DEVELOPMENT OF MULTICOMPONENT FIBER BOX WITH IMPROVED FIRE RESISTANCE AND BARRIER PROPERTIES

"One of the main purposes of packaging materials is to protect the packed object from mechanical damage that can happen during transport, storage or handling. Extending the functionality of packaging from just mechanical protection to additional moisture and fire protection would present an added value to packaging materials and would be of high interest in preserving archives and cultural heritage objects. In the present research work, we developed a pH neutral fibre material that provides a moisture barrier, inhibits burning and can be shaped into different packaging designs. A multilayer composite was developed, with the outer layers made from pH neutral acid-free paper, compatible with ISO 9706:2014 (the requirement for permanence) and ISO 11108:2016 (the requirement for permanence and durability). The produced pH neutral papers were coated (on the inside) with 6 different combinations of moisture barrier agents and fire-retardant coatings (containing styrene acrylic copolymer, hydrostatin, sodium silicate + aluminium hydroxide/carbonate and lignin), combined into a multilayer material. The developed materials were analysed in terms of their water vapour transmission rate, Cobb absorption and fire retardancy to simulate worst-case scenarios for archives or cultural heritage sites. The results showed that the material coated with the combination of styrene acrylic copolymer aqueous dispersion and mixtures of sodium silicate and aluminium hydroxide achieved the best performance in terms of moisture/fire resistance and could be successfully converted into packaging products for protecting museum objects. "