Fire Performance Properties Research Articles

Investigation of the Effect of Huntit Filler on Flame Retardancy and Mechanical Properties of Silicone Rubber-based Materials in Cable Applications

Silicone rubber is an organic/inorganic hybrid macromolecular polymer with properties such as fire resistance, strength, flexibility, chemical resistance, thermal stability, hydrophobicity, dielectric characteristics, resistance to environmental conditions, and biocompatibility. It is an elastomer and exhibits high-performance characteristics compared to most materials in its class. Its current properties and the relative ease of enhancing its characteristics have significantly increased the industrial utilization of silicone rubber. Due to its mineral structure, silicone rubber is frequently used as an insulating material to ensure circuit integrity in the production of fire-resistant cables. It exhibits low smoke zero halogen (LSZH) characteristics, with low level release of toxic gases as a result of combustion reactions. In this study, silicone rubber compounds including a natural mineral Huntite with improved fire-resistant properties compared to standard silicone materials suitable for cable production were prepared. After cable production the fire performance properties alongside the physico-mechanical characteristics of the final products were examined. To determine the flame retardancy of the material, limiting oxygen index (LOI%) and fire performance tests were performed according to the ISO 4589-2 and BS 6387 standards, respectively. The results show that Huntite is a suitable alternative material to improve silicone materials' flame resistance.

Thermal, acoustic, and fire performance characterization of textile face mask waste for use as low-cost building insulation material

Environmental issues are becoming increasingly important, and researchers are developing new technologies and models to reduce environmental impact. The circular economy is a production and consumption model that involves sharing, borrowing, reusing, repairing, reconditioning and recycling existing materials and products for as long as possible. This study focuses on the concept of reuse and, specifically, how to reduce waste generated by pandemics through recycling and reusing facemasks made of polyamide fabric. Facemasks can be reused to refurbish buildings in low-income contexts. To assess the reutilization potential of recycled bulk polyamide fiber, thermal, acoustic, and fire performance properties were assessed experimentally. The results show that they are comparable to commercial insulation materials such as glass wool and mineral wool in terms of thermal conductivity, while also demonstrating good sound absorption performance at medium and high frequencies (greater thickness and density will increase the amount of insulation and sound absorption). The material's fire performance is similar to that of other synthetic insulation materials, such as EPS. However, the performance is worse than for common organic insulation materials, such as cellulose. Finally, a low-cost, self-portable insulation panel concept designed for indoor installation was tested for material performance. Considering these properties, this solution may represent a significant opportunity to enhance thermal and acoustic comfort in vulnerable energy-poor households, bringing clear environmental benefits and positive social implications.

Thermal, Sound and Fire Performance Properties of Prefabricated Facade Panels with Massive, Sandwich and Frame Design Concepts

Many reasons such as the Industrial Revolution and the need for rapid building production after the Second World War have led to an acceleration of developments in the construction sector and new construction systems have emerged. These construction systems have brought forth the need for new facade designs. Prefabricated facade panels designed with the aim of quickly closing a building whose structure is completed so that it is least affected by external environmental conditions and ensuring that the facades created can exhibit good performance are also among these innovations. In this study, thermal and sound insulation, and fire resistance performance characteristics of prefabricated facade panels with wood, concrete, metal, or terracotta-based structure material, made with three different design concepts as massive, sandwich, and frame, were examined. The study is considered important because it examines the characteristics of facade elements aimed at improving the quality of the indoor environment.

Wollastonite to Improve Fire Properties in Medium-Density Fiberboard Made from Wood and Chicken Feather Fibers

Poultry is a crucial global protein source.However, processing creates sizable quantities of feathers as a by-product. Identifying suitable uses for these feathers poses a major challenge. One possible use would be as an extender in medium density fiberboards (MDF). At the same time, feathers might also modify the inherent fire resistance of the resulting panels, suggesting the need for additives to enhance fire performance. The potential for using feathers to supplement wood in MDF panels was evaluated in conjunction with the addition of wollastonite. The effects of using 5% or 10% feathers with or without 10% wollastonite were investigated. Adding 5% feathers did affect properties. However, simultaneous addition of 10% wollastonite resulted in panels with improved fire performance properties and increased the ability of panels to dissipate heat. The results suggest that feathers could be a resource for extending timber supplies for MDF production, especially with wollastonite to improve fire performance.

