EFFECTIVENESS OF FIRE RETARDANT CHEMICALS AT ELEVATED TEMPERATURES

THE FEDERAL AVIATION ADMINISTRATION (FAA) HAS LONG BEEN INTERESTED IN THE MITIGATION OF HAZARDS TO LIFE SAFETY FROM FIRE ONBOARD COMMERCIAL AIRCRAFT. THE DEVELOPMENT OF SUPERIOR FIRE RETARDANT (FR) ADDITIVES FOR POLYMERIC MATERIALS, WHICH MIGHT BE USED IN THE INTERIORS OF AIRCRAFT, IS ONE WAY TO ADDRESS THIS PROBLEM. THIS PROPOSED PROGRAM WILL EXAMINE THE EFFICACY OF CURRENTLY AVAILABLE FIRE RETARDANT CHEMICALS IN POLYMERIC SUBSTRATES UNDER LABORATORY CONDITIONS SIMULATING CERTAIN ASPECTS OF REAL FIRE CONDITIONS. IN PHASE I, WE WILL EXAMINE VARIOUS PRODUCTS USING TWO LABORATORY-SCALE FLAMMABILITY DEVICES, THE CONE CALORIMETER AND A COMBUSTION FURNACE. MEASUREMENTS OF IGNITABILITY, HEAT RELEASE, AND THE DISTRIBUTION OF THE ACTIVE FIRE RETARDANT AGENTS BETWEEN THE GAS PHASE AND THE CHAR RESIDUE WILL BE MADE ON SELECTED SPECIMENS. ANALYSIS OF THESE DATA WILL PROVIDE INSIGHT INTO THE MECHANISMS OF THE FIRE RETARDANT CHEMICALS AT ELEVATED TEMPERATURE AND HEAT FLUX CONDITIONS. RECOMMENDATIONS FOR A METHODOLOGY FOR FUTURE TESTING AND FOR THE DEVELOPMENT OF FR CHEMICALS THAT WILL BE ACTIVE AT ELEVATED TEMPERATURES ARE ANTICIPATED TO BE THE SUBJECTS OF THE PHASE II STUDY.