Smouldering Combustion in Loose-Fill Wood Fibre Thermal Insulation: An Experimental Study

A bench-scale experimental setup has been used to study the conditions necessary for smouldering ignition in four types of loose-fill wood fibre thermal insulation, and to study the development of the smouldering process. The products varied with regard to wood species, grain size and fire retardant chemical additives. The test material was placed in an insulated open top container and heated from below. Temperatures within the sample and mass loss were measured during the tests. Both the fibre size and the level of added fire retardant seem to influence the smouldering ignition. Two different types of smouldering were identified in this study. Materials undergoing smouldering Type 1 obtained maximum temperatures in the range 380°C to 440°C and a total mass loss of 40 wt% to 50 wt%. Materials undergoing smouldering Type 2 obtained maximum temperatures in the range 660°C to 700°C and a total mass loss of 80 wt% to 90 wt%. This implies that Type 2 smouldering involves secondary char oxidation, which represents a risk for transition to flaming combustion and thereby a considerable fire hazard. This has been an exploratory project and the results must therefore be considered as indicative. The findings may, however, have implications for fire safety in the practical use of loose-fill wood fibre insulation in buildings, and further experimental studies should be performed with this in mind to obtain more knowledge about the topic.