The Effect of Flame Retardants on Thermal Degradation of Alpha-Cellulose in Nitrogen

摘要

Cellulose is a major constituent of the bulk of combustible materials available as fuel in destructive fires. The present study seeks to develop a self-consistent model of the decomposition of cellulose and the effect of flame-retardant treatments. It reviews current theories of cellulose decomposition, including the Parker-Lipska model. A significant finding of the research is that the specially purified cellulose, a commercial filter paper, used in contemporary studies in other laboratories behaves in isothermal pyrolysis in a manner simular to that of acid-salt-treated alpha cellulose used in the author's laboratory. The second highly significant finding of the currint experimental work deals with the important effect of low concentrations of oxygen on the rate of decomposition of cellulose. It was concluded that until further major advances are made in analytical models of cellulose pyrolysis, the Parker-Lipska model will serve many useful interim purposes. (Author)