News Coatings Technologies
Synergistic Si-Mg-Al additives enhance flame retardancy and smoke suppression of VAE-based coatings on OSB
A recent study shows that vinyl acetate–ethylene (VAE) coatings combined with Si-Mg-Al synergists significantly improve flame retardancy and smoke suppression on oriented strand board (OSB). The additives reduce peak heat release by 7.3 % and peak smoke release by 31 %.
Oriented strand board is valued for its mechanical strength and characteristic texture, making transparent flame-retardant coatings attractive for applications where appearance must be preserved. VAE copolymer emulsions form clear films after curing and can be effectively combined with intumescent flame retardant systems.
This study investigates how different metal-based synergistic additives influence the performance of intumescent VAE coatings. The researchers incorporated various Si-Mg-Al compounds — including diethyl aluminium hypophosphite with magnesium hydroxide, as well as aluminium and magnesium sulphates — together with traditional intumescent components (ammonium polyphosphate, melamine and pentaerythritol).
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Improved fire resistance and substantially reduced smoke release
Compared with VAE coatings containing only intumescent flame retardants, systems with Si-Mg-Al synergists achieved an approximately 7.3 % lower peak heat release rate. More notably, peak smoke release dropped by around 31 %, and total smoke production was significantly reduced.
The findings demonstrate that Si-Mg-Al synergists enhance the formation of protective char layers and improve the overall performance of intumescent systems. This provides a promising route for developing transparent, high-performance fire-retardant coatings for wood-based panels such as OSB.
Source: Wang, L., Xu, X., Chen, Z., Jia, H., Song, F. & Jiang, P., Synergistic enhancement of flame retardancy and smoke suppression in vinyl acetate-ethylene copolymer-based fire retardant coatings with Si-Mg-Al compounds for oriented strand board surfaces. Journal of Coatings Technology and Research 22, 2339–2350 (2025).
