Energy release rates in fire retardant evaluation

Abstract

Fire researchers working to develop more effective chemical fire retardants long have looked for a convenient way to compare effects of various fire-retardant chemicals on flammability. Flammability has been defined as the interaction of ignitibility, sustainability, and combustibility. Ignitibility is the ease with which a fuel will ignite. Under given conditions, the most ignitible fuel will ignite spontaneously with the least energy input. A measure of the ability of a fuel to continue to react exothermally following ignition quantifies the sustainability of the fuel. Combustibility of a specific fuel is the rapidity with which energy is released from the fuel following ignition. Fire retardants are used primarily to reduce both the combustion rate and the ability of the fire to propagate itself. Consequently, it is necessary to quantify these parameters in any chemical evaluation of retardants. The ability of the fire to propagate itself can be evaluated by the rate of spread, which can be measured easily either by visual or more sophisticated means. Quantification of the combustion rate, or fire intensity, is more difficult but can be accomplished by several methods.

Citation

George, Charles W.; Blakely, Aylmer D. 1970. Energy release rates in fire retardant evaluation. Fire Technology. 6(3): 203-210.