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The recommendation is based on the coauthors’ work organized by the RILEM TC 256-SPF ‘‘Spalling of concrete due to fire: testing and modelling’’. The Committee has defined two types of screening tests for characterization of concrete propensity to fire spalling: Material screening tests and Product screening tests. Definitions of both types of tests are given in the paper. The following recommendations apply to Material screening tests. The material screening tests described in these recommendations are a set of minimum requirements to test concrete spalling propensity (for example, the minimal specimen size). This document covers the aspects of concrete characterization, specimen geometries, storage conditions, test methods and measured parameters.
Since we are facing more extreme weathers, the occurrence
of wildfire has also increased accordingly. The EU project
TREEADS aims to adopt a holistic forest fire management
and an adaptive, collaborative governance approach based
on the deployment of a new systemic and technological
framework covering all three interconnected fire
management stages: prevention & preparedness, detection &
response, and restoration & adaptation.
As part of the task in the so-called German pilot, numerical
simulations are performed to investigate the influencing
factors for vegetation fires with fire dynamics simulator
(FDS). The characteristics of vegetation are strongly related
to the local weather and ecosystem. The investigation of the
fire behavior of vegetation must be based on the local
vegetation in Germany. Thus, the flame propagation of typical
vegetation in Germany (pine needles, oak leaves, European
beech leaves etc.) was investigated in small scale and medium
scale experiments. These results are used as validation case
studies for the further simulations.
Revolutionizing our polymer industry for adaption to a sustainable carbon circular economy has become one of today’s most demanding challenges. Exploiting renewable resources to replace fossil-fuel—based plastics with biopolymers such as poly(lactic acid) (PLA) is inevitable while using waste streams as a raw material resource at least is promising. When it comes to using PLA as technical polymer, its high flammability must be addressed by flame retardants compatible with the thermoplastic processing of PLA and its compostability. This study proposes microalgae enriched with phosphorus from wastewater (P-Algae) as an elegant way towards a kind of sustainable organophosphorus flame retardant. The concept is demonstrated by investigating the processing, pyrolysis, flammability, and fire behavior of PLA/P-Algae, while varying the P-Algae content and comparing P-Algae with four alternative bio-fillers (phosphorylated lignin, biochar, thermally treated sewage sludge, and metal phytate) with different P-contents as meaningful benchmarks.
The synergistic behavior of different silicon compounds is investigated in flame retardant biocomposites with aluminum trihydroxide (ATH) as the main flame retardant. The paper shows a new approach towards sustainable biocomposites through the implementation of thermoplastic starch (TPS), leather fibers from industrial waste streams, and non-hazardous flame retardants and synergists. In these multicomponent systems, the different components address different modes of action in the fire scenario. When ATH is partially substituted by glass frits or layered silicates, fire performance is enhanced without changing the total amount of filler in the polymer. In a biocomposite with 25 phr of fiber and 90 phr of ATH, substituting 5 phr of ATH for layered silicates increased the LOI from 31.5 vol % to 34.8 vol %, decreased the peak of heat release by 20%, and increased the UL 94 rating from V-1 to V-0.
The global plastic industry relies on fossil-based materials, presenting environmental challenges. A sustainable polymer namely poly(limonene carbonate) (PLimC), made of limonene and CO2 as two monomers from non-food sources, shows advances in various applications where additives such as flame retardants (FRs) are crucial to comply with fire safety measures.
The variety of FRs is wide, and therefore the approach involved conducting a comparative study of four different halogen-free flame retardant systems that are conventionally used in polycarbonates and polyolefins to understand which FR enhances the flame resistance of PLimC most effectively. The primary task of the project is to conduct experimental evaluations to analyze the thermal properties, flammability, and fire behavior of each system. This data will offer valuable insights towards the advancement of safer and more sustainable materials.
Fire-induced spalling of normal strength concrete with different types of blended Portland cement
(2024)
The cement industry is looking to reduce its overall CO2 footprint. Greener manufacturing can be achieved by the introduction of more clinker-reduced cements. Concrete exposed to fire tends to show explosive spalling caused by thermomechanical and thermohydraulic processes. It is therefore essential to determine how concretes with clinker-reduced cements behave under fire exposure, especially for concretes containing calcined clays, as these are expected to be the supplementary cementitious material of the future. In this paper, normal strength concretes with four different cements (CEM I, CEM II/A-LL, CEM III/A and CEM II/B-Q) were examined for their fire-induced spalling behaviour. In addition, a mix with PP fibres was investigated for each concrete. The experiments were conducted on ring-restrained cylindrical specimens exposed to the hydrocarbon fire curve. The results showed that the cement type influences spalling behaviour. Samples with CEM I spalled the least, followed by CEM II/A-LL and CEM III/A. Finally, samples with CEM II/B-Q showed the most severe damage. It was found that the spalling behaviour of different concretes correlates with the moisture content before exposure to fire, meaning that higher moisture content leads to higher spalling susceptibility. The use of 2 kg/m³ PP fibres completely inhibited spalling regardless of the cement type used and therefore remains a successful avoidance strategy.
The systematic transfer of solvent-free, additive flame retardant (FR) formulations from epoxy resins to glass fiber-reinforced epoxy composites (GFRECs) through prepregs is difficult. Additionally, obtaining data on their post-fire mechanics is often challenging. Utilizing melamine polyphosphate (MPP), ammonium polyphosphate (APP), and silane-coated ammonium polyphosphate (SiAPP) FRs with low-melting inorganic silicates (InSi) in an 8:2 proportion and 10% loading by weight in a diglycidyl ether of bisphenol A (DGEBA) resin, a systematic investigation of the processing properties, room-temperature mechanics, and temperature-based mechanics of the systems was performed. The resin was cured with a dicyandiamide hardener (DICY) and a urone accelerator. The results revealed no substantial impact of these FRs at the current loading on the resin's glass transition temperature or processability. However, the fire residues from cone calorimetry tests of the composites containing FRs were found to be only 15-20% of the thickness of the resins, implying a suppression of intumescence upon transfer. At room temperature, the decrease in the flexural modulus for the composites containing FRs was negligible. Exposure of the composites in a furnace at 400°C as a preliminary study before ignition tests was shown to cause significant flexural moduli reductions after 2.5 min of exposure and complete delamination after 3 min making further testing unviable. This study emphasizes the need for future research on recovering modes of action upon transfer of FR formulations from resins to composites. Based on the challenges outlined in this investigation, sample adaptation methods for post-fire analysis will be developed in a future study.
Cryogenic liquefied gases, such as liquid hydrogen (LH2) and liquefied natural gas (LNG), are becoming more popular as eco-friendly energy sources. However, using these gases more often increases the risk of accidents, making it important to conduct thorough risk assessments. The storage systems for these gases rely on thermal superinsulation (TSI), which can fail under extreme heat, especially during fires. Therefore, it is essential to study how and why TSI fails. This research (part of PhD topic) aims to examine insulation performance, thereby improving the overall safety of cryogenic storage systems.
Revolutionizing our polymer industry for adaption to a sustainable carbon circular economy has become one of today’s most demanding challenges. Exploiting renewable resources to replace fossil-fuel—based plastics with biopolymers such as poly(lactic acid) (PLA) is inevitable while using waste streams as a raw material resource at least is promising. When it comes to using PLA as technical polymer, its high flammability must be addressed by flame retardants compatible with the thermoplastic processing of PLA and its compostability. This study proposes microalgae enriched with phosphorus from wastewater (P-Algae) as an elegant way towards a kind of sustainable organophosphorus flame retardant. The concept is demonstrated by investigating the processing, pyrolysis, flammability, and fire behavior of PLA/P-Algae, while varying the P-Algae content and comparing P-Algae with four alternative bio-fillers (phosphorylated lignin, biochar, thermally treated sewage sludge, and metal phytate) with different P-contents as meaningful benchmarks.
