Fire properties of laminated veneer lumber treated with some fire retardants

Abstract

The objective of this study was to determine fire properties of laminated veneer lumber (LVL) prepared from beech (Fagus orientalis Lipsky) veneers treated with some fire retardants. Boric acid (BA), borax (BX), and di ammonium phosphate (DAP) were used as impregnation chemicals, which are the most commonly used fire retardants in wood preservation industry. Tanalith-C 3310 was also used for comparison. Laminated veneer lumbers were manufactured using the melamine formaldehyde (MF) and phenol formaldehyde (PF) adhesives. Fire test method was performed in three stages: flame stage, without flame stage, and glowing stage. Results indicated that the lowest temperature for flame stage, without flame stage, and glowing stage were obtained for the specimens glued with MF and treated with DAP and (BA-BX) mixture. The lowest mass loss was found for the specimens glued with MF and treated with DAP and (BA-BX) mixture. Tanalith-C 3310 didn't improve fire resistance of the LVL specimens.