Fire performance properties of commonly used South African hardwood

The effect of fire or heat and the associated fire hazards of South African hardwoods had been minimally researched. Quantitative investigations on fire performances of selected and common South African hardwood species that include Leadwood ( Combretum imberbe), Mopani ( Colophospermum mopane), Tamboti ( Spirostachys Africana), Stinkwood ( ocotea bullata), and Real Yellowwood ( Podocarpus latifolius) were undertaken using the cone calorimeter and the thermal gravimetric analysis instrument. The results indicated that Leadwood has the superior thermal performance. It has the lowest peak heat release rate (first peak at 156 kW/m2) at external heat irradiation flux of 75 kW/m2, highest thermal response parameter (376.2 kW s1/2/m2), highest thermal inertial (11.5 kW2 s/K2 m4), highest [Formula: see text], lowest fire growth index (derived from first heat release rate peak at 3120 W/s) and lowest smoke growth index (derived from first smoke production rate peaks at 0.760 m2/s2), and lowest smoke release (toxicity) 446.5 kg/kg. Bad thermal performance wood species are Mopani and Real Yellowwood. Stinkwood on the other hand has the best thermal stability from activation energy measurements.

The combined effects of zinc stannate and aluminium diethyl phosphinate on the burning behaviour of glass fibre-reinforced, high temperature polyamide (HTPA)

The effect of changing the ratio of aluminium diethyl phosphinate (as Exolit OP1230) and zinc stannate (as Flamtard S) present within a glass-reinforced high temperature polyamide (HTPA/GF) at a constant total flame retardant level of 15 wt% is shown to have fire performance properties that depend on the ratio of both these agents. Aluminium diethyl phosphinate (AlPi) alone at 15 wt% gives LOI > 40 vol% and a V-0 rating. The introduction of zinc stannate (ZS) at levels up to 3.75 wt% maintains the LOI at about 40 vol% and the V-0 rating. Similarly, glow wire ignition temperatures and cone calorimetry results, in terms of minimal peak heat release rate, show that optimum fire performance also occurs at the [ZS] ≤ 3.75% and [AlPi] ≥ 11.25% condition. Smoke generation reduces only slightly when highest levels of AlPi are present compared with the HPTA/GF sample and then reduces further as the ratio [ZS]/[AlPi] increases. Tensile and impact properties are also optimal for the [ZS] ≤ 3.75 wt% and [AlPi] ≥ 11.25 wt% condition. At the mechanistic level, TGA studies show that for HPTA/GF, the presence of oxygen increases char residue in the 450–550 °C region compared to when heated under nitrogen. Air oxidation further increased residues above 450 °C when AlPi is present and confirms other published work that the reported volatilization occurring during pyrolysis under nitrogen is now in competition with its oxidation to aluminium phosphate. Thus residues above 450 °C in air comprise both increased char from HTPA plus residual aluminium phosphate with the latter remaining above 600 °C after the former has oxidized.

Flame retardant polyurethanes based on novel phosphonamidate additives

Development of new halogen-free flame retardants for application in polymer is becoming important due to ban of some existing halogenated flame retardants, ineffectiveness of existing flame retardant additives and higher fire performance requirements for materials. Polyurethane is an important class of polymer finding application in diverse areas like textile coatings, wood coatings, foams, fibers, cables, adhesives etc. There is a great need to develop halogen free flame retardants for various PU based materials. In this work we have reported synthesis of novel phosphonamidates as flame retardant additives and their application in manufacturing flame retardant flexible PU foams and flame retardant polyester PU coated fabrics. Furthermore the flame retardant properties and thermal decomposition characteristics of the PU based materials have been evaluated. The novel phosphonamidate derivatives have superior fire performance properties as compared to existing commercial flame retardant additives and work primarily in gas phase by recombining H* and OH* radicals.