Steel tension members with hollow sections are used in applications such as trusses. To ensure the fire resistance, the steel must be prevented from heating up too quickly. A suitable solution is the application of intumescent coatings. However, the approval-based scope of application of these products generally does not include steel tension members with hollow section. This is mainly due to the lack of a corresponding European test and assessment standard. To investigate the characteristics to be considered when testing these structural members and assessing the contribution of the intumescent coating to the fire resistance, several mechanically loaded fire tests were carried out using a special tension test furnace. The fire tests have shown that intumescent coatings can provide a significant improvement in the fire resistance of steel tension members with hollow section. However, this specific application generally places particularly high demands on the performance of the intumescent coating. This is partly due to the four-sided fire exposure and the mainly filigree cross sections, which both result in high section factors. In addition, there is an increased crack formation due to the tensile load. As a result, the thermal protection of the tested intumescent coating on the tension members decreased compared to columns with the same section factor and fire exposure. Consequently, the presence of a mechanical load in the fire test as well as the type of loading affect the thermal protective performance of the intumescent coating and shall be considered.
It is an essential requirement for all building products to ensure durability of their fire safety. Throughout the working life of products, intumescent coatings are aged by certain climatic factors. To predict a lifetime of several years, generally the behaviour of the intumescent coating is extrapolated based on accelerated artificial ageing. The established German and European procedures to assess the durability assume a working life of at least 10 years. For a longer period, additional evidence is required; yet the procedure and the specifications to justify this are not described. In addition to addressing this formal lack, from a scientific point of view it is necessary to investigate the degradation of intumescent coatings in detail and to propose a reliable test concept to assess durability for more than 10 years. This paper summarises the existing knowledge about the ageing of intumescent coatings. The results of various demanding weathering approaches are presented for two intumescent coatings tested in a joint research project. Moreover, formulations with a reduced amount of functionally relevant components were analysed to gain insight into the associated effects. Derived from these research results and knowledge, recommendations are proposed to assess the durability of intumescent coatings for more than 10 years based on a combination of verifications.
Although intense wildfire research has been done in the US and in Australia, it cannot be transferred directly to the situation in Europe as the local vegetation has a significant influence on the fire spread. The EU-funded project TREEADS and the so-called German pilot within the project are concentrating on wildfire in Europe. Extensive experimental research is done on local vegeta-tion in Germany and the experimental results are used to adjust the Fire Dynam-ics Simulator (FDS) to local vegetation as a fuel in the calculations. The particle model and the boundary fuel model are developed for the simulation of forest fires. Both models require the kinetic input for the dehydration, pyrolysis, and char oxidation process. This three-step simplified model describes the basic fuel combustion kinetic. Most published simulations use the default kinetic input of pine needles from FDS user manual.
To adjust the simulation to local vegetation, the corresponding kinetic parame-ters have been experimental investigated. Samples of pine needles, moss and other falling leaves were collected, air dried and grinded into powder. The TG analysis of all these samples were done under different heating rate of 5, 10 and 20K/min.
The activation energy and the corresponding pre-exponential factor were calcu-lated. The results show that fire spread depends significantly on the vegetation and comparison with small scale experiments show good agreement using the new kinetic parameters. The new model is applied to a larger scenario and will be compared to the results of large-scale experiments for further validation of the model.
Um die Ausbreitungsmechanismen von Vegetationsbränden und besonders bei Bodenbränden besser zu verstehen, wurden die Einflussfaktoren auf die Brandausbreitung näher untersucht. Da die Brandausbreitung auch in starkem Maße von der lokalen Vegetation abhängt, war eine Charakterisierung der lokalen Vegetation und der Bodenverhältnisse wichtig. Die Wetterverhältnisse spielen einerseits im Vorfeld des Brandes durch längere Dürreperioden als auch während des Brandes, z.B. durch den Windeinfluss, zusätzlich eine große Rolle.
Durch die numerische Simulation kann eine größere Variation der Einflussgrößen abgebildet werden als durch die zeitlich und finanziell begrenzten experimentellen Möglichkeiten. Für die Berechnungen wird der Fire Dynamic Simulators (FDS) mit dem Paket WFDS verwendet. Dadurch kann mit einem vereinfachten 3-Phasen-Reaktionskinetikmodell, bestehend aus Dehydrierung, Pyrolyse, Kohleoxidation, die Ausbreitung von Vegetationsbränden verschiedener Waldbodenarten untersucht werden. Es wurden dazu 6 typische Pflanzenarten und Bodenproben aus Kiefern-, Buchen und Eichenbeständen ausgewählt.
Die gesammelten Waldbodenproben wurden alle hinsichtlich des Wassergehalts, des organischen Gehalts, der Packungsdichte, der Dichte und der statistisch ermittelten Pflanzenartenverteilung charakterisiert. Das kinetische Abbrandverhalten wurde durch Thermogravimetrische Analyse (TGA) untersucht. Alle diese Daten wurden als Eingabeparameter für die Simulation verwendet. Die numerischen Simulationen werden mit Experimenten im kleinen, mittleren und Real-Maßstab validiert.
Um die Ausbreitungsmechanismen von Vegetationsbränden und besonders bei Bodenbränden besser zu verstehen, wurden die Einflussfaktoren auf die Brandausbreitung näher untersucht. Da die Brandausbreitung auch in starkem Maße von der lokalen Vegetation abhängt, war eine Charakterisierung der lokalen Vegetation und der Bodenverhältnisse wichtig. Die Wetterverhältnisse spielen einerseits im Vorfeld des Brandes durch längere Dürreperioden als auch während des Brandes, z.B. durch den Windeinfluss, zusätzlich eine große Rolle.
Durch die numerische Simulation kann eine größere Variation der Einflussgrößen abgebildet werden als durch die zeitlich und finanziell begrenzten experimentellen Möglichkeiten. Für die Berechnungen wird der Fire Dynamic Simulators (FDS) mit dem Paket WFDS verwendet. Dadurch kann mit einem vereinfachten 3-Phasen-Reaktionskinetikmodell, bestehend aus Dehydrierung, Pyrolyse, Kohleoxidation, die Ausbreitung von Vegetationsbränden verschiedener Waldbodenarten untersucht werden. Es wurden dazu 6 typische Pflanzenarten und Bodenproben aus Kiefern-, Buchen und Eichenbeständen ausgewählt.
Die gesammelten Waldbodenproben wurden alle hinsichtlich des Wassergehalts, des organischen Gehalts, der Packungsdichte, der Dichte und der statistisch ermittelten Pflanzenartenverteilung charakterisiert. Das kinetische Abbrandverhalten wurde durch Thermogravimetrische Analyse (TGA) untersucht. Alle diese Daten wurden als Eingabeparameter für die Simulation verwendet. Die numerischen Simulationen werden mit Experimenten im kleinen, mittleren und Real-Maßstab validiert.
