Quartzene as potential fire protection for surface treatment of wood step 2

Purpose and goal

The Project aims at developing a semi-transparent coating system on wood reaching the highest possible fire protection class for wood i.e. Euroclass B. The coating is intended at enabling an extended use of wood as a sustainable and safe construction material where the aesthetical and architectonical qualities are enhanced by the visible aspect of the natural surface.

Expected results and effects

The Project has been able to develop a transparent clearcoat system for wood that meets the highest possible fire protection class for wood, Euroclass B. Accelerated tests show that the system can be used for internal application, whereas continued work is required to improve the resistance to sunlight, temperature and humidity variation in exterior application. The product will be introduced to the market as an interior coating system by the commercial partners of this project. Continued development will be carried out to reach the properties required for outdoor use.

Planned approach and implementation

The project started with a completely novel conceptual idea to use Quartzene as an ingredient to improve fire resistance of a fire protective coating system. When the project started the coating formulation was undefined. For an effective advancement we focused on the fire protection properties and achieved the demanding target. The initial non-optimized coating system did not reach the demanding target for exterior use so further optimization required which is not surprising since the project is complex.