EFFECTS OF SOME ENVIRONMENTALLY-FRIENDLY FIRE-RETARDANT BORON COMPOUNDS ON MODULUS OF RUPTURE AND MODULUS OF ELASTICITY OF WOOD

Abstract

This study was designed to determine some mechanical properties such as modulus of rupture (MOR) and modulus of elasticity (MOE) of wood treated with some environmentally-friendly fire-retardant boron compounds. Sodium perborate (SP) boric acid, (BA), and borax (BX) were used as boron compounds. Wood specimens were prepared from Calabrian pine (Pinus brutia Ten.) and beech (Fagus orientalis Lipski) wood. Before MOR and MOE tests, wood specimens were impregnated with aqueous solutions (1, 2, 3, 4, 5, and 6 %) of berates according to ASTM D 1413-76. Our results showed that MOR values of wood specimens treated with borates were lower compared to untreated control specimens. The MOR and MOE values of wood specimens were the lowest for treatments with SP followed by BX and BA, respectively. In general, the higher concentration levels of borates, the lower MOR of wood resulted.