Fire Performance Properties of Solid Wood and Lignocellulose-Plastic Composite Deck Boards

Traditionally fire performance properties of externally located deck boards have been characterized by their flame spread index (FSI) as determined by UL 723/ASTM E 84. In this test a nominal 0.6 m wide by 7.3 m long array of deck boards is exposed to an approximately 90 kW ignition source fire for 10 min in the Steiner Tunnel. More recently the University of California Forest Products Laboratory developed a new fire test protocol based the principles of oxygen consumption calorimetry, California SFM 12-7A-4, Part A: Under-Deck Flame Test. This protocol addresses the potential ignition of a deck from underneath as may occur during a wildfire. In this protocol a nominal 0.44 square meter deck-system of deck boards mechanically fastened to wood joists is subjected to an 80 kW ignition source fire for 3 min. For this study the fire performance characteristics of more than thirty-five deck board types were evaluated by the above two methods and by a smaller-scale material-based test, ASTM E 1354 cone calorimeter. Deck boards were selected to represent a range of materials (untreated wood, lignocellulose-polymer composite), structures (solid, voided, microcellular foam), and cross-sectional profiles (width, thickness, presence of hidden fastener system longitudinal edge grooves). The results from this study were used to: 1. Develop correlations for deck boards between the material-based cone calorimeter tests and system-based under-deck tests. 2. Develop correlations for deck boards between the small-scale cone calorimeter tests and large-scale Steiner Tunnel tests. 3. Estimate the significance of ASTM D 2898 Method A accelerated weathering on fire performance.

Fire performance of wood (Pinus radiata) treated with fire retardants and a wood preservative

AbstractIn this work, we co‐formulated an oil‐borne copper naphthenate/permethrin wood preservative system with synthetic polymer‐based fire‐retardant additives prior to the impregnation of Pinus radiata sapwood. We evaluated what effect, if any, the preservative had upon the fire performance properties of the fire retardants and whether the fire retardants impacted on the fungicidal and termiticidal efficacy of the preservative. The fire retardants included halogenated and phosphorus‐based systems. A mass loss calorimeter, in conjunction with a thermopile, was used to measure the time to ignition and the peak heat release rate (PHRR) from which the fire performance index (FPI) was determined. The preservative properties were evaluated using termite and soil‐block decay bioassays. In summary, we found that the rate of fire growth was reduced when the fire retardants were used in combination with the wood preservative. We also found that the PHRR was a better determinant of fire performance than the FPI. The performance of the wood preservative was enhanced against fungal decay and termite attack when used in combination with the fire retardants. The fire retardants also demonstrated some wood preservative properties of their own. Copyright © 2008 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

Fire Performance of Foam-Plastic Building Insulation

specifiers, end-users, and regulators. The occurrence of several major fires in the last few years involving foam-plastic insulation suggests that this class of products may be subject to incorrect installation and that fire safety lessons of the last 25 years are becoming lost on some participants in today’s construction industry. Recent fire-safety-engineering research has provided new understandings of how the synergism of physical properties and the chemical makeup of individual materials can result in unique and frequently unobvious fire-related properties that can affect individual projects. By reviewing fire-safety-engineering aspects of current foam building-insulation technology, this article demonstrates that particular installations of plastic foam insulations often have unique ignition and fire growth properties. Installation and use as mandated by today’s building codes should only be considered minimum requirements when using these products. A myriad of insulation products are currently on the market and most possess their own set of fire-performance properties. In the United States, 1973 marked a turning point in the use of plastic building insulations based on foams manufactured from polymer resins. Prior to that, model code regulations had not adequately addressed the fire performance of this group of products, although their use had grown dramatically. As a result of this growth and partly because of a lack of appropriate regulation, serious incidents occurred involving foam-plastic insulation, and this focused attention on its fire-related properties. After 1973, new language was put in place in the model codes, and steadily numbers of foam-related fires dropped. This change coincided with an enhanced awareness in the construction indus

