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Thermal decomposition kinetics of rigid polyurethane foam and ignition risk by a hot particle
Author(s) -
Wang Supan,
Chen Haixiang,
Zhang Linhe
Publication year - 2014
Publication title -
journal of applied polymer science
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.575
H-Index - 166
eISSN - 1097-4628
pISSN - 0021-8995
DOI - 10.1002/app.39359
Subject(s) - polyurethane , materials science , thermogravimetry , thermal decomposition , differential scanning calorimetry , decomposition , kinetics , composite material , chemical process of decomposition , ignition system , autoignition temperature , combustion , particle (ecology) , chemical engineering , thermodynamics , chemistry , organic chemistry , physics , oceanography , quantum mechanics , engineering , geology
Rigid polyurethane foam, one kind of building insulation material used in China, is prone to being ignited by hot particles from fireworks or welding processes and has been the fuel for some catastrophic fire accidents. Thermal decomposition has long been recognized to play an important role in the ignition and fire‐spreading processes of materials, and thus, it is important to understand the behavior and kinetics of material decomposition. In this study, the characteristics of the thermal decomposition of polyurethane foam were investigated in an air atmosphere with nonisothermal thermogravimetry and differential scanning calorimetry (DSC). Model‐free (isoconversional) methods and model‐fitting methods were used to study the decomposition kinetics. The results reveal that the decomposition process of polyurethane foam in air presented three main stages: the loss of low‐stability organic compounds (bond fission of the weakest link in the chain), oxidative degradation of organic components, and oxidative degradation of residue material. A scheme containing three consecutive reactions was proposed to describe the decomposition process, and good agreement was found between the experimental and simulated curves. The heat during decomposition was calculated from DSC measurement. On the basis of the kinetics and heat of decomposition, the critical conditions for a hot particle to ignite polyurethane foam was evaluated, and this was helpful for the understanding the ignition risk of polyurethane foam. © 2013 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J. Appl. Polym. Sci. 2014 , 131 , 39359.