Although intense wildfire research has been done in the US and in Australia, it cannot be transferred directly to the situation in Europe as the local vegetation has a significant influence on the fire spread. The EU-funded project TREEADS and the so-called German pilot within the project are concentrating on wildfire in Europe. Extensive experimental research is done on local vegeta-tion in Germany and the experimental results are used to adjust the Fire Dynam-ics Simulator (FDS) to local vegetation as a fuel in the calculations. The particle model and the boundary fuel model are developed for the simulation of forest fires. Both models require the kinetic input for the dehydration, pyrolysis, and char oxidation process. This three-step simplified model describes the basic fuel combustion kinetic. Most published simulations use the default kinetic input of pine needles from FDS user manual.
To adjust the simulation to local vegetation, the corresponding kinetic parame-ters have been experimental investigated. Samples of pine needles, moss and other falling leaves were collected, air dried and grinded into powder. The TG analysis of all these samples were done under different heating rate of 5, 10 and 20K/min.
The activation energy and the corresponding pre-exponential factor were calcu-lated. The results show that fire spread depends significantly on the vegetation and comparison with small scale experiments show good agreement using the new kinetic parameters. The new model is applied to a larger scenario and will be compared to the results of large-scale experiments for further validation of the model.
Lecture-like introduction in the topic. Fundamental aspects are discussed: Burning of polymers, fire risks, pyrolysis, combustion in the flame, physical chemistry of ignition, flame spread and steady state burning, flame retardancy mechanisms and groups of flame retardants, fire hazards (smoke, toxic products) and environmental concerns, fire testing.
Sacrifice Few to Save Many: Fire Protective Interlayers in Carbon- Fiber-Reinforced Laminates
(2024)
The fire protection of carbon-fiber-reinforced polymer (CFRP) laminates often relies on flame-retardant coatings, but in some applications, their efficacy may diminish upon direct fire exposure due to rapid pyrolysis. This study introduces an innovative approach by integrating protective interlayers within the laminate structure to enhance the fire resistance. Various materials, including ceramic composite WHIPOX, titanium foil, poly(etherimide) (PEI) foil, basalt fibers, rubber mat, and hemp fibers, were selected as protective interlayers. These interlayers were strategically placed within the laminate layout to form a sacrificial barrier, safeguarding the integrity of the composite. Bench-scale fire resistance tests were conducted, where fire (180 kW/m2) was applied directly to the one side of the specimen by a burner while a compressive load was applied at the same time. Results indicate significant prolongation of time to failure for CFRP laminates with protective interlayers, which is up to 10 times longer. This innovative approach represents a potential advance in fire protection strategies for CFRP laminates, offering improved resilience against fire-induced structural failure.
Several investigation groups have studied the flame-retardancy modes of action and properties of epoxy resins in the past; nevertheless, the selection of suitable flame retardants for epoxy resins remains challenging, and the transfer to fiber composites is difficult. The addition of flame retardants and glass fibers (GFs) to a polymeric system in a fire scenario changes the polymer's pyrolytic path and burning characteristics, reduces the heat released in the combustion, and suppresses the modes of action in the condensed and gas phase. In this study, the thermal analysis, flammability, fire behavior, residue analysis, fire stability, and quantification of modes of action of three different systems with three halogen-free flame retardants (melamine polyphosphate (MPP), ammonium polyphosphate (APP), and silane ammonium polyphosphate (SiAPP)) and three different types of GFs (unidirectional (UD), bidirectional (BD), and woven roving (WR)) will be compared with pure epoxy resin as a reference.
Revolutionizing our polymer industry for adaption to a sustainable carbon circular economy has become one of today’s most demanding challenges. Exploiting renewable resources to replace fossil-fuel—based plastics with biopolymers such as poly(lactic acid) (PLA) is inevitable while using waste streams as a raw material resource at least is promising. When it comes to using PLA as technical polymer, its high flammability must be addressed by flame retardants compatible with the thermoplastic processing of PLA and its compostability. This study proposes microalgae enriched with phosphorus from wastewater (P-Algae) as an elegant way towards a kind of sustainable organophosphorus flame retardant. The concept is demonstrated by investigating the processing, pyrolysis, flammability, and fire behavior of PLA/P-Algae, while varying the P-Algae content and comparing P-Algae with four alternative bio-fillers (phosphorylated lignin, biochar, thermally treated sewage sludge, and metal phytate) with different P-contents as meaningful benchmarks.
Efficient flame retardancy is often achieved only when applying synergistic multicomponent systems. Flame retardants are combined or used together with adjuvants or synergists to enhance their efficiency, reduce the amount required, or reduce the costs; fibers and fillers contribute to fire properties crucially. Although the main flame-retardant modes of action are known, the detailed scientific understanding usually falls short, when it comes to complex synergistic multicomponent systems, the important tiny optimizations, or quantifying in terms of specific fire properties. This paper tries to illuminate the concept of synergistic flame retardants. The need for the multicomponent approach and the main phenomena are described. Thought-provoking impulses are delivered on how the understanding of multicomponent systems promotes the evidence-based development of future flame retardant polymeric materials. Multicomponent systems are discussed in their capacity as general powerful strategy for achieving and optimizing flame retardant polymeric materials.
This paper is based mainly on the overall conclusions and concrete results of several projects performed in the group of the author. Thanks to my (former) students and co-operation partners in these projects. Thanks for financing to DFG (Scha 730/8-1 Scha 730/8-2, Br 3376/1-1, Scha 730/19-1), AiF IGF (438 ZN, 17833N/2, 19078 N/2), and BMBF (03X0111C, 01DN16040).
Replacing antimony trioxide (ATO) in flame retardant formulations is an urgent task due to its toxicity. There are indications that calcium hypophosphite (CaP) may be a promising replacement. This study investigates the decomposition, fire behavior, and smoke release of brominated flame-retarded acrylonitrile butadiene styrene (ABS) under various fire scenarios like ignition, developing fire and smoldering, while replacing ATO with CaP and CaP/talc. Adding 4 wt.-% of talc to CaP formulations showed beneficial effects on flammability due to changes in the viscosity and barrier properties. Synergism between 8 wt.-% talc and CaP improved the protective layer in the developing fire scenario, resulting in a ∼60 % decrease in the peak of heat release rate and reduction of ∼21 % in total smoke production (ref. ABS+Br+ATO). With a conventional index of toxicity (CIT) of below 0.75, ABS+Br+CaP passes the highest requirements according to EN 45545-2. Overall, the CaP/talc materials improve flame retardancy, show less smoke emission under forced flaming conditions, and prevent chronic intoxication and environmental pollution through smoke particles contaminated with antimony.
Die Präsentation gibt einen Überblick über die Arbeiten im German Pilot des EU-Projekts TREEADS. Es werden klein-, mittel- und großskalige Versuche an Waldboden mit einheimischer Vegetation durchgeführt. Begleitend werden numerische Untersuchungen durchgeführt, die eine Variation der Parameter, wie Bodenfeuchte, Temperaturen und Wind über die Experimente hinaus erlauben. Die gemessenen Materialparameter dienen als Input für die numerischen Berechnungen. Die numerischen Modelle werden mit den mittel- und großskaligen Experimenten validiert.
Weltweit stellen Waldbrände eine große Bedrohung für Umwelt, Wirtschaft und menschliches Leben dar. Der fortschreitende Klimawandel verstärkt Trockenheit und Dürre, wodurch die Größe und Intensität von Waldbränden sowie das daraus resultierende Gefahrenpotential zusätzlich erhöht werden. Um im Risikofall eine schnelle und effektive Waldbrandbekämpfung zu gewährleisten, sollen Einsatzkräfte in Zukunft von KI-basierten Ausbreitungsmodellen unterstützt werden.
