International. A flame retardant coating applied with spray or brush, made of nanocellulose, was developed in order to improve the fire properties of wood-based materials. The coating reduces oxygen access to the surface, which significantly inhibits combustion.
The Finnish company VTT has developed this technology by finding an effective production method for coating through piloting and is currently looking for a partner to commercialize the technology.
The flame retardant coating is based on HefCel (high consistency cellulose enzymatic fibrillation) technology developed and patented by VTT. HefCel technology enables the efficient and cost-effective production of nanocellulose from wood pulp. The solids content of HefCel materials is ten times the solids content achieved with traditional manufacturing methods. This makes them very suitable for uses where a low water content is preferred: for example, paints and coatings, packaging and composite materials.
Nanocellulose has a natural tendency to adhere to wood and form an airtight film on the surface of wood and other small particles, such as pigments. This makes nanocellulose-based coatings very suitable for the protective treatment of wooden surfaces. The combination of HefCel nanocellulose with organic pigments forms an airtight film applied with brush or spray that prevents the access of oxygen through the coating and at the same time significantly inhibits combustion.
The idea was developed by Vesa Kunnari and Jaakko Pere, research scientists at VTT, as part of the Design Driven Value Chains in the World of Cellulose (DWoC) project, a project funded by Tekes (now Business Finland).
The exploration of the potential to commercialize the technology has been funded by Business Finland and under VTT's "New Knowledge and Business from Research Ideas" funding program. A project implemented under the funding programme studied, for example, the suitability of HefCel technology as a raw material for the paints and coatings industry.
Source: VTT.
