Study of Gelation Processes in Flame Retardant Compositions of the SiO₂ Sol System – A Phosphate-Containing Additive

Abstract:

One of the promising directions for ensuring the fire resistance of wooden building materials is the development of silicon phosphate compositions, thanks to which the formation of a protective layer is possible, which effectively prevents the spread of fire. The paper examines the possibility of using orthophosphate acid as a modifying additive for silicic acid sols. The influence of H₃PO₄ concentration on the rheological characteristics of the studied sols was determined. Sols with small amounts of orthophosphate acid (1–2%) lost their fluidity in the interval of 45–70 minutes. Increase of the additive content to 8% led to a sharp increase in optical density values and extended the survivability interval of the sol to 24 hours. Coatings based on gels with 1–2% orthophosphate acid were elastic, but increasing the content of the additive led to the formation of hard, inelastic coatings.According to the results of infrared (IR) spectroscopy, the effect of orthophosphate acid on the nature of polycondensation was confirmed. The degree of polycondensation was estimated by the ratio of intensity (I) and band width (d) at 1050 cm^–1, which corresponds to the vibrations of Si-O-Si bonds. Based on the comparison of I/d indicator values, the formation of linear siloxane chains was confirmed in the case of the use of small H₃PO₄ additions. Linear polycondensation ensures greater homogeneity of the gel, which was confirmed by IR spectroscopy of gels heat-treated at 800 °C and by microscopic observations. The coating on the wood surface, based on a fire-resistant silica-containing composition with small additions of orthophosphate acid, had the most uniform and continuous structure.

• Periodical: Defect and Diffusion Forum (Volume 438)
• Pages: 101-110
• DOI: https://doi.org/10.4028/p-I2sYIR
• Online since: February 2025
• Authors: Nataliia Lysak, Olga Skorodumova*, Anton Chernukha, Viktoria Kochubei, Konstantinos Sotiriadis
• Keywords: Building Materials, Fire-Resistant Coatings, Phosphate-Containing Additive, SiO₂ Gels

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