Der Einsatz von maschinellem Lernen ermöglicht dabei schnelle und zielgerichtete Ausbreitungsvorhersagen in Echtzeit, die in den Prozess der Brandbekämpfung als zusätzliche Information einfließen können. Im Rahmen des durch das EU-Förderprogram Horizon 2020 finanzierte Projekt TREEADS wird ein solches Modell für Europa entwickelt.
Dazu wird mit verschiedenen Satellitendaten des Copernicus-Programms und der NASA ein auf räumlicher und zeitlicher Ebene aufgelöster Datensatz zu europäischen Waldbränden aufgebaut. Zu den erfassten Waldbränden werden wichtigen Faktoren, die Einfluss auf die Brandausbreitung haben, ergänzt. Dazu gehören das von Copernicus bereitgestellte, digitale Geländemodell Europas und verschiedene, von Sentinel-2 Messungen abgeleitete Informationen zu Vegetation und Landnutzung. Dieser 2D-Trainingsdatensatz zu realen Waldbränden wird durch die zeitlich hochaufgelösten, meteorologischen Reanalyse-Produkte – Copernicus European Regional ReAnalysis (CERRA) und ERA5-Land – vervollständigt und ist die Grundlage für ein Modell zur Ausbreitungsvorhersage von Waldbränden.
Methoden des Maschinellen Lernens können komplexe Muster in den gesammelten Daten erkennen und so zu einer verbesserten Vorhersage der Brandausbreitung beitragen. Die vielfältigen, von Copernicus bereitgestellten Daten sind dabei ein unabdingbarer Bestandteil des Modells, mit dem den Einsatzkräften ein zusätzliches Tool für den effizienten Einsatz ihrer limitierten Ressourcen zur Verfügung steht.
The dripping behaviour of polymers is often observed experimentally through the UL94 flammability standard test. In this work, polymeric dripping under fire is investigated numerically using particle finite element method. A parametric analysis was carried out to observe the influence of a single property on overall dripping behaviour via a UL94 vertical test model. Surrogates and property ranges were defined for variation of the following parameters: glass transition temperature (Tg), melting temperature (Tm), decomposition temperature (Td), density (ρ), specific heat capacity (Cp), apparent effective heat of combustion of the volatiles, char yield (μ), thermal conductivity (k), and viscosity (η). Polyamide, poly(ether ether ketone), poly(methyl methacrylate), and polysulfone were used as benchmarks. Simulated results showed that specific heat capacity, thermal conductivity, and char yield allied with viscosity were the properties that most influenced dripping behaviour (starting time and occurrence).
Mit der Abkehr von der Nutzung fossiler Rohstoffe rücken regenerative Energieträger immer weiter in den Focus. Neben klassischen Holzkohlen werden verstärkt so genannte Biokohlen produziert. Dieser Begriff findet Verwendung für mit Hilfe verschiedener Verfahren karbonisierte pflanzliche, tierische oder mikrobielle Ausgangsstoffe. Diese Kohlen werden zum Teil über weite Strecken zum Bestimmungsort transportiert (Überseetransporte) oder vor Verwendung für längere Zeit gelagert.
Häufig zeigen diese Kohlen ein kritisches Selbstentzündungsverhalten, wobei Einstufungstests (UN N.4 Test) versagen können. Ein negatives Testergebnis des UN N.4 Tests führte dabei in der Vergangenheit zur Nichteinstufung als selbsterhitzungsfähiger Stoff; in der Praxis entzündeten sich aber bereits vergleichsweise kleine Schüttungen (einige m³), z. B. beim Seetransport in Containern. Der Artikel geht auf dieses Problem ein und stellt Prüfverfahren vor. Aus den Ergebnissen durchgeführter Untersuchungen werden Empfehlungen für sicheren Transport und Lagerung abgeleitet.
Mit der Abkehr von der Nutzung fossiler Rohstoffe rücken regenerative Energieträger immer weiter in den Focus. Neben klassischen Holzkohlen werden verstärkt so genannte Biokohlen produziert. Dieser Begriff findet Verwendung für mit Hilfe verschiedener Verfahren karbonisierte pflanzliche, tierische oder mikrobielle Ausgangsstoffe. Diese Kohlen werden zum Teil über weite Strecken zum Bestimmungsort transportiert (Überseetransporte) oder vor Verwendung für längere Zeit gelagert.
Häufig zeigen diese Kohlen ein kritisches Selbstentzündungsverhalten, wobei Einstufungstests (UN N.4 Test) versagen können. Ein negatives Testergebnis des UN N.4 Tests führte dabei in der Vergangenheit zur Nichteinstufung als selbsterhitzungsfähiger Stoff; in der Praxis entzündeten sich aber bereits vergleichsweise kleine Schüttungen (einige m³), z. B. beim Seetransport in Containern. Der Artikel geht auf dieses Problem ein und stellt Prüfverfahren vor. Aus den Ergebnissen durchgeführter Untersuchungen werden Empfehlungen für sicheren Transport und Lagerung abgeleitet.
Biofuels, particularly biodiesel, have gained significant attention as an alternative to traditional fossil fuels in recent years. Unlike diesel, which contains hundreds of compounds, biodiesel only contains a few compounds in the C16-C18 carbon chain. However, the use of biodiesel in automobile and transportation applications can result in problems of degradation or even damage in materials. Among the commonly used polymer materials, fluorocarbon (FKM) shows excellent performance and high stability and compatibility towards oil, diesel, ethanol, and other chemicals. FKM is a family of fluorocarbon-based fluoroelastomer materials, which provide excellent high-temperature and chemical stability compared to other elastomers. As a result, FKM is widely used in chemical processes such as petroleum refining, where it is used for sealings, pumps, and other components.
Mechanical stress often accelerates the failure of polymer materials. The aim of this research is to study the interaction between the sealing material FKM and biofuels B10 (heating oil with 10% biodiesel). The mechanical stress test was carried out in a special apparatus. Both mechanical and non-mechanical stress tests were conducted on specimens at 20, 40, and 70 °C for 28 days to document changes in mass, volume, and tensile properties. Both increasing temperature and mechanical stress have a significant effect on the tensile strength of the FKM polymer when exposed to B10. The combination of increasing temperature and mechanical stress induced rupture within 2 h. It was also established that FKM polymer with pre-exposure in B10 survived longer during mechanical stress compared to specimens exposed only to air. With the support of infrared (IR) spectroscopy, we were able to confirm the penetration of B10 into the FKM polymer.
Holzkohlen im Seeverkehr - Selbstentzündung vermeiden, sichere Beförderungsbedingungen schaffen
(2024)
Mit der Abkehr von der Nutzung fossiler Rohstoffe rücken regenerative Energieträger immer weiter in den Focus. Neben klassischen Holz- und Pflanzenkohlen werden verstärkt so genannte Biokohlen produziert. Dieser Begriff findet Verwendung für mit Hilfe verschiedener Verfahren karbonisierte pflanzliche, tierische oder mikrobielle Ausgangsstoffe. Diese Kohlen werden zum Teil über weite Strecken zum Bestimmungsort transportiert (Überseetransporte) oder vor Verwendung für längere Zeit gelagert.
