The thermal decomposition and combustion of building and finishing materials

Abstract

The paper investigates specific aspects of the methods for studying the composition of thermal decomposition and combustion products of typical indoor synthetic and natural materials. The purpose of this research is to build up an experimental database with the concentrations of gaseous pyrolysis products during the thermal decomposition of typical materials in compartments. The utilized techniques are gas and liquid chromatography, effusion mass spectrometry, IR spectroscopy, gas analysis equipment (laboratory and industrial gas analyzers). The conducted research compared the promising methods of chemical analysis of gaseous products of thermal decomposition and combustion of synthetic and natural materials that carry a fire load in residential and public spaces. Data on the quantitative and qualitative composition of combustion products of wood, textile and interior design items were obtained. Toxicity indices of combustion product components were calculated. The data presented in the tables and diagrams for the smoke aerosol component yield in the thermal decomposition and combustion of materials can be used to determine gas hazards from combustion products in an area and to solve other applied problems. These findings are fundamental for predicting the toxic substance concentrations, developing fire safety measures and planning the evacuation paths. It is instructive to use these findings as the basis for developing the physical and mathematical models of heat and mass transfer, phase transformations and chemical reactions to determine the patterns of propagation of gaseous components of thermal decomposition and combustion in spaces with different geometries and dimensions.