Pyroblock Fire-Retardant Particleboard and MDF

Vol. 11, No. 11), designers pursuing LEED™ Indoor Environmental Quality Credit 4.4 have been at a loss for fire-retardant panel products. This credit requires that composite wood and ag-fiber products contain no added urea-formaldehyde resins. Seeing the market opportunity, Panel Source International, a small Alberta-based company that serves as consultants and sales representatives for ag-fiber panel products, has introduced a product line they’ve been developing for some time: Pyroblock® PB Plus (particleboard) and Pyroblock MDF plus.

Unlike conventional fire-retardant panels, in which a fire-retardant chemical is incorporated throughout the product, Pyroblock particleboard and MDF panels rely on an intumescent coating. Intumescent coatings expand and char when subjected to heat, thereby insulating and protecting the substrate from the flame. The products meet the applicable flame spread standards (ASTM E-84(00) in the U.S., and CAN/ULC 102-M in Canada). Panel Source recently completed final testing on the products and has started selling them directly to users, according to senior vice president Brian McLeod. Price varies with panel thickness, size of order, and transportation distance—a lift of 11⁄16” (17.5 mm) panels costs about $1.75/ft2 ($19/m2) delivered halfway across the country.