Clariant lays foundation for new flame retardants plant

The effect of changing the ratio of aluminium diethyl phosphinate (as Exolit OP1230) and zinc stannate (as Flamtard S) present within a glass-reinforced high temperature polyamide (HTPA/GF) at a constant total flame retardant level of 15 wt% is shown to have fire performance properties that depend on the ratio of both these agents. Aluminium diethyl phosphinate (AlPi) alone at 15 wt% gives LOI > 40 vol% and a V-0 rating. The introduction of zinc stannate (ZS) at levels up to 3.75 wt% maintains the LOI at about 40 vol% and the V-0 rating. Similarly, glow wire ignition temperatures and cone calorimetry results, in terms of minimal peak heat release rate, show that optimum fire performance also occurs at the [ZS] ≤ 3.75% and [AlPi] ≥ 11.25% condition.Smoke generation reduces only slightly when highest levels of AlPi are present compared with the HPTA/GF sample and then reduces further as the ratio [ZS]/[AlPi] increases. Tensile and impact properties are also optimal for the [ZS] ≤ 3.75 wt% and [AlPi] ≥ 11.25 wt% condition.At the mechanistic level, TGA studies show that for HPTA/GF, the presence of oxygen increases char residue in the 450–550 °C region compared to when heated under nitrogen. Air oxidation further increased residues above 450 °C when AlPi is present and confirms other published work that the reported volatilization occurring during pyrolysis under nitrogen is now in competition with its oxidation to aluminium phosphate. Thus residues above 450 °C in air comprise both increased char from HTPA plus residual aluminium phosphate with the latter remaining above 600 °C after the former has oxidized.

An oxygen index evaluation of flammability on modified epoxy/polyester systems

This article describes a study on flame retardancy conducted on a dual cure thermosetting system consisting of an epoxy resin, blended with an unsaturated polyester. Neat resin panels and glass-fibre reinforced composites were prepared utilising several structurally different flame-retardant (FR) additives. These materials were tested in order to determine the Limiting Oxygen Index (LOI), which is a measure of the fire performance properties of a given material. Particular attention was paid to the FR properties of compounds, which are free of halogen such as bromine, in the absence of antimony oxide. These compounds are based on phosphorous containing molecules.

Synergistic Fire Performance Between Metal or Metal Filled Organic Coatings and Engineering Plastics

Metal filled organic and EMI coatings affect the fire performance properties of engineering plastics. Zinc arc spray, zinc/epoxy, and zinc borate/epoxy coatings on modified-polyphenylene oxide (m-PPO) are particu larly effective. The results from non-flaming NBS smoke chamber tests show a dramatic reduction in smoke for zinc and zinc borate coatings, whereas a ZnO coating did not show the same effect. Heat release data (Radiant Panel) for these samples show lower Q values for zinc, zinc borate coatings compared to m-PPO, epoxy coated m-PPO and ZnO epoxy coated m-PPO. The Fs values for zinc and zinc borate coatings are low compared to a m-PPO control and ZnO coated m-PPO. Polycarbonate structural foam sheet was coated with epoxy coatings filled with zinc, zinc borate, or ZnO. NBS Smoke Chamber data in the non-flaming mode for zinc or ZnO coatings do not show an improvement in smoke produc tion, but a zinc borate epoxy coating does have a reductive effect on smoke. Ra diant Panel Q was low for all coated samples compared to a control. Fs values also were low for coated samples. From OSU heat release data the zinc borate/epoxy coating shows a low heat release rate and the zinc/epoxy coating a much delayed heat release rate. Data for smoke (2 min) was low for coated samples compared to a control, but for smoke (peak) only zinc borate demon strated the potential for significant smoke reduction.