Poly(vinyl chloride) and its fire properties

This work provides an up‐to‐date review of the fire properties of poly(vinyl chloride) (PVC) materials, both rigid (unplasticized) and flexible (plasticized). The fire properties addressed include ignitability, ease of extinction (oxygen index), flame spread (small scale and intermediate scale), heat release, smoke obscuration, smoke toxicity, hydrogen chloride emission and decay, and performance in real‐scale fires. This comprehensive review includes a wide selection of references and tables illustrating the properties of PVC materials in comparison with those of other polymeric materials, including, in many instances, wood materials. The work puts these fire properties in perspective, showing that the heat release rate (the key fire property) of rigid PVC (and that of properly flame‐retarded flexible PVC) are among the lower values found for combustible materials. This work also shows that the smoke toxicity and smoke obscuration resulting from burning PVC materials in real‐scale fires is in the same range as those of other materials.     

Investigations on the self‐ignition of deposits containing combustibles

Self‐ignition of deposited combustibles is a possible reason for excessive fires occurring on deposits for recycling materials or on waste dumps. Two series of experiments were performed to assess the hazard of self‐ignition: hot storage tests with different homogeneous mixtures of combustible material and inert material and tests with pockets of combustible material embedded in inert matter. In the first test series considerable exothermicity (ΔT>60K) was observed for mass fractions of combustible material as low as 2.5%. In the second series it could be shown that the heat transfer from a pocket of burning material through the inert matter can ignite a second pocket of combustible matter. Based on the experimental data, numerical simulations were performed to predict self‐ignition on real‐scale waste deposits. For a deposit of specific size and shape, the influence of the ambient temperature on the occurrence of self‐ignition has been investigated. Copyright © 2008 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Study on flashover in a single chamber lined with combustible materials

With the theories of fire dynamics and relevant parameters of combustible lining materials, a predicted model of hot gas layer temperature during pre‐flashover stage of enclosure fires was established, and the effects of lining materials on the likelihood of flashover were theoretically analyzed. By using common commercial lining materials, such as wall papers, foam plastics, wood‐based panels, and fabric‐upholstered wall panel, the phenomenon of flashover was reproduced in a small‐scale firebox of 1/4 sizes of ISO 9705 test chamber. By comparing the theoretical results with experimental data, the equation predicting the hot gas layer of quasi‐steady enclosure fires was gained; an indicator I_FO to reflect overall the hazards of flashover and to classify flashover fires was proposed, and its application was initially studied. The study results can be helpful to explain further and overall the effects of lining materials on enclosure fires and can be used to guide the prevention of flashover by choosing appropriate interior decoration materials. Copyright © 2012 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Effect of particle granularity on smoldering fire in wood chips made from wood waste: An experimental study

Fires in wood waste storages cause financial losses, are difficult to extinguish, and emit large amounts of fire effluents. The mechanisms related to fires in wood chip piles are not well elucidated. To find suitable preventive measures for handling such fires in wood waste, a better understanding of the physical properties of wood waste is needed. The present study investigates how granularity affects mechanisms of smoldering fire and transition to flaming in wood chip piles. Eighteen experiments with samples inside a top-ventilated, vertical cylinder were conducted. Heating from underneath the cylinder induced auto-ignition and smoldering fire, and temperatures and mass loss of the sample were measured. The results showed that granularity significantly affects the smoldering fire dynamics. Material containing larger wood chips (length 4-100 mm) demonstrated more irregular temperature development, higher temperatures, faster combustion, and higher mass losses than material of smaller wood chips (length <4 mm). The larger wood chips also underwent transition to flaming fires. Flaming fires were not observed for small wood chips, which instead demonstrated prolonged and steady smoldering propagation. The differences are assumed to be partly due to the different bulk densities of the samples of large and small wood chips affecting the ventilation conditions. Increased knowledge about these combustion processes and transition to flaming is vital to develop risk-reducing measures when storing wood chips made from wood waste in piles.     

Formulation and Solution of the Problem of Drying of a Layer of Combustible Forest Materials

The drying of combustible forest materials is the most important and least studied stage of the multiphase process of their burning under natural conditions. Physical and mathematical modeling of the drying of a layer of combustible forest materials is performed in a conjugate formulation by solving the equations of a binary boundary layer and the equations of heat and mass transfer in a layer of combustible forest materials with corresponding boundary and initial conditions. Solutions of this problem for diurnal and seasonal changes in environmental temperature are obtained for three scenarios of development of weather conditions. The data obtained are compared with experimental data on drying of needles of pine and some other coniferous trees. A rigorous physicomathematical basis for prediction of forest fires is given.     