Häufig zeigen diese Kohlen ein kritisches Selbstentzündungsverhalten, wobei Einstufungstests (UN N.4 Test) versagen können. Ein negatives Testergebnis des UN N.4 Tests führte dabei in der Vergangenheit zur Nichteinstufung als selbsterhitzungsfähiger Stoff; in der Praxis entzündeten sich aber bereits vergleichsweise kleine Schüttungen (einige m³), z. B. beim Seetransport in Containern. Ergebnisse eines Projektes zur systematischen Untersuchung verschiedener Pflanzenkohlen werden vorgestellt.
Mit der Abkehr von der Nutzung fossiler Rohstoffe rücken regenerative Energieträger immer weiter in den Focus. Neben klassischen Holzkohlen werden verstärkt so genannte Biokohlen produziert. Dieser Begriff findet Verwendung für mit Hilfe verschiedener Verfahren karbonisierte pflanzliche, tierische oder mikrobielle Ausgangsstoffe. Diese Kohlen werden zum Teil über weite Strecken zum Bestimmungsort transportiert (Überseetransporte) oder vor Verwendung für längere Zeit gelagert.
Häufig zeigen diese Kohlen ein kritisches Selbstentzündungsverhalten, wobei Einstufungstests (UN N.4 Test) versagen können. Ein negatives Testergebnis des UN N.4 Tests führte dabei in der Vergangenheit zur Nichteinstufung als selbsterhitzungsfähiger Stoff; in der Praxis entzündeten sich aber bereits vergleichsweise kleine Schüttungen (einige m³), z. B. beim Seetransport in Containern. Der Artikel geht auf dieses Problem ein, stellt Prüfverfahren vor und gibt Empfehlungen für sicheren Transport und Lagerung.
Mit der Abkehr von der Nutzung fossiler Rohstoffe rücken regenerative Energieträger immer weiter in den Focus. Neben klassischen Holzkohlen werden verstärkt so genannte Biokohlen produziert. Dieser Begriff findet Verwendung für mit Hilfe verschiedener Verfahren karbonisierte pflanzliche, tierische oder mikrobielle Ausgangsstoffe. Diese Kohlen werden zum Teil über weite Strecken zum Bestimmungsort transportiert (Überseetransporte) oder vor Verwendung für längere Zeit gelagert.
Häufig zeigen diese Kohlen ein kritisches Selbstentzündungsverhalten, wobei Einstufungstests (UN N.4 Test) versagen können. Ein negatives Testergebnis des UN N.4 Tests führte dabei in der Vergangenheit zur Nichteinstufung als selbsterhitzungsfähiger Stoff; in der Praxis entzündeten sich aber bereits vergleichsweise kleine Schüttungen (einige m³), z. B. beim Seetransport in Containern. Der Artikel geht auf dieses Problem ein, stellt Prüfverfahren vor und gibt Empfehlungen für sicheren Transport und Lagerung.
Combining buffing leather fibers from industrial waste streams with ammonium polyphosphate and bentonite clay is proposed as a flame-retardant additive for polypropylene. The paper addresses how they can be processed into attractive composites with the desired mechanical properties. Buffing leather fibers function as a multifunctional bio-filler and as a synergist for the flame retardant, resulting in fire retardancy successful enough to increase the oxygen index (LOI) by up to 7 vol.-% and to achieve a V0 UL 94 classification. Impressively reduced heat release rates are obtained in the cone calorimeter at 50 kW/m2 irradiation; for instance, the maximum average rate heat evolved (MARHE) drops from 765 to below 200 kW m 2. The synergistic effects are quantified and shown to be very strong for LOI and MARHE. This work opens the door to use waste buffing leather fibers as a promising multifunctional and synergistic bio-filler.
To ensure fire safety, polymers are filled with flame retardants and smoke suppressants. To meet the highest requirements, it is essential to understand the decomposition of those polymeric materials. This study reveals interactions between polymer, smoke suppressants, and flame retardants, and discusses their impact on the materials’ flame retardancy, smoke emission, smoke toxicity, and particle emission in conventional loadings to provide deeper general understanding. Low melting oxide glass, melem, spherical silica, sepiolite, melamine polyphosphate, and boehmite in an aluminum diethylphosphinate flame-retarded polyamide 6.6 were investigated. All smoke suppressants improve the protective layer and act as an adjuvant. Silica and melem performed best under forced flaming conditions. Spherical silica reduces the peak of heat release rate by 39% and the total heat evolved by 14%, whereas 10 wt% melem lowers the total smoke production by 41%. Melem alters the mode of action of aluminum diethylphosphinate from gas to more condensed phase activity. This change reduces flame inhibition and hence smoke toxicity, but further improves the protective layer due to charring reactions in the decomposition mechanism. In addition, the sizes of the smoke particles decrease because of the prolonged time in the pyrolytic zone. This study highlights that interactions between polymer, flame retardants, and smoke suppressants can significantly determine the smoking and burning behavior.
AbstractThe increasing threat of forest fires on a global scale is not only a matter of concern due to the potential harm they may cause to both human and animal life but also due to their significant role in exacerbating climate change. In light of these circumstances, one might inquire as to whether forest soil can self‐ignite and, if so, under what conditions and at what temperatures this phenomenon may occur. This question is being addressed in the German pilot “Fire science of wildfires and safety measures” of the EU project TREEADS, and the first results are presented below. The importance of basic research into the self‐ignition of forest soil cannot be underestimated, as it provides crucial knowledge to prevent forest fires and protect human and animal health. Furthermore, mitigating the occurrence of forest fires can also play a role in reducing greenhouse gas emissions, contributing to global efforts to combat climate change. The procedure of the hot storage test is an effective means of determining whether a material can self‐ignite. During the investigation of six soil samples, it was found that five of them were indeed capable of self‐ignition. In addition to determining whether the material ignites, the modified hot storage test also analyzed the resulting smoke gases and measured their concentration. The research question of whether regional forest soil is capable of self‐ignition can be answered with yes based on these initial tests. Further experiments are needed to determine if self‐ignition causes forest fires.
Understanding the susceptibility to spalling of concrete members in case of fire is important to evaluate the residual load-bearing capacity. The investigations of the spalling phenomenon of a concrete mixture using real scale members are necessary but expensive to carry out. Reducing the specimen size leads to an increase of boundary effects that can result in a reduced spalling or absence of spalling. In this study, fire tests were carried out on unrestrained, single-sided exposed, cuboid shaped specimens (0.6 m x 0.6 m x 0.29 m) as well as unrestrained and steel ring restrained cylindrical specimens (Ø = 0.47 m, h = 0.29 m), which induce different boundary conditions. These fire tests were carried out on two ordinary concrete mixtures. The two mixtures differ only in the type of aggregates (quartz gravel and basalt grit) and were used to investigate the influence of the thermal expansion of the aggregate on the spalling behaviour of the concrete. The results show a significant increase of
the spalling depth due to the restrained thermal expansion achieved by the applied steel rings. Additionally, the type of aggregate has a direct influence on the spalling behaviour of a concrete mixture. The reduction of the boundary effects by the steel rings recreate the test conditions in the centre of a large concrete member. Thus, this type of specimen is suitable to determine the susceptibility to spalling of a material (screening-tests) as preliminary investigations to full scale fire tests.
