Bubbles and Collapses: Fire Phenomena of Polyurethane Foams
- This work investigates the fire phenomena of rigid polyurethane foams (RPUFs) in detail. To elucidate structure-property relationships, systematically varied sets of materials were prepared covering polyurethane, polyisocyanurate-polyurethane and flame retarded polyurethane foams. Advanced cone calorimeter investigations provide insight into the fire behavior under forced flaming conditions. Thermocouples inside specimens give information about the temperature gradient during combustion. Furthermore, fire phenomena were characterized using cross sections of quenched samples and the scanning electron microscope. By using a Multi methodological approach and systematically varied sets of foam materials, new insights into the burning of RPUFs were won. For the flame retarded foams, the dominant flame retardant mode of action changed with density. PIR foams exhibited a cellular structure in the residue leading to the superior fire performance compared to polyurethane foams. TheThis work investigates the fire phenomena of rigid polyurethane foams (RPUFs) in detail. To elucidate structure-property relationships, systematically varied sets of materials were prepared covering polyurethane, polyisocyanurate-polyurethane and flame retarded polyurethane foams. Advanced cone calorimeter investigations provide insight into the fire behavior under forced flaming conditions. Thermocouples inside specimens give information about the temperature gradient during combustion. Furthermore, fire phenomena were characterized using cross sections of quenched samples and the scanning electron microscope. By using a Multi methodological approach and systematically varied sets of foam materials, new insights into the burning of RPUFs were won. For the flame retarded foams, the dominant flame retardant mode of action changed with density. PIR foams exhibited a cellular structure in the residue leading to the superior fire performance compared to polyurethane foams. The understanding of fire phenomena contributes to future development of tailored flame retardant strategies for RPUFs.…