The Cause of Whitening by Flame Retardants Treatment on Korean Wooden Cultural Heritage

Abstract

Korean wooden cultural heritages are treated by flame retardants to protect fire hazards. Two types of flame retardants are used to treat wooden cultural heritage. These flame retardants cause some problems such as surface whitening, discoloration, and cracks due to the chemical reaction caused by Korean traditional wood painting (Dancheong), flame retardant and wood humidity. The Korean government is trying to cut down on the amount of flame retardants for the wooden cultural heritage because of these problems. This study was carried out to find the cause of whitening by flame retardants treatment. The reaction between pigment and flame retardant chemicals was analyzed by infrared spectroscopy.