Pressure-sensitive adhesive tapes are used in several industrial applications such as con-struction, railway vehicles and the automotive sector,where the burning behavior is ofcrucial importance. Flame retarded adhesivetapes are developed and provided, however,often without considering the interaction of adhesive tapes and the bonded materialsduring burning nor the contribution of the tapes to fire protection goal of the bondedcomponents in distinct fire tests. This publication delivers an empirical comprehensiveknowledge how adhesive tapes and their flame retardancy effect the burning behaviorof bonded materials. With a special focus on the interaction between the single compo-nents, one flame retarded tape and one tapewithout flame retardant are examined inscenarios of emerging and developing fires, along with their bonds with the commonmaterials wood, zinc-plated steel, mineral wool, polycarbonate, and polymethylmethacry-late. The flame retardant significantly improved the flame retardancy of the tape as afree-standing object and yielded a V-2 rating in UL 94 vertical test and raised the OxygenIndex by 5 vol.%. In bonds, or rather laminates, the investigations prove that the choiceof carrier and substrates are the factors with the greatest impact on the fire propertiesand can change the peak of heat release rate and the maximum average rate of heatemission up to 25%. This research yielded a good empirical overall understanding of thefire behavior of adhesive tapes and bonded materials. Thus, it serves as a guide for tapemanufacturers and applicants to develop tapes and bonds more substrate specific.
minimum explosion concentration (MEC) and limiting oxygen concentration (LOC) in our recent works. This work further studies the reasonability and reliability of the alternative method experimentally and theoretically. Six different dust samples were tested via a 20-L spherical explosion chamber. The experimental results showed that the data of MEC and LOC determined by using the alternative and the standardized methods are in good agreement. The minimum flame propagation velocity (Sf) and the corresponding maximum combustion duration time (tc) were found at its MEC and LOC, suggesting that the theoretical analysis can well explain all the experimental data. It is the first time to study the theoretical basis of the explosion criterion, thus helping to improve our understandings of dust explosion characteristics, and to amend the explosion criterion in future test standards.
The recommendation is based on the co-authors’ work organized by the RILEM TC 256-SPF “Spalling of concrete due to fire: testing and modelling”. It aims to provide useful information, guidance and best practices in fire spalling assessment to laboratories that perform large-scale tests based on fire resistance test standards. It provides guidance on the spalling observation techniques during testing, as well as post-test spalling quantification/assessment methods. This document is intended to be used in conjunction with the fire resistance test standards, e.g. EN 1363-1 and ISO 834-1.
The residual post-fire mechanical properties of fiber-reinforced epoxy composites are influenced by their fire residues after burning. This study uses intumescent/low-melting glass flame retardants to tailor fire residues in epoxy resin. Processibility of prepregs and their quality are analysed for transfer of the flame-retardant epoxy resins to layered glass-fiber reinforced composites. Minimal effects were found on the pre-fire flexural strengths of the composites due to low loading of the flame retardants. However, when transferred to glass-fiber reinforced composites, the fire residues diminish significantly. Further studies are required to improve theoretical and experimental estimations of the post-fire mechanics of the composites.
The residual post-fire mechanical properties of fiber-reinforced epoxy composites are influenced by their fire residues after burning. This study uses intumescent/low-melting glass flame retardants to tailor fire residues in epoxy resin. Processibility of prepregs and their quality are analysed for transfer of the flame-retardant epoxy resins to layered glass-fiber reinforced composites. Minimal effects were found on the pre-fire flexural strengths of the composites due to low loading of the flame retardants. However, when transferred to glass-fiber reinforced composites, the fire residues diminish significantly. Further studies are required to improve theoretical and experimental estimations of the post-fire mechanics of the composites.
The transfer of flame-retardant epoxy resin formulations to composites for structural and lightweight applications in the energy and transport sector can be complex and requires systematic investigation. Here, uncoated and silane-coated ammonium polyphosphate (APP, Si-APP) intumescent compounds are transferred to prepregs using a Bisphenol A diglycidyl ether (DGEBA) resin matrix to 0/90o bidirectional glass fibers with an aerial weight of 600 g/m2. Inorganic silicates (InSi) are added to improve the fire residues of the composites after combustion and the total amount of flame retardants in the resin formulations was 10% by weight. The prepregs' fiber volume content (FVC) is corroborated using in-process measurements and thermogravimetric analysis. This was found to be approximately 60% for the composites containing APP, which is ideal for load-bearing applications with high mechanical strength. However, the Si-APP containing prepregs showed an inconsistent FVC potentially due to interactions with the commercial sizing of the glass fibers. The composites subsequently prepared are analysed for potential filtration effects of the additives via SEM after immobilization in a cured resin and platinum sputtering. The inter-laminar shear strength and the mechanical strength of the composites are compared via three-point bending tests. Additionally, the fire performance of the composites is analysed using cone calorimetry. It was found there was minimal impact of the loading of the flame retardants on the delamination of the composites and the flexural strength. However, the high density of the glass fibers possibly results in a suppression of the mode of action of the flame retardants in the composites. Therefore, the fire residues of the composites are further compared using SEM, and the flame-retardant modes of action upon transfer are investigated.
Leather is a widely used material for thousands of years and in modern days it is produced on industrial scale. This production produces high amounts of organic waste during the tannery process. These fibers can become a resource and act as a multi-functional bio-filler in flame retardant composites.
This project investigates two leather fibers towards their ability to enhance the flame-retardancy in different composites. These composites use ammonium polyphosphate (APP) or aluminum trihydroxide (ATH) as flame retardants. Different silicon based synergists support polymers with ATH to reduce the load of flame retardant. The different modes of action (charring, gas phase activity, barrier effect) can be quantified of each composite.
The new composites form a stable char layer resulting in an increase in residue, lower peak heat release rates (pHRR) and higher limiting oxygen index (LOI). In addition, the ratings in the UL94-classification increased up to V-0.
Short overview is given of BAM's research within the topic "Flame Retardancy of Polymeric Materials". Fire science is identified as a crucial compentenc of BAM following our mission "Safety in Technology and Chemistry". In the area of polymers we work interdisciplinary, in the dimensions from nm to 2m, and we love to combine experiment and simulation. Multimethodical examples are given to describe the burning phenomena and flame-retardant modes of action. Further some examples are presented for tailored bench-scale fire testing and assessing concepts. Our goal is to provide the fundaments for a evidenced-based development of future materials.
Liquefied Hydrogen (LH2) or Liquefied Natural Gas (LNG) establish themselves as important energy carriers in the transport sector. Its storage requires tanks with Thermal Super Insulations (TSI) to keep the transported fluid cold. TSI has proven itself in various applications over a long time, but not in the land transport sector, where accidents involving collisions, fires, and their combination are to be expected. The focus of this study is to investigate the behavior of different types of TSI when exposed to a heat source that represents a fire. Therefore, a High-Temperature Thermal Vacuum Chamber (HTTVC) was used that allows the thermal loading of thermal insulation material in a vacuum and measuring the heat flow through the TSI in parallel. Within this study, 5 samples were tested regarding 3 different types of MLI, rock wool, and perlites. The thermal exposure caused different effects on the samples. In practice, this can be connected to the rapid release of flammable gases as well as a Boiling Liquid Expanding Vapour Explosion (BLEVE). These results are relevant for the evaluation of accident scenarios, the improvement of TSI, and the development of emergency measures.
Liquefied Hydrogen (LH2) or Liquefied Natural Gas (LNG)
establish themselves as important energy carriers in the transport
sector. Its storage requires tanks with Thermal Super Insulations
(TSI) to keep the transported fluid cold. TSI has proven itself in
various applications over a long time, but not in the land
transport sector, where accidents involving collisions, fires, and
their combination are to be expected. The focus of this study is
to investigate the behavior of different types of TSI when
exposed to a heat source that represents a fire. Therefore, a High-
Temperature Thermal Vacuum Chamber (HTTVC) was used that
allows the thermal loading of thermal insulation material in a
vacuum and measuring the heat flow through the TSI in parallel.
