Prolonging the combustion duration of wood by TiO2 coating synthesized using cosolvent-controlled hydrothermal method

Thin TiO2 coating was grown on wood surface using a cosolvent-controlled hydrothermal method. The surface morphology, chemical composition, and functional groups were examined by the scanning electron microscopy (SEM), energy dispersive X-ray analysis (EDXA), and Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), respectively. The crystalline phase of TiO2 was investigated by the X-ray diffraction (XRD). The combustion test was carried out on the Dual Analysis Cone Calorimeter, according to the fire testing standard ISO 5660-1. Resulted from the combined analysis of SEM and EDXA, FTIR and XRD, it was demonstrated that the anatase TiO2 layer accompanying some spheral morphology chemically bonded to wood surface with intact and smooth appearance. The significant differences in combustion parameters between the untreated and the TiO2 coated wood were observed. In comparison to the untreated wood, the burning time of TiO2 coated wood was doubled, and the smoke, CO, CO2 emissions were markedly reduced. As a result, the TiO2 coating can effectively act as a protective layer to prolong the combustion duration of wood and prevent the harmful gas from spreading.