Pyrolysis characteristic study on seat hard materials of China’s high-speed train

Abstract

In order to understand the fire hazard of combustible materials used in the China’s high-speed train, pyrolysis behaviors of four typical seat cushion materials, including seat cushion fabric for first-class seats (SCFI), seat cushion fabric for second-class seats (SCFII), seat cushion foam (SCFO) and fire resisting blanket (FRB), were investigated based on the thermogravimetric (TG) analysis. TG experiments were conducted in wide heating rates from 5 to 40 K min−1 under nitrogen atmosphere, and kinetic parameters were estimated based on Kissinger method. Only one reaction appeared in the whole SCFI and SCFII pyrolysis process while two reactions for SCFO and FRB. All the materials can be fully decomposed when the temperature increases to 1060 K, except FRB, with more than 40% of the sample mass left in the crucible. What is more, the maximum mass loss rates of FRB at the three heating rates are much lower than that of the other three materials. Values of E a for the reaction of SCFI, SCFII, the first and second reaction of SCFO and the second reaction of FRB are roughly at the same level (189, 182, 206, 185 and 195 kJ mol−1, respectively). The first reaction of FRB has much lower values of E a and A, which shows that the first reaction of FRB is relatively easy to be triggered. But once it reacts, a slower reaction rate happens.