Enhancing fire safety and thermal performance: Wood composites with bio-based phase change materials and fire retardants for building applications

This work explores the elaboration of wood particle-based composites incorporating bio-based phase change materials, with epoxidized linseed oil or clay as a binder. Fire performance evaluation of the novel composites includes an assessment to determine the impact of the addition of boric acid as a fire retardant, as well as the incorporation of recycled paper fibres containing boric acid, and the application of trimethoxymethylsilane coating. The study employs thermogravimetric analysis and cone calorimetry under uniform external irradiance, with a T-history method to analyse thermal behaviour. Results indicated that fire retardants do not compromise the energy functionality of bio-based phase change material composites, exhibiting a latent heat of approximately 50 J/g. The density ranges from 750 to 875 kg/m³. The use of clay as a binder improves fire performance, leading to a 60% decrease in total heat release and 52% of the composite mass remaining after analysis. Although enhancing fire performance presents challenges, incorporating wood particles in clay demonstrates a promising potential approach for safe use in building applications, contributing to energy efficiency in indoor heating and cooling. The findings contribute valuable insights into these materials for creating safer and more efficient building solutions, particularly in terms of thermal regulation and fire safety.