Experimental study of molten bubble layer growth and bubble size distribution in post‐flame‐spread PMMA samples

Abstract

AbstractAlthough thermoplastics possess many desirable traits as solidified materials, they are combustible and burn readily. Post burning samples of polymethylmethacrylate (PMMA) are the focus of this study. During flame spread, PMMA forms a bubble containing molten surface layer that influences the spread rate and the surface mass efflux. This study examines the formation and distribution of bubbles inside a PMMA sample that has previously been subjected to flame spread and then re‐hardened into its solid state. Experiments discussed herein were conducted in a Narrow Channel Apparatus (NCA), which reduces the influences of gravitation (buoyancy) on flame spread. Bubble sizes and counts were determined using digital image analysis (DIA). The burnt samples were analyzed by dividing sample images into eight equal area sections. Frequency distributions of bubble size (area) were compared. Distribution functions were fitted against the empirical probability density function (PDF) for the bubble size distribution. The log‐normal distribution predicts the bubble size distribution for all segments. The bubble distribution function can be used to describe physical processes inside the polymeric material as it undergoes thermal transformation by the spreading flame.