Fire retardant panel composition and methods of making the same

A fire retardant structural board for use in office structures and vehicle manufacturing, the structural board consisting of:

• an unrolled nonwoven structural mat of randomly-oriented natural fibers forming the body of the structural board;
• wherein the structural mat having a weight, first and second outer surfaces, first and second ends, first and second sides and a thickness;
• wherein the thickness of the structural mat is composed of the randomly oriented natural fibers;
• wherein the nonwoven structural mat has a gram weight range of about 300 gsm to about 5,000 gsm;
• an epoxy polyester binder dispersed between individual natural fibers, inside and throughout the thickness of the structural mat;
• and
• wherein the nonwoven structural mat combined with the epoxy polyester binder form the characteristics of the structural board suitable for office structures and vehicle manufacturing;
• a powder borate fire retardant agent dispersed between individual natural fibers inside and throughout the thickness of the structural mat;
• wherein the mat has been calendared as part of forming the structural board wherein the calendaring determined the board's thickness and wherein the board is no longer a mat;
• a liquid based surface treatment of a fire retardant composition applied to at least the first outer surface of the mat to coat the first outer surface;
• a surfactant that broke down surface tension post cure to support absorption of liquid into the natural fibers;
• wherein the fire retardant composition comprises tetraborate pentahydride and a phosphate with about 30 percent solids;
• and
• wherein a combination of the dispersed fire retardant agent and the surface coat of the fire retardant composition results in the board's flame spread and smoke developed index pursuant ASTM E-84 testing meeting Class A.