Within this study, 5 samples were tested regarding 3 different
types of MLI, rock wool, and perlites. The thermal exposure
caused different effects on the samples. In practice, this can be
connected to the rapid release of flammable gases as well as a
Boiling Liquid Expanding Vapour Explosion (BLEVE). These
results are relevant for the evaluation of accident scenarios, the
improvement of TSI, and the development of emergency
measures.
For intumescent coatings durability is an important aspect. Due to ageing, which is caused by climatic conditions, the thermal protection performance of intumescent coatings can be reduced during the working life. The national German and the European procedures to assess the durability of intumescent coatings presume a working life of 10 years. For a longer period, additional investigations are required. However, the European assessment procedure does not provide specific information how to prove a durability of more than 10 years. In addition to this formal reason, also from a scientifical position, it is necessary to investigate the degradation of intumescent coatings in detail to propose a corresponding test concept for a durability of more than 10 years.
The presentation summarises the existing knowledge about the degradation behaviour and ageing of intumescent coatings. Furthermore, the results of different approaches from a recently conducted research project are presented. Starting from a water-based and an epoxy-based guide formulation, in a first approach a degradation of the intumescent coating was carried out directly during the production process, i.e. by reducing the concentration of functionally relevant chemical components. In another approach, the duration of the short-term weathering tests was significantly extended, i.e. by multiple repetition of the artificial weathering. The thermal protection performance of the intumescent coating was assessed by fire tests and tests with electrical heating source. In addition, small-scale tests were carried out to determine the thermal material properties of the intumescent coating and thermo-analytical methods were applied to characterise the degradation. Derived from this knowledge, possibilities to test and assess a working life for a period of more than 10 years are proposed.
Polyamide 4.6 (PA46) is a high-heat-resistant polymer, but it has no dripping resistance under fire. Three commercial grades of PA46 are investigated under UL 94 vertical fire test conditions. Their performances are discussed based on the materials’ structural, thermal, and rheological properties. PA46 presents flaming drops, whereas dripping is prevented in the flame-retarded PA46.
Friction-modified PA46 has increased flaming dripping. Temperature profiles of the specimens under fire and the temperature of the drops are measured by thermocouples. A UL 94 vertical test configuration consisting of two flame applications is designed to assess the quantitative dripping behavior of the set of materials by the particle finite element method (PFEM). Polymer properties (activation energy and Arrhenius coefficient of decomposition, char yield, density, effective heat of combustion, heat of decomposition, specific heat capacity, and thermal conductivity) in addition to rheological responses in high temperatures are estimated and measured as input parameters for the simulations. The dripping behavior obtained by simulated materials corresponds with the experimental results in terms of time and drop size. A consistent picture of the interplay of the different phenomena controlling dripping under fire appears to deliver a better understanding of the role of different materials’ properties
Only the nano-scaled structure of the nanocomposite and the dispersion of nanoparticles within the polymer matrix harbor multifunctional potential including superior fire retardancy. Thus, this chapter focuses on the dispersion of nanoplates, based mainly on studies of layered silicates and graphene/graphene-related nanoplates. The nanostructure and properties of the nanocomposites are dependent mainly on thermodynamic and kinetic factors during preparation. Improving nano-dispersion often directly improves flame retardancy. Therefore, the modification of the nanoplates as well as the preparation of nanocomposites becomes very important to control this dispersion. The dispersion of nanoplates functions as a prerequisite for the formation of an efficient protective layer, changing the melt flow and dripping behavior, or the improvement of the char properties.
Leather is a widely used material for thousands of years and in modern days it is produced on industrial scale. This production produces high amounts of organic waste during the tannery process. These fibers can become a resource and act as a multi-functional bio-filler in flame retardant composites.
This project investigates two leather fibers towards their ability to enhance the flame-retardancy in different composites. These composites use ammonium polyphosphate (APP) or aluminum trihydroxide (ATH) as flame retardants. Different synergists support polymers with ATH.
The new composites form a stable char layer resulting in an increase in residue, lower peak heat release rates (pHRR) and higher limiting oxygen index (LOI). In addition, the ratings in the UL94-classification increased up to V-0.
Avoiding antimony – effect of Ca(H2PO2)2 on smoke emission and fire behaviour in brominated ABS
(2023)
The replacement of antimony trioxide (Sb2O3) in brominated flame-retardant ABS (ABS/FR) is of great interest. This study investigates the influence of calcium hypophosphite (CaP) in ABS/FR on flame retardancy and smoke emission. Different amounts of talc are added to ABS/FR/CaP to evaluate the influence of an inorganic barrier on smoke emission and flame retardancy. The cone calorimeter unveiled a reduction by 46% in PHRR for ABS/FR/CaP. Additional 8 wt.-% talc (ABS/FR/CaP/8Talc) reduced the PHRR by 61%. ABS/FR/CaP exhibited a more condensed phase action, which resulted in less smoke emission. The study investigates the influence of CaP in ABS/FR on the smoke toxicity, smoke density and the smoke particles distribution in the smoke density chamber (ISO 5659-2) coupled to a FTIR spectrometer and electrical low pressure cascade impactor (ELPI).
Der Beitrag beschreibt die Entwicklung eines neuartigen in situ Nachweisverfahrens zur Beurteilung des Feuerwiderstandes von bestehenden Stahlkonstruktionen mit gealtertem reaktivem Brandschutzsystem (RBS). Derzeit ist ein solcher Nachweis ausschließlich anhand eines Bauteilbrandversuchs möglich. Hierzu muss ein Bauteil aus der Bestandskonstruktion entnommen und einer zerstörenden Brandprüfung unterzogen werden. In Zusammenhang mit der Dauerhaftigkeitsbewertung von RBS für Zeiträume von mehr als 10 Jahren besteht in der Praxis vermehrt der Bedarf an einem minimal invasiven Prüfverfahren, mit dessen Hilfe sich direkt am Bestandsbauwerk die tatsächlich vorhandene Leistungsfähigkeit des gealterten RBS überprüfen lässt. Durch einen erfolgreichen Funktionsnachweis wäre eine Weiternutzung der Bestandkonstruktion bei Aufrechterhaltung des bestehenden Sicherheitsniveaus möglich.
Der Beitrag beschreibt die Entwicklung eines neuartigen in situ Nachweisverfahrens zur Beurteilung des Feuerwiderstandes von bestehenden Stahlkonstruktionen mit gealtertem reaktivem Brandschutzsystem (RBS). Derzeit ist ein solcher Nachweis ausschließlich anhand eines Bauteilbrandversuchs möglich. Hierzu muss ein Bauteil aus der Bestandskonstruktion entnommen und einer zerstörenden Brandprüfung unterzogen werden. In Zusammenhang mit der Dauerhaftigkeitsbewertung von RBS für Zeiträume von mehr als 10 Jahren besteht in der Praxis vermehrt der Bedarf an einem minimal invasiven Prüfverfahren, mit dessen Hilfe sich direkt am Bestandsbauwerk die tatsächlich vorhandene Leistungsfähigkeit des gealterten RBS überprüfen lässt. Durch einen erfolgreichen Funktionsnachweis wäre eine Weiternutzung der Bestandkonstruktion bei Aufrechterhaltung des bestehenden Sicherheitsniveaus möglich.
