Enhancing the strength, moisture resistance, and fire-resistance of wood, timber, lumber, similar plant-derived construction and building materials, and other cellulosic materials

Abstract

A sodium silicate polymerization method was used to incorporate sodium silicate and/or other water soluble inorganic fire retardants into an insoluble matrix. By using a vacuum/pressure technique, a water soluble sodium silicate/borate mixture was forced into the interior of various cellulosic materials, then was heat polymerized into an insoluble fire retardant matrix. This produced a dual action fire retardant material also with the following properties: moisture resistant, weather proof, and improved strength. Water insoluble forms of sodium silicate and borates have not been possible until now. This process and testing was then repeated with six other water soluble fire retardant combinations, making them similarly water insoluble. The process was used to incorporate water soluble substances into the intercellular structures of cotton fibers, polymerized to the insoluble form in the interior, thus becoming trapped inside the fibers, producing weavable fibers, that were flexible, very strong and highly fire retardant. Because some of the best fire retardants are water soluble inorganic compounds, from both fire retardant and environmental considerations, until now, the problem of water solubility has greatly restricted the widespread use of the water soluble inorganic fire retardants. The present invention provides a very promising approach for solving this problem while providing the added properties of increased strength. It was further found that chemicals and substances could be forced to penetrate cellular interiors, and further that reactions could be caused to occur within the cells by the choice of materials, chemicals, and conditions of the infusion process.

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.