Citation

Kinsella K, Markham JR, Nelson CM, Burkholder TR. J. Fire Sci. 1997; 15(2): 108-125.

Copyright

(Copyright © 1997, SAGE Publishing)

DOI

unavailable

PMID

unavailable

Abstract

Decomposition products of fiberglass composites used in construction were identified using Fourier transform infrared (FT-IR) spectroscopy. This bench-scale study concentrated on identification and quantification of toxic species. Identifying compounds evolved during thermal decomposition provides data to develop early fire detection systems as well as evaluate product fire safety performance. Material fire behavior depends on many factors. Ventilation, radiant heat flux, and chemical composition are three factors that can be modeled. Physical observations of composites during thermal decomposition with simultaneous identification and quantification of evolved gases offer researchers in both material development and fire safety an advancement-in the state-of-the-art for material testing. Gas analysis by FT-IR spectroscopy identified toxic effluent species over a wide range of composite exposure temperatures (100 to 1000 degrees C), during pyrolysis and combustion. Fiberglass composites with melamine, epoxy, and silicone resins were profiled. Formaldehyde, methanol, carbon monoxide, nitric oxide, methane, and benzene were identified by the spectral analysis prior to physical evidence of decomposition. Toxic concentrations of formaldehyde, carbon monoxide, nitric oxide, ammonia, and hydrogen cyanide were observed as thermal decomposition progressed.