Improvements in Fire Resistance, Decay Resistance, Anti-Mold Property and Bonding Performance in Plywood Treated with Manganese Chloride, Phosphoric Acid, Boric Acid and Ammonium Chloride

• Main Authors: Zhigang Wu, Xue Deng, Zhongyou Luo, Bengang Zhang, Xuedong Xi, Liping Yu, Lifen Li
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Published: MDPI AG 2021-03-01
• Series: Coatings
• Subjects: plywood; multiple compound protectant; fire resistance; decay resistance; anti-mold property; bonding performance
• Online Access: https://www.mdpi.com/2079-6412/11/4/399

(1) A compound protectant was prepared using manganese chloride, phosphoric acid, boric acid and ammonium chloride, and then a veneer was immersed in the prepared protectant to prepare plywood in this paper. Great attention was paid to discussing influences of such protectant on fire resistance, decay resistance, anti-mold property and bonding performance of plywood. Results demonstrated that after protectant treatment, the plywood showed not only good fire resistance and smoke inhibition, but also strong char-formation ability, slow flame spreading, long time to ignition, small fire risk and high safety level. (2) The mass loss rates of plywood with protectant treatment after infection and erosion in wood-destroying <i>Coriolus versicolor</i> and <i>Gloeophyllum trabeum</i> were 19.73% and 17.27%, reaching the II-level corrosion grade. (3) There is not a significant difference with <i>Aspergillus niger</i> V.; however, it was possible to observe a strong difference with <i>Trichoderma viride</i> Pers. ex Fr., indicating that the protectant acted as a good anti-mold product for plywood. (4) The protectant influenced the bonding interface of wood and bonding conditions of the adhesive. The bonding strength of plywood was weakened, but it still met the requirements on bonding strength of GB/T 9846-2015. (5) The protectant changed the thermal decomposition and thermal degradation of plywood, inhibiting the generation of inflammable goods, blocking transmission of heats and lowering the thermal decomposition temperature of plywood. These promoted dehydrations and charring of wood and the generated carbon had a high thermal stability. (6) Compared with untreated plywood, the prepared protectant treatment significantly enhanced the fire resistance of plywood, reduced its biodegradability by wood-decaying fungi and showed good mold resistance.