Bench-scale fire stability testing - Protective layers in carbon fibre reinforced polymer laminates
(2023)
Fire resistance testing of components made of carbon fibre reinforced polymers (CFRP) composites usually demands intermediate-scale or full-scale testing. In this study, a bench-scale test is presented as a practicable and efficient method to assess the improvement in structural integrity of CFRP with different protective interlayers during fire.
This study presents the processability, fire behavior, and mechanical performance between the flame retarded pure epoxy resin and flame retarded glass-fiber-reinforced plastic before, during, and after a fire event. This enables a deeper understanding of the transferability of flame retardants, modes of action, char enhancement, and flame inhibition on composite materials
The importance of tanks for storing cryogenic fluids in the energy industry is increasing because of ongoing political conflicts and the implementation of more environmentally friendly energy sources. Key representatives for the application of cryogenic tanks are natural gas in the form of Liquefied Natural Gas (LNG) and hydrogen, e. g. in the form of Liquefied Hydrogen (LH2), for which significantly higher transport capacities can be achieved with the same transport volume using cryogenic storages than with storages based solely on overpressure.
What applies to all cryogenic transported fluids in common is their condition that must be maintained. Hence heat flows into the preserved fluid must be minimized. Thermal super Insulations (TSI) based on e. g. multilayer insulations (MLI), perlites, and vacuum are utilized for this purpose and have already proven themselves in similar applications. However, for the use of tanks for cryogenic fluids in the transport sector, there is insufficient knowledge regarding the course and consequences of incidents, which is due to the still short period of use and the few documented incidents, hence few investigations carried out in this field. Typical scenarios in the transport sector represent car accidents with collisions, fires, and their combination, which are associated with extraordinary loads on the tank.
The focus of this study is to investigate the behavior of TSI as a result of their thermal exposure to a heat source representing a fire. It is worth mentioning that this could lead to an increase of the heat flux into a tank by several orders of magnitude, and to permanent damage of the TSI, ultimately rapid release of flammable gas as well as a Boiling Liquide Expanding Vapour Explosion (BLEVE). For this purpose, a high temperature thermal vacuum chamber (HTTVC) has been developed that allows thermal loading of MLI or perlites in a vacuum and simultaneous measurement of heat flow through this TSI. The HTTVC is designed to represent realistic insulation conditions and to withstand thermal loads from typical design fires.
The HTTVC was applied to investigate TSI based on MLI and vacuum. It is shown that the thermal stress caused permanent damage to the TSI, with shrinkage, phase change, pyrolysis, and condensation being significant damage mechanisms. The results are relevant for the evaluation of accident scenarios and can thus contribute to the improvement of TSI and the development of emergency measures for the protection of persons and infrastructures.
The importance of tanks for storing cryogenic fluids in the energy industry is increasing because of ongoing political conflicts and the implementation of more environmentally friendly energy sources. Key representatives for the application of cryogenic tanks are natural gas in the form of Liquefied Natural Gas (LNG) and hydrogen, e. g. in the form of Liquefied Hydrogen (LH2), for which significantly higher transport capacities can be achieved with the same transport volume using cryogenic storages than with storages based solely on overpressure.
What applies to all cryogenic transported fluids in common is their condition that must be maintained. Hence heat flows into the preserved fluid must be minimized. Thermal super Insulations (TSI) based on e. g. multilayer insulations (MLI), perlites, and vacuum are utilized for this purpose and have already proven themselves in similar applications. However, for the use of tanks for cryogenic fluids in the transport sector, there is insufficient knowledge regarding the course and consequences of incidents, which is due to the still short period of use and the few documented incidents, hence few investigations carried out in this field. Typical scenarios in the transport sector represent car accidents with collisions, fires, and their combination, which are associated with extraordinary loads on the tank.
The focus of this study is to investigate the behavior of TSI as a result of their thermal exposure to a heat source representing a fire. It is worth mentioning that this could lead to an increase of the heat flux into a tank by several orders of magnitude, and to permanent damage of the TSI, ultimately rapid release of flammable gas as well as a Boiling Liquide Expanding Vapour Explosion (BLEVE). For this purpose, a high temperature thermal vacuum chamber (HTTVC) has been developed that allows thermal loading of MLI or perlites in a vacuum and simultaneous measurement of heat flow through this TSI. The HTTVC is designed to represent realistic insulation conditions and to withstand thermal loads from typical design fires.
The HTTVC was applied to investigate TSI based on MLI and vacuum. It is shown that the thermal stress caused permanent damage to the TSI, with shrinkage, phase change, pyrolysis, and condensation being significant damage mechanisms. The results are relevant for the evaluation of accident scenarios and can thus contribute to the improvement of TSI and the development of emergency measures for the protection of persons and infrastructures.
Die Anwendung von Zuggliedern aus Carbon ist durch die außergewöhnlich gute Ermüdungs- sowie hohe Zugfestigkeit des Werkstoffs motiviert. Ferner ergibt sich gegenüber Stahl eine deutliche Reduzierung des Querschnitts. Perspektivisch sollen damit u. a. Stahlzugglieder im Netzwerkbogenbrückenbau ersetzt werden. Das Tragverhalten von Carbonzuggliedern im Brandfall ist jedoch bislang unbekannt. Daher wurden mittels Bauteilbrandversuchen die Versagensmechanismen untersucht sowie anhand gewonnener Versuchsdaten eine exemplarische Einschätzung zur Gleichwertigkeit gegenüber konventionellen Stahlzuggliedern vorgenommen. Der Beitrag beschreibt realmaßstäbliche Brandversuche an mechanisch belasteten Carbonzuggliedern, die im Rahmen des Verbundforschungsvorhabens NeZuCa durchgeführt wurden. Das Versuchsprogramm umfasste vier Carbonzugglieder mit kreisrunden Querschnitten in zwei verschiedenen Durchmessern, 36 mm und 51 mm. In Ermangelung eines präskriptiven Brandszenarios für den im Projekt vorgesehenen Anwendungsfall und aus Gründen der Vergleichbarkeit erfolgte die Brandbeanspruchung nach Einheitstemperaturzeitkurve (ETK). Neben den Längsverformungen der Zugglieder wurden auch die Bauteil und Brandraumtemperaturen aufgezeichnet.
Fire resistance testing of components made of carbon fibre reinforced polymers (CFRP) composites usually demands intermediate-scale or full-scale testing. In this study, a bench-scale test is presented as a practicable and efficient method to assess the improvement in structural integrity of CFRP with different protective interlayers during fire.
Fire stability is one of the biggest issues of carbon fibre reinforced polymer (CFRP) composites, particularly when they are using in load bearing applications. As soon as the glass transition temperature of polymer matrix (100-200°C) is achieved, the composite loses its structural integrity, what leads to the distortion and failure. The principal fire stability test is based on simultaneous application of fire and mechanical load. Since the carbon fibres can transfer the tensile loads quite well, the compression load is chosen as a required mechanical load for a test. The fire tests were preceded by a static load test at room temperature to determine ultimate failure load. The specimen was loaded with a compression force until the failure load was reached, which was observed as a buckling. For the fire tests, 10% of compression failure load and direct flame of a fully developed fire (heat flux ≈ 180 kW m-2) were applied simultaneously to the specimen, while the time to failure was measured.
The possibilities of bench-scale fire stability testing were presented by investigating new types of laminate structures, which exhibit promising flame retardancy and fