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Abstract

A method has been developed for quantifying the extinguishability of burning fabrics which sepa rates extinguishability due to thermal loss from that due to blocking the transport of vaporized fuel and/or oxygen to the combustion zone. The maximum rate of heat emission during upward burning is measured using convective calorimetry for freely-hanging samples having asbestos paper stapled to one side in several arrangements. The mass of the heat sink is varied by using different numbers of asbestos layers; the vapor transport barrier is varied by drilling different numbers of holes in the asbestos. It is found that vapor blockage generally affects extinguishment to a much greater extent than heat loss. In addition, the effectiveness of the barrier is different for different fabrics, so that extinguishability ranking in terms of heat-emission rate depends on whether or not the fabrics are burned in contact with an inert substrate.

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References

Bauer, J. , A Proposal for Test Method for Ease of Extinguishment, Amer. Dyest. Reptr. 63, 64-66 (1974).

Komamiya, K. , Quenching Distance in the Oxygen-Enriched Atmosphere , J. Fire Flamm. 4, 82-91 (1973).

Krasny, J.F. and Francis, J.B. , Ranking Extinguishability of Burning Fabrics , Textile Chem. Color. 6, 135-136 (1974).

Martin, J.R. and Miller, B. , Effect of Calcium Salts on the Flammability Behavior of Fabrics, Textile Chem. Color. 9, 20-24 (1977).

Miller, B. and Goswami, B.C. , Effects of Constructional Factors on the Burning Rates of Textile Structures; Woven Thermoplastic Fabrics, Textile Res. J. 41, 949-955 (1971).

Miller, B. , Goswami, B.C. , and Turner, R. , The Concept and Measurement of Extinguishability as a Flammability Criterion, Textile Res. J. 43, 61-67 (1973).

Miller, B. and Martin, J.R. , A Methodology for the Interpretation of the Thermal and Flammability Behavior of Multicomponent Fibrous Polymer Systems, J. Fire Flamm. 6, 105-118 (1975).

Miller, B. , Martin, J.R. , and Meiser, C.H. , Jr., Measurement of the Burning Rates of Unrestrained Fabrics, Textile Chem. Color. 7, 30-34 (1975).

Miller, B. , Martin, J.R. , and Meiser, C.H. , Jr., Design, Calibration, and Use of a Convective Air Flow Dynamic Calorimeter, Thermochim. Acta 20, 253-261 (1977).

10.

Miller, B. , Martin, J.R. , Meiser, C.H., Jr. , and Gargiullo, M. , The Flammability of PolyesterCotton Mixtures, Textile Res. J. 46, 530-538 (1976).

11.

Miller, B. , Martin, J.R. , Meiser, C.H., Jr. , Lambert, H.W. , and Buvel, H. , "Convective Air Flow Dynamic Calorimeter," U. S. Pat. 4,059,007, Nov. 22, 1977.

The Quantification of Fabric Extinguishability

Abstract

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