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Improved Fire- and Smoke-Resistant Materials for Commercial Aircraft Interiors A Proceedings (1995) / Chapter Skim
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Chapter 4. Fundamental Fire Properties of Combustible Materials
Pages 37-44

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From page 37...
... In the aviation field particularly, there is a major advantage to be gained in that synthetic materials offer a considerable saving of weight over more conventional materials (particularly metals)
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From page 38...
... Nascerlt flame at surface 1 Sufficient flow of flammable vapours 1 "Suitable | conditions" 1 FIRE on the heat-transfer environment to which the burning fuel is now contributing. This is difficult to quantify, or control, which can explain many of the difficulties one encounters when attempting to interpret the results of standard test methods and apply them to "real fires." THE BURNING PROCESS It is appropriate to comment briefly on the burning process for a single, isolated "fuel bed." Following ignition, the surface temperature will increase rapidly as the developing flame provides additional heat transfer to the surface.
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From page 39...
... Similarly, a material with low thermal inertia will achieve its maximum rate of burning much more rapidly than one with a high thermal inertia. In general, combustible materials that are also good thermal insulators are potentially hazardous, unless they are intrinsically flame retardant.
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From page 41...
... Rasbash has argued that measurement of the critical mass flux at the firepoint provides a means whereby reactivities of the vapors from different materials and their flame retarded modifications may be compared (Rasbash, 1975~. The critical mass flux can be related to a critical value of the Spaiding mass transfer number (Spalding, 1955)
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From page 42...
... Fire products consist mainly of carbon dioxide and water vapor, but the few percent of partially burned products have the potential to cause considerable harm. Smoke results in loss of visibility, which delays escape and can lead to unacceptable exposure times for those attempting to evacuate a building.
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From page 43...
... 1990. Standard Test Method for Heat and Visible Smoke Release Rates for Materials and Products Using Oxygen Consumption Calorimeter.
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Key Terms

  • combustible materials
  • heat flux
  • thermal inertia
  • heat transfer
  • mass flux

  • low thermal
  • heat losses
  • standard test
  • temperature rise
  • fundamental properties

  • critical mass
  • fire safety
  • test method
  • heat release
  • fire scenario

  • fundamental fire
  • fire products
  • safety journal
  • boundary conditions
  • fire hazard

  • influence fire
  • firepoint temperature
  • fire retardants
  • cone calorimeter
  • partially burned

  • maximum rate
  • international symposium
  • thermal stability
  • real fire
  • fire behavior


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