Morphology of wood degradation and flame retardants wood coating technology: an overview

Flame retardants mitigate the threat of fire from inherently flammable wood and wood products responsible for sustaining a high standard of living. Wood is one of the aesthetically pleasing, highly sustainable as well as eco-friendly materials. It is not only an integral part of structures, but also the main source of home appliances, furniture, industrial applications, and offices all over the world. The coating provides protection to wood materials against outdoor weathering, photochemical degradation, and fire. Therefore, to minimize the degradation of wood for the increasing long life and survival ability, various coatings were synthesized and applied to enhance their performance for the wood application. This review provides a historical overview that leads to the structural properties of wood and the most promising surface treatments that will help pave the way for developing more effective and non-intrusive flame retardants in the future.