction to fire behavior, an experimental study is done considering the long term behavior of wood based panels with and without fire retardant products after being submitted to accelerated aging and compared to non-aged wood based panels. Fire reaction was carried out through cone calorimeter tests to evaluate if the fire reaction properties were maintained or altered after exposure to environmental conditions. In terms of mechanical properties, MDF and PB panels had significant losses in MOR and MOE values after being submitted to aging. This behavior is not so clear for OSB panels. Reduction in mechanical properties are smaller for MDF panels with flame retardant when compared to MDF without flame retardant whereas PB without flame retardant showed small losses compared to PB with flame retardant. MDF panels without flame retardant presented a decrease in the fire reaction properties, releasing more heat after aging, whereas in the PB and OSB without flame retardant properties were maintained. MDF and PB fire retardant panels reaction to fire behavior before and after aging allows to maintain them in class B of fire reaction.