Fire hazard with polypropylene

Abstract

Uncontrolled fires cause much loss of human life and property damage every year. Fire in simple terms is the consequence of complex chemical and physical reactions induced by heating materials to their respective ignition temperatures. The growth and development of a fire can be represented by a number of stages or states, i.e. ignition, fire growth, fully developed fire, decay and finally extinction. At each stage in the progress of a fire, many hazards usually in the form of heat energy and combustion products are generated which may pose a threat to life and property. Generally, the fire hazards associated with material are referred to as ignitability, flame spread, heat release, smoke production, toxicity and corrosivity. However, the fire hazard associated with a material is not only dependent on the nature of the materials but is also a function of the environment in which the fire occurs, i.e. ventilation rates and geometry of the enclosed space as well as the orientation of the material. Different end-use applications of the same material or component may create different fire hazards.