The Influence of Nanoparticles on Fire Retardancy of Pedunculate Oak Wood.

Traditional flame retardants often contain halogens and produce toxic gases when burned. Hence, in this study, low-cost, environmentally friendly compounds that act as fire retardants are investigated. These materials often contain nanoparticles, from which TiO 2 and SiO 2 are the most promising. In this work, pedunculate oak wood specimens were modified with sodium silicate (Na 2 SiO 3 , i.e., water glass) and TiO 2 , SiO 2 , and ZnO nanoparticles using the vacuum-pressure technique. Changes in the samples and fire characteristics of modified wood were studied via thermal analysis (TA), infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), and scanning electron microscopy, coupled with energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (SEM-EDX). The results of TA showed the most significant wood decomposition at a temperature of 350 °C, with a non-significant influence of the nanoparticles. A dominant effect of sodium silicate was observed in the main weight-loss step, resulting in a drop in decomposition temperature within the temperature range of 36-44 °C. More intensive decomposition of wood treated with water glass and nanoparticles led to a faster release of non-combustible gases, which slowed down the combustion process. The results demonstrated that wood modifications using sodium silicate and nanoparticle systems have potentially enhanced flame retardant properties.