Smolder Rates of Thin Cellulosic Materials

Abstract

Linear burn rates were determined for thin, cellulosic materials (papers and cotton fabrics) held in the horizontal plane by measuring the rate of radial increase of the circular burn pattern. Linear burn rates were determined for freely smoldering materials and for materials in contact with polyurethane foam. The linear burn rates of the freely smoldering materials were found to be inversely proportional to basis weight. This relationship held over basis weights from 0.8 to 24 oz/yd 2 . The linear burn rates of the materials in contact with polyurethane foam were also inversely proportional to basis weight and were reduced about 16% from the free smolder rate. The effect of potassium ion content was also examined. A minimum level of potassium, approximately 1300 ppm, was required for sustained smoldering combustion. Above this minimum level, the ion content did not have a significant effect on the linear burn rate.

The Initiation of Smolderin Combustion in Cellulosic Fabrics

“…Based on previous work measuring the linear burn rates of freely smoldering fabrics, it appears that a minimum level of potassium around 1300 ppm is required to sustain a steady smolder front once the fabric is ignited [20]. Below this value, the fabric will ignite but may not smolder uniformly.…”

Formation of dioxins and furans during combustion of treated wood

“…Detailed investigations into the chemistry behind this combustion behaviour have not been published. However, a wide range of literature investigates the effect of metals and inorganic compounds in the pyrolytic and oxidative thermal decomposition of wood [1,[28][29][30][31][32][33][34][35][36][37][38][39][40][41][42][43][44].…”

Potential alternate smoldering ignition sources: literature review with analysis

“…The types and mix of fibers used in a cover fabric comprise a key factor in the susceptibility of upholstered items to ignition by a cigarette. [105][106][107][108][109] Variation in ignition results has been demonstrated among different types of fabrics (e.g., varying with areal mass) [26,[110][111][112] and also for different types of cigarettes. [112] Variations in test results between apparently similar materials have also been reported [26,108,111,[113][114][115][116], indicating the need for careful control of the substrate materials used in developing alternates to SRM 1196.…”