Flaming Combustion Calorimetry: A New Tool for Flammabiliity Assessment using mg-sized Samples (PPT)

摘要

Microscale Combustion Calorimetry (MCC) was developed to address the need for rapid and reproducible screening of new flame retardant additives and flame resistant polymer chemistries. While this technique proved to be excellent in providing information regarding the heat release rates, total heats of combustion and solid degradation kinetics, it does not directly account for me effects of gas-phase flame inhibition, which can be observed in many bench-scale flarnrhabifity tests. To overcome this limitation, we have developed a new technique, Flaming Combustion Calorimetry (or FCC). FCC is based on the same key principles as MCC. In both cases, the material sample is small (about 30 mg, in the case of FCC). Solid pyrolysis is conducted under linear heating conditions and is completely uncoupled from the gas phase combustion. In both cases, the oxygen consumption principle is utilized to measure heat release. However, unlike in the case of MCC, gaseous pyrolysis products generated in FCC are not forced to be completely oxidized; instead, they are combusted in a laminar diffusion flame similar in structure to that observed in LOI and cone calorimetry tests. FCC provides a capability for a full control of gaseous atmosphere surrounding the flame. The design of the instrument can be extended to accommodate additional flame characterization including measurement of soot and carbon monoxide yields or flame temperature.