Development of An All-Weather, Fire-Retardant Treatment

The development of an all-weather fire-retardant treatment for wood products actually began in the mid 1950’s with the general acceptance of conventional fire retardant treatments in model building codes. Impregnation of wood with water-borne solutions of inorganic mineral salts afforded sufficient fire protection, but wood treated with these water soluble salts lost its fire protection as the salts were leached out when exposed to moisture. Work aimed at improving the auxiliary properties of fire retardant treatments resulted in the development of a water soluble monomer that could be polymerized in situ. Tests of this material by the Underwriters’ Laboratories showed it to be both leach resistant and acceptable as a fire retardant. Treatment was initially applied to wood shakes and shingles and later extended to commercial species of lumber and plywood.

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