Analysis of Vertical Combustion and Carbonization Patterns of Floor Materials When Using a Needle Flame

Abstract

This study analyzed flame growth characteristics and carbonization patterns when floor materials were burned vertically using a needle flame produced for this study. It was found that PVC flooring was fire retardant and the area under direct flame contracted inward. Vertical combustion causes solidification in the form of a lump at the bottom and also generates soot in a pattern that progresses upwards. This study found that laminated flooring exhibited no fire retarding characteristics and that the laminated layer of its upper surface was destroyed by fire, causing irregular delamination. The carbonization ranges at the left and right sides were determined to be symmetrical. A vertical combustion test of a sample carpet showed that it exhibited no fire-retarding characteristics. It was observed that if heat accumulated in the carpet, the flame formed an ascending air current, and that when flammable materials were present around the flame, they further accelerated the diffusion of the flame. The carbonization pattern at the carpet surface exposed to direct flame revealed that the carpet surface had melted and had flown downwards and that many tiny holes formed on it.