TY - JOUR A1 - Shabir Mahr, Muhammad A1 - Hübert, Thomas A1 - Sabel, Martin A1 - Schartel, Bernhard A1 - Bahr, Horst A1 - Militz, H. T1 - Fire retardancy of sol-gel derived titania wood-inorganic composites JF - Journal of materials science N2 - Sol–gel technology was applied in tailoring novel wood-made-inorganic composites with improved thermal and fire properties. In practice, composites materials were prepared by impregnating pine sapwood wood with nano-scaled precursor solutions derived from titanium(IV) isopropoxide followed by a thermal curing process. Thermal and fire properties were evaluated by thermal analysis and cone calorimetry, whereas flammability was specified by oxygen index (LOI) and UL 94 test. Peak heat release rates were moderately reduced indicating fire retardance potential in terms of flame spread attributed to the appropriate protection layer action of the titania-based depositions. LOI (oxygen index) values of these composites were increased up to 38 vol.% in comparison to 23 vol.% for untreated wood. The flame retardancy performance depends on the fire scenario and is strongly influenced by wood loading and crackfree deposition of the titania layers inside the composite. PY - 2012 DO - https://doi.org/10.1007/s10853-012-6628-3 SN - 0022-2461 SN - 1573-4803 VL - 47 IS - 19 SP - 6849 EP - 6861 PB - Springer Science + Business Media B.V. CY - Norwell, Mass. AN - OPUS4-26235 LA - eng AD - Bundesanstalt fuer Materialforschung und -pruefung (BAM), Berlin, Germany ER - TY - JOUR A1 - Shabir Mahr, Muhammad A1 - Hübert, Thomas A1 - Schartel, Bernhard A1 - Bahr, Horst A1 - Sabel, Martin A1 - Militz, H. T1 - Fire retardancy effects in single and double layered sol-gel derived TiO2 and SiO2-wood composites JF - Journal of sol gel science and technology N2 - Sol–gel derived TiO2 and SiO2-wood inorganic composites are prepared by direct vacuum infiltration of silicon and titanium alkoxide based precursors in pine sapwood in one or two cycles followed by a controlled thermal curing process. The resulting flame retardancy effect is investigated under two different fire scenarios using cone calorimetry and oxygen index (LOI). Heat release rates (HRR) especially the values for the second peak, are reduced moderately for all single layered composites. This effect is more pronounced for double layered composites where HRR was reduced up to 40 % showing flame retardancy potential in developing fires. Beside this, smoke release was lowered up to 72 % indicating that these systems had less fire hazards compared to untreated wood, whereas no meaningful improvement is realized in terms of fire load (total heat evolved) and initial HRR increase. However impressively, the LOI of the composites were increased up to 41 vol% in comparison to 23 vol% for untreated wood displaying a remarkable flame retardancy against reaction to a small flame. An approximate linear interdependence among the fire properties and the material loading as well as fire residue was observed. A residual protection layer mechanism is proposed improving the residue properties for the investigated composites. KW - Wood KW - Sol-gel KW - Composite materials KW - Cone calorimeter KW - Fire retardance KW - Flammability PY - 2012 DO - https://doi.org/10.1007/s10971-012-2877-5 SN - 0928-0707 SN - 1573-4846 VL - 64 IS - 2 SP - 452 EP - 464 PB - Kluwer Academic Publ. CY - Dordrecht AN - OPUS4-27618 LA - eng AD - Bundesanstalt fuer Materialforschung und -pruefung (BAM), Berlin, Germany ER - TY - JOUR A1 - Shabir Mahr, Muhammad A1 - Hübert, Thomas A1 - Stephan, Ina A1 - Militz, H. T1 - Decay protection of wood against brown-rot fungi by titanium alkoxide impregnations JF - International biodeterioration & biodegradation N2 - Decay resistance of pine sapwood treated with titanium alkoxide solutions was tested against the brown-rot fungi Coniophora puteana and Poria placenta for exposure times of 10 and 16 wk. In practice, wood-specimens were vacuum-impregnated by alcoholic solutions of titanium alkoxide with concentrations in the range of 5–16 mass % (solid content in solution) and subsequently cured under different humidity conditions. Results reveal that treated wood degraded up to 5% in comparison to untreated one that deteriorated 38% and 50%, respectively against both wood-decay fungi. Even full protection (mass loss below 3%) was achieved against brown rot with titanium alkoxide solution containing solid content of around 5 mass% with a weight percentage gain (WPG) of 9 mass%. With increased concentration, fungal resistance decreased slightly which was associated with more cracks and imperfections formed in the deposited layers of titanium dioxide in the adjacent wood matrix. Thermal analysis verified that a considerable amount of precursor remained in the wood structure as un-hydrolyzed organic residues. These organics, being bioactive, had the tendency to induce similar fungicidal effects as those of conventional fungicides. The amount of organic residues is correlated with the decay resistance of the tested samples. In a prolonged decay test, mass losses of 16-wk incubated samples do not show behavior different from that of the wood samples incubated for 10 wk. This result implies that the decay protection is permanent and confirms further the fungicidal activity of titanium-alkoxide-treated wood. KW - Precursor solutions KW - Sol-gel process KW - Equivalent solid content KW - Brown rot KW - Coniophora puteana KW - Poria placenta KW - Fungal colonization KW - Biocidal effect PY - 2013 DO - https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ibiod.2012.04.026 SN - 0964-8305 VL - 77 SP - 56 EP - 62 PB - Elsevier Ltd. CY - Barking AN - OPUS4-27622 LA - eng AD - Bundesanstalt fuer Materialforschung und -pruefung (BAM), Berlin, Germany ER - TY - JOUR A1 - Shabir Mahr, Muhammad A1 - Hübert, Thomas A1 - Stephan, Ina A1 - Bücker, Michael A1 - Militz, H. T1 - Reducing copper leaching from treated wood by sol-gel derived TiO2 and SiO2 depositions JF - Holzforschung N2 - The antileaching efficacy of sol-gel-derived TiO2- and SiO2-based precursors has been evaluated through laboratory leaching trials with pine sapwood in two different ways. In a one-step process, wood was vacuum impregnated by the precursor solutions containing CuCl2. The copper (Cu) emission rates of the sol-gel-based impregnated woods were up to 70% lower than that of wood treated with pure CuCl2 solution at the same level of concentration. More improvement (80%) could be achieved in a two-step process, in which sol-gel precursors were introduced into an already CuCl2-treated wood. The refinement was attributed to several effects. In the one-step approach, Cu was embedded in the TiO2/SiO2 gels formed in the wood texture. During a two-step impregnation, gel layers that were formed in the wooden interior acted as an effective diffusion barrier. The sol-gel impregnations made wood more hydrophobic; therefore, the low amount of water that penetrated the cell wall was less efficient to leach out Cu. KW - Copper leachability KW - SiO2-based gel KW - Sol-gel treatment of wood KW - TiO2-based gel KW - Wood impregnation KW - Wood protection PY - 2013 DO - https://doi.org/10.1515/hf-2012-0105 SN - 0018-3830 SN - 1437-434X VL - 67 IS - 4 SP - 429 EP - 435 PB - De Gruyter CY - Berlin AN - OPUS4-28892 LA - eng AD - Bundesanstalt fuer Materialforschung und -pruefung (BAM), Berlin, Germany ER -