Promotion effect of NP fire retardant pre-treatment on heat-treated poplar wood. Part 2: hygroscopicity, leaching resistance, and thermal stability

Abstract

Abstract In continuation of the previous study concerning the effects of a combined treatment of wood with nitrogen-phosphorus (NP) fire retardant and heat treatment (HT), the hygroscopicity, leachability, thermal stability, Fourier transform-infrared (FT-IR) spectra, and X-ray diffraction (XRD) properties of Populus beijingensis W.Y. Hsu have been investigated. The wood samples were impregnated with 10% NP fire retardant solution and exposed to HTs at 140°C–160°C for 30 min. HT of NP treated wood reduced the moisture absorption and enhanced the leaching resistance of NP and improved the thermal stability. The HT decomposes the NP and the acidity of these degradation products has a dehydration effect on the wood polysaccharides, and the number of hydroxyl groups in wood decreased substantially. The crystallinity index of the NP-impregnated and heat-treated wood also increased. The post low-temperature HT enhanced the fixation of the NP fire retardant and hydrophobicity of the NP-treated wood.