Thermal-balanced integral model for pyrolysis and ignition of wood

The pyrolysis and ignition of wood is of great importance to understand the initial stage of combustion, helping control the occurrence and spread of unwanted building and forestry fires. The development of a thermal-balanced model is introduced for examining the analytical relationship between the ignition time and external heat flux. The critical heat flux, one of the important fire-retardant characteristics of combustible solid, is determined from a correlation study between the ignition time and external heat flux. One of the thermal-balanced integral models, considering the effect of surface heat losses, average absorptivity and moisture content, is employed to give the prediction of surface temperature rise, ignition time and ignition temperature of the Aspen. The results show that the model readily and satisfactorily predicts ignition temperature and ignition time of wood with different moisture contents.     

Theory of fire and fire processes

There are two major fire processes, an understanding of which is essential for effective fire safety design: (1) the conditions under which a combustible material may become involved in flaming combustion, and (2) the rate at which such a material, once involved, will provide an output of heat, smoke, toxic gases, etc., which can endanger people and property. The first process may be regarded as covering both ignition and spread of fire on materials; its complement is the way in which fire may become extinguished. It is necessary for such processes to bring in a characteristic of the basic combustion reaction which, directly or indirectly, expresses the reactivity of the combustion process. Thus pilot ignition is usually associated with an approximate surface fuel temperature. More basically, it is associated with a critical flow rate of volatiles and a critical heat loss from the flame, the latter being influenced by ambient oxygen and temperatures conditions as well as heat lost and gained by the fuel itself. The most important factor governing the production of dangerous product is the rate at which volatiles first (fuel controlled fires) and later air (air controlled fires) are fed into the flames. The reactivity is of less importance, although it may be one of the factors which control combustion efficiency. In general, the more efficient is the combustion the more heat is produced, but the less smoke and toxic gases are produced. Some of the main advances in the above areas are reviewed in this paper.     

Surface temperature measurements on burning materials using an infrared pyrometer: accounting for emissivity and reflection of external radiation

This paper demonstrates the successful use of an infrared pyrometer, operating in the 8–10 µm wavelength band, to measure the surface temperature of combustible specimens in a heat release calorimeter. The temperature histories of ten different materials were measured in the ICAL (intermediate scale calorimeter). The set of materials comprised four wood products, gypsum board, polyisocyanurate foam, PVC floor tile, PMMA and two non‐combustible boards. A small‐diameter bare thermocouple was installed on each specimen in order to determine an accurate temperature for comparison. The spectral emissivity and the spectral flux reflected from the surface were measured simultaneously and used to correct the apparent temperature measured by the pyrometer. The spectral emissivity and reflected spectral flux were both constant prior to ignition for all the combustible materials. During the burning phase all the combustible materials had a spectral emissivity very close to unity. The agreement between the temperatures measured with the pyrometer and thermocouple was not affected by the flame. The wood products, the polyisocyanurate foam and the calcium silicate board required no correction for reflected spectral flux over the whole temperature range. Copyright © 2004 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Measuring properties for material decomposition modeling

Thermal properties were measured on coupon size samples for use in predicting the temperature response and mass transfer during fires exposures. The thermal properties were determined up to temperatures of 800°C through inverse heat transfer analysis on temperature response and mass loss data. Temperature response and mass loss data were determined using a high heat flux decomposition apparatus with controlled oxygen environment. Data included thermal conductivity, specific heat capacity, and density as a function of temperature as well as heat of decomposition and Arrhenius kinetic decomposition constants. Properties for inert materials (no decomposition) compared well with manufacturer reported values and values using other methods. Properties for two decomposing materials, woven glass vinyl ester composite and balsa wood, were measured and compared well with data from other methods. Copyright © 2010 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Experimental study of the suppression of flaming combustion and thermal decomposition of model ground and crown forest fires

This paper presents an experimental study of heat and mass transfer and phase transformations in the suppression of flaming combustion and thermal decomposition of model ground, crown, and mixed forest fires due to local exposure to water. The experiments were carried out with typical combustible forest materials (mixture of leaves, needles, and twigs) and models of trunks and branches of trees. The conditions and characteristics of suppression of the flaming combustion and thermal decomposition of combustible forest materials were determined. It is shown that in the case of crown and mixed fires, local short-term (a few seconds) action of a liquid projectile does not suppress the thermal decomposition of the material (but can only lead to localization of flaming combustion). In the case of ground forest fires, this approach can be efficient with an appropriate choice of the water-irrigated area of the combustion zone and the rate and time of water spraying.     

