PASSIVE FIRE PROTECTION – How It Works?

As known, Wood is combustible material. To understand how fire retardant chemicals in wood work, it’s important to review the basics of fire.

Three things are needed for fire: fuel, oxygen and heat. Wood serves as the fuel for fire. When exposed to heat, the cellulose and lignins that comprise wood produce flamable gases that combine with oxygen to feed and expand the fire. Therefore, infusing fire retardant chemicals into the woodfiber  help break that combustion cycle. When appearing fire, fire retardant chemicals automatically react with fire or heat to convert combustible gases and tars to non-combustible carbon char, nitrogen, and carbon dioxide.

Retardants also convert the gases to char, which slows the fire growth and insulates the wood below. The nitrogen displaces the oxygen, thus smothering the fire. This “double protection” helps FR wood LIGTAN is non-combustible!

Note that fire retardant chemicals do not make the wood already non-combustible FR wood exposed to fire and flame for an extended time will eventually burn. However, the fire retardants can slow the rate of fire growth to allow occupants to safely evacuate the structure.