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The Accumulation of Flammable Gases in Cone Calorimeter Tests is Responsible for Flash Ignition of Wool and Cotton Samples
Author(s) -
Pottel Hans
Publication year - 1996
Publication title -
fire and materials
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.482
H-Index - 58
eISSN - 1099-1018
pISSN - 0308-0501
DOI - 10.1002/(sici)1099-1018(199603)20:2<107::aid-fam559>3.0.co;2-p
Subject(s) - cone calorimeter , flammable liquid , ignition system , calorimeter (particle physics) , flammability , flash (photography) , flame spread , materials science , nuclear engineering , waste management , forensic engineering , environmental science , pyrolysis , composite material , combustion , engineering , chemistry , detector , char , optics , electrical engineering , physics , organic chemistry , aerospace engineering
Abstract In this paper a possible explanation is presented for the differences found between the fire behaviour of materials in small‐scale cone calorimeter tests and the large‐scale furniture calorimeter. The results obtained with cone calorimeter/FTIR equipment at 35 kW m −2 will show that the early flash ignitions of typical materials like cotton and wool are due to the liberation of flammable gases during the pyrolysis phase and the typical ignition situation on the cone calorimeter, that is, the presence of a sparking igniter above the sample. This fast flash ignition and the early heat release behaviour on the cone calorimeter may be in contradiction to the early fire growth in other fire tests where the ignition conditions are clearly different from pyrolysis circumstances, that is, ignition via a burning newspaper, match, gas flame, etc.