Demonstration of the effect of softening and fire resistance of materials on burning characteristics

An important observation during full-scale fires was that burning behaviour is often determined by softening characteristics as well as ignitability, flame spread, etc. Examples include stacking chairs where thermoplastics give a rapid rate of fire growth and suspended ceilings where thermoplastics reduce fire hazard. A test rig has been progressively developed at RAPRA to reproduce the mechanisms and fire growth rates of stacked chairs and to evaluate the role of softening in fire growth. Although the ignitability of fire-retarded materials is less than that of non-fire-retarded grades, the fire growth rate in stacks is similar and may be related to the softening behaviour determined by exposing sheets of material to radiant heat. The rate of fire growth in stacks may be significantly reduced by modifying the softening behaviour of materials, e.g. by using asbestos-reinforced thermoplastics which can form an integral, non-melting felt or by using non-melting materials such as SMC or wood.     

Human survivability in motor vehicle fires

Automobile fires are consistently among the largest causes of fire death in the United States (about 500 annually) and the U.S. motor vehicle industry and others have spent a significant amount of money in recent years studying this problem. The authors of this review have analyzed the auto industry reports, the scientific literature, and statistical data, and conclude that measures should be taken to improve survivability in automobile fires. The U.S. Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard 302 (FMVSS 302) was introduced almost 40 years ago to measure the flammability of interior materials, but improvements in the crashworthiness of automobiles and their fuel tanks and the increased use of combustible materials have changed the motor vehicle fire scenario significantly. In particular, the primary threat has changed from ignition of a small quantity of combustible interior materials by a lit cigarette, in 1960, to ignition of a large quantity of combustible interior and exterior materials by an impact‐induced fire, at present. The authors therefore suggest that FMVSS 302 is no longer relevant to automobile fire safety and recommend improved standards based on objective criteria for fire safety performance (fireworthiness) at the system/vehicle level as is routinely done for crashworthiness. Copyright © 2008 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Environmentally Benign Flame Retardant Polyamide-6 Filament for Additive Manufacturing

The engineering applications of thermoplastic 3D printing filaments are currently limited by their inherent flammability, especially in fields such as automotive and aerospace, which require high standards for material safety. Polyamide-6 (PA6) is of particular interest for additive manufacturing but is a very flammable thermoplastic known to spread fires due to its aggressive melt-dripping. A flame retardant (FR) composite filament composed of PA6, ammonium polyphosphate, and aluminum phosphate is shown to be printable under identical conditions to commercially available PA6. Calorimetry measurements reveal that the composite filament generates a 7000% increase in char yield, along with 47% and 31% decreases in peak heat release rate and total heat release, respectively. Additionally, open flame testing demonstrates a significantly reduced capacity for this filament to spread fire to other nearby combustible materials. This unique FR additive system represents an important step toward improving the safety and utility of 3D printed parts.     

离子液体在传热及相变储热中的应用研究进展

离子液体具有与传统的传热、储热材料相当,甚至更加优越的性质,如蒸气压低,储热密度高,物理和化学稳定性好,热传导性好,熔点低和可设计性等。因此,离子液体在太阳能集热、建筑节能、电力谷峰调控、低品位余热存储、吸附式热泵等领域具有良好的应用潜力。综述了离子液体在传热和储热中的应用研究进展,包括作为热传导液用于太阳能集热,作为吸附介质应用于制冷(制热),以及作为相变储热材料等。最后,指出离子液体的一些性质,如腐蚀性、毒性和长期稳定性等,也是离子液体在储热和传热应用中需要考察的问题。     

Influence of modern plastic furniture on the fire development in fires in homes: large‐scale fire tests in living rooms

About 80% of all fire fatalities in Germany occur because of fires in homes. It has been known for some time that modern materials (synonym for materials consisting mostly of synthetic polymers) tend to burn differently from older materials (synonym for materials consisting mostly of fibrous cellulosic substances) and it has been acknowledged that the amount of combustible plastics in homes has increased significantly over the last decades. To investigate the influence of modern furniture and ventilation conditions of fires in homes, a series of four large‐scale tests in two living rooms (LRs) with adjacent rooms (ARs) was performed by BAM and the Frankfurt fire service. Two LRs, one with older furniture and one with modern furniture, were tested twice each. Each test started with the ignition of a paper cushion on an upholstered chair. The influence of modern materials on the fire development was investigated, as well as the influence of the ventilation on the fire development. In all settings, an upholstered chair was the first burning item. Results of the test series show that fires in rooms with modern furniture develop faster than fires in rooms with older furniture. This is true for temperature development in the rooms as well as for smoke production.     

