Citation

Ihrig AM, Smith SL. J. Fire Sci. 1994; 12(4): 357-375.

Copyright

(Copyright © 1994, SAGE Publishing)

DOI

unavailable

PMID

unavailable

Abstract

The process of smoldering plays a key role in the combustion of tobacco products and textiles. Smoldering is strongly influenced by the concentration and nature of ions present in the material. This study provides further evidence that cellulosic smoldering is an ion-catalyzed process. A denim fabric was impregnated with a range of concentrations of salt solutions representing Group la and Group 2a elements in combinations with various anions. The smolder-promoting activity of different elements was determined. All group la elements are smolder promoters with potassium being the most active and lithium the least active- Calcium and magnesium do not promote smoldering but other group 2a elements such as strontium and barium are smolder promoters. Anions also have a profound effect ranging from strong promotion with hydroxide to total inhibition of smolder with the dihydrogen phosphate ion. Cation concentrations in the neighborhood of 1000 ppm, when in combination with smolder-promoting anions, are all that is necessary to render the tested denim vulnerable to smoldering. Studies at different oxygen concentrations indicate that metal ions promote smoldering by increasing the reactivity of char toward oxygen, resulting in a reduction in the oxygen concentration needed to sustain smoldering.