Fire Retardant Panel Composition and Methods of Making the Same

Abstract

The following disclosure provides a low-density fire retardant structural board. The board has a body of fibrous material, a binder and fire retardant agent. The body of fibrous material includes a weight, first and second ends, first and second sides and a thickness. The fibrous material is dispersed throughout the thickness of the body. The binder is also dispersed throughout the thickness of the body. The fire retardant agent is dispersed between individual fibers of the fibrous material and throughout the thickness of the body.

1 . A fire-resistant article, said article comprising a fibrous mass having a fiber component and about 10-30 wt. % of a first fire retardant component mixed therein, said fiber component comprising about 1-50 weight percent thermoplastic and about 50-99 weight percent bast fiber, said fibrous mass having a coating of a second fire retardant component on the exterior surfaces thereof.  
     
     
         2 . The article of  claim 1  wherein said thermoplastic component is selected from the group consisting of polypropylene, polyethylene, polyesters, nylon, copolymers, and mixtures thereof.  
     
     
         3 . The article of  claim 2  wherein said thermoplastic is polypropylene.  
     
     
         4 . The article of  claim 1  wherein said bast fibers are selected from kenaf, jute, industrial hemp, sisal, flax, and mixtures thereof.  
     
     
         5 . The article of  claim 4  wherein said bast fibers comprise a mixture of kenaf and industrial hemp.  
     
     
         6 . The article of  claim 1  wherein said first fire retardant component is selected from the group consisting of borates, polyborates, boric acid, borax, phosphates and mixtures thereof.  
     
     
         7 . A method of making a fire-resistant article, said method comprising the steps of 
 (a) providing a fibrous mass comprising a mixture of thermoplastic material and bast fibers,    (b) dispersing a first fire retardant component in said fibrous mass,    (c) heating said fibrous mass to a temperature above the softening temperature of the thermoplastic material,    (d) compressing the mass to form a shaped article, and    (e) applying a coating of a second fire retardant component to said shaped article.    
     
     
         8 . The method of  claim 7  wherein said fibrous mass comprises about 1-50 weight present thermoplastic and about 50-99 weight percent natural fiber.  
     
     
         9 . The method of  claim 7  wherein said bast fibers are selected from kenaf, jute, industrial hemp, sisal, flax, and mixtures thereof.  
     
     
         10 . The method of  claim 9  wherein said natural fibers comprise a mixture of kenaf and industrial hemp fibers.  
     
     
         11 . The method of  claim 7  wherein said thermoplastic component is selected from the group consisting of polypropylene, polyethylene, polyesters, nylon, copolymers, and mixtures thereof.  
     
     
         12 . The method of  claim 7  wherein said second fire retardant component is applied as a liquid composition.  
     
     
         13 . The method of  claim 7  wherein the thermoplastic material is fibers, bicomponent fibers, powder, or pellets.  
     
     
         14 . The method of  claim 7  comprising the further step of heating the article after the application of the second fire retardant component to set the second fire retardant component on the article.  
     
     
         15 . The method of  claim 7 , wherein the compressing the mass includes calendaring the mass.  
     
     
         16 . The method according to  claim 7 , wherein the fire resistant article has a Class A fire rating.  
     
     
         17 . A structure comprising the fire-resistant article of  claim 1 .  
     
     
         18 . The method of  claim 11  wherein said thermoplastic is polypropylene.  
     
     
         19 . The method of  claim 7  wherein said first fire retardant is selected from the group consisting of borates, polyborates, boric acid, borax, and phosphates.  
     
     
         20 . The method of  claim 7  comprising the further step of heating the article after the application of the second fire retardant component to allow said second fire retardant component to set as a coating on the article.  
     
     
         21 . The article of  claim 6  wherein said first fire retardant component comprises sodium polyborate.  
     
     
         22 . The method of  claim 19  wherein said first fire retardant component comprises sodium polyborate.