Abstract
This study was performed to investigate the effect of fibre length and fibre type on fire performance of a polymer with an intermediate char yield, Polycarbonate (PC). Glass, basalt and carbon fibre reinforced PC with 6 mm, 12 mm, and 20 mm long fibres were tested. Samples were manufactured via compression moulding from pre-compounded PC pellets containing the reinforcing fibres of given lengths. Cone calorimetry tests with incident heat fluxes of 35 kW/m2, 50 kW/m2, and 70 kW/m2 were used to investigate the fire properties of PC glass fibre composites. Flame spread tests and thermal conductivity measurements were also performed. Transient plane thermal conductivity measurements were taken from 30 °C to 160 °C to determine the in-plane and out-of-plane thermal conductivity. Flame spread test was conducted to measure flame spread rate and critical heat flux for flame spread. These rare to find complementary information provides a more complete picture of factors driving the various fire performance aspects. The results show that the role of fibre length in fire performance is more significant when the fibre used has a high thermal conductivity. Knowing the role of fibre length and type on fire performance can help in the design of composite materials for optimised fire performance.
Published Version
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