CHARACTERIZATION OF COMBUSTION PRODUCTS UNDER FLAMING AND NON-FLAMING CONDITIONS

摘要

The combustibility behavior of a variety of natural, synthetic, and multi-component materials common to modern residential settings was characterized under both non-flaming and flaming conditions. Measured combustion properties included weight loss rate, heat and smoke release rates via ASTM E 1354 cone calorimeter. A particle spectrometer and a gas-phase FTIR were coupled to the cone calorimeter to measure smoke particle size and count distributions and effluent gases generated during the combustion process. The particle spectrometer has a size range of 0.01 to 10 micron, permitting measurement of particles smaller than those observable using light-based measurement devices. The gas-phase FTIR was equipped with a 10 meter path cell enabling measurement sensitivities as low as 0.1 ppm over the 400 to 4,000 cm-1 wavenumber range. Samples were selected based on material chemistry and prevalence in residential settings. Not unexpectedly different heat release rates were observed for the various material chemistries. More interesting however are the differences in the smoke “quality” generated by the materials. Smoke extinction coefficients and the smoke particle size and count distribution were found to vary with both material chemistry and the mode of combustion. Effluent gas analysis indicated that water vapor, carbon dioxide and carbon monoxide were the dominantly produced gases and other gases were found in lower concentrations. Again material chemistry and the mode of combustion were found to have a profound effect on the produced species.