Subject: Waterglass (Sodium Si.) for woods fireproofing ?

From: [email-masked] (Gaetan Mailloux)
Date: 28 Mar 1997 02:12:48 GMT

I read in a book that we can use waterglass (Sodium or Potasium Silicate)
for woods fireproofing.

Anyone know about it, or did try it ?

Any hints ?

Thank

Gaetan

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From: Emrys Williams <[email-masked]>
Date: Sat, 29 Mar 1997 10:08:18 +0000

About 30 years ago, I helped make the scenery for a play at school. Fire
regulations said that all the wood had to be treated with a fire
retardant, and they specified various methods. We treated some wood and
then set fire to both treated and untreated wood in the physics lab. The
treated wood burned faster.....

I can't remember what the retardant was, but their suggested one didn't
work, so I suspect that others aren't wonderful, either.

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From: "Bradley M. Small" <[email-masked]>
Date: 29 Mar 1997 23:15:41 GMT

Hmmm, 
Waterglass solution brings back lots of memories. Many a trick was
suggested in my chemistry sets as a kid for uses of this solution. One of
which was treating the outside of a ciggarette to keep it from smoldering
when not being actively smoked (interesting suggestion in a kids chemistry
set eh?) 

It is also used to waterproof concrete floors I believe. If you do get
some, be sure not to get it on anything that you ever want to use again
(clothing etc.) 

If you get the wood permiated with it, I would assume it will not burn,
though under appropriate tgemperatures the wood will still carbonize and
stuff, but it should bnot flare to a flame.

YMMV, and BTW I am not a physicist or a chemist... 

Bradley

Gaetan Mailloux <[email-masked]> wrote in article
<[email-masked]>...

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From: Martin Eastburn <[email-masked]>
Date: 30 Mar 1997 05:30:22 GMT

I had heard years ago about this - maybe maybe not true.

I do know that for years, it was used to 'glue' glass together.
Multi-plane pannels could be made - e.g. - clear Peanut & butter!

I think the Airforce used it for that - on multi-layer 'portholes'
on the older planes. - multi-layer helped in pressure and 'stressed'
windows.

I do remember it being messy - it would crust up around the cap.
Martin
>YMMV, and BTW I am not a physicist or a chemist... 
snip... since my service refuses to send long inclusions.

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From: [email-masked] (JBOBST)
Date: 30 Mar 1997 20:46:30 GMT

I remember reading about borax treatments for firewproofing.  Possibly a
note to Underwriters Laboratories in Chicago might shed some light on it.
If you come up with something good, please post.  There probably are some
decent commercial products.