Ignition properties of thermally thin plastics the effectiveness of non-competitive char formation in reducing flammability.pdfVIP

JOURNAL OF APPLIED MATHEMATICS AND DECISION SCIENCES, 6(3), 155–181 c Copyright 2002, Lawrence Erlbaum Associates, Inc. Ignition Properties of Thermally Thin Plastics: The Effectiveness of Non- Competitive Char Formation in Reducing Flammability M. I. NELSON† Department of Fuel and Energy, The University of Leeds, Leeds LS2 9JT, UK J. BRINDLEY School of Mathematics, The University of Leeds, Leeds LS2 9JT, UK A. C. MCINTOSH Department of Fuel and Energy, The University of Leeds, Leeds LS2 9JT, UK Abstract. The retardancy effect of char formation upon the flammability of thermally thin products is investigated. The char is formed in a single-step non-competitive scheme and is assumed to be thermally stable. The criterion for ignition is that of a critical mass flux of volatiles from the solid into the gas phase. Both steady-state and transient formulations of the model are considered. In the high activation energy limit the critical heat flux efficiency in the steady-state model is proportional to c/(1 − c), where c is the fraction of char formed. In the transient model the efficiency in reducin gthe maximum heat release rate, average heat release rate, and total heat released is given by c and is independent of activation energy and heat flux. The specific application that we have in mind for our model is piloted ignition in the cone calorimeter. Keywords: cone calorimeter, critical heat flux, heat release rate, mass loss rate 1. Introduction The use of synthetic polymers in buildings or construction applications is steadily increasing and every year more emphasis is placed on the hazards that result from the burning of such materials. The majority of polymer- containing end products must now pass regulatory tests and there is there- fore considerable interest in the design of materials that can pass such tests.