Estimating the impact of the mattress fire safety Standard 16 CFR Part 1633 on bed fire outcomes

Beds are a prevalent combustible in fatal fires in the United States effective 1 July 2007, the US Consumer Product Safety Commission promulgated a standard to severely reduce the heat release rate and the early heat output from mattresses and foundations when ignited by a flaming ignition source. This study estimates the Standard's success over its first decade using fire incidence, US population, and mattress sales data. The technique mitigates the influence of some exogenous factors that might have changed during this decade. The Standard is accomplishing its purpose, preventing approximately 65 fatalities (out of an estimated 95 fatalities in 2002‐2005) from bed fires annually during 2015‐2016, although not all pre‐Standard mattresses had yet been replaced. Compared to residential upholstered furniture fires, which were not affected by the Standard, the numbers of bed fires decreased by 12%, injuries by 34%, and deaths by 82% between 2005‐2006 and 2015‐2016. Per bed fire, injuries decreased by 25% and fatalities decreased by 67%, indicating that the severity of bed fires is being reduced.     

Update on smoke toxicity of vinyl compounds

All organic materials burn and give off toxic products. These always include water, carbon dioxide, and the single gas causing the greatest hazard in fires—carbon monoxide (CO). The intrinsic toxicity of the smoke of all combustible materials, including PVC, is very similar in terms of lethality, with very few exceptions. Toxicity of vinyl compounds is due to two major gases: CO and hydrogen chloride (HCI). Since natural combustible materials are not chlorinated, speculation has arisen about the toxicity of HCl and of PVC smoke. Recent studies have shown that it takes similar doses of HCl and CO to kill rats. Furthermore, rats and baboons will tolerate the same levels of HCl. However, mice are much more sensitive than either rats or baboons towards HCl. Baboons are a very good model for humans; therefore, mice will be killed by exposure to much lower HCl levels than those required to kill humans. HCl concentrations in real fires are quite low: HCl decays rapidly by reacting with wall materials such as gypsum, cement, or ceiling tile. It does not, however, react rapidly with plastic or glass walls, which is where toxicity tests are carried out. Therefore PVC smoke is less hazardous in reality than it appears to be from toxicity test results. Since most products have similar intrinsic toxicities, as regards lethality, the real toxicity in a fire is a consequence of the rate of generation of gases. PVC is a difficult polymer to ignite and burns very slowly, so that it will give off less toxic products per unit time than many other common materials and cause lower fire hazard.     

Update for combustion properties of wood components

The combustion properties of various biomass and wood materials from various references and from our laboratory were reanalysed. The net heat of combustion for cellulosic materials was found to be 13.23 kJ/g times the ratio of stoichiometric oxygen mass to fuel mass, r_o, regardless of the material composition. Bomb calorimeter data for original, charred and volatilized material components provide gross heating values, while elemental analysis of the materials for carbon, hydrogen, oxygen and ash provide direct evaluation for r_o. We corrected these data as provided in various references by converting gross heating values to lower heating values and converting elemental compositions, char fractions and r_o to a moisture‐free and ash‐free basis. Some existing formulae were found to disagree with data from vegetation, charred wood with high ash content, and with volatiles from cellulose treated with the fire retardant NaOH. We also established various functional correlations of r_o with elemental compositions, or volatization fractions of untreated and treated materials, or material fractions for cellulose, lignin and extractives, or volatile fractions for tar, combustible gases and inert gases in pure nitrogen carrier gas. An interesting predictive result provides nearly constant heat of combustion while the volatile tar fraction is decreasing and combustible and inert gas fractions are increasing with time during the charring of Douglas‐fir wood. Published in 2002 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

纳米技术在相变储热材料中的应用

结合纳米颗粒的特殊尺寸效应,把纳米技术运用到相变储热材料的制备和改进中,可获得纳米流体、纳米胶囊和复合纳米相变材料等一系列性能优异的纳米相变储热材料。新型的纳米相变材料逐渐被利用到生产和生活的各个储热领域,引领着相变储热技术的发展方向。本文综述了纳米相变材料的研究进展,介绍了纳米相变材料的应用,展望了纳米相变材料的未来发展方向。     

On the ignition of a layer of combustible forest materials by light radiation

The ignition of a layer of combustible forest materials by luminous radiation was studied experimentally. The minimum radiant heat flux densities required to ignite combustible forest materials are determined for a neodymium-doped glass laser and a tungsten lamp. It is established that the heat flux, density increases with increase in the moisture content and density of the layer of combustible forest materials and decreases with increase in the diameter of the light spot, and the critical flux density is higher for the laser radiation than for the incandescent lamp. Translated fromFizika Goreniya i Vzryva, Vol. 35, No. 6, pp. 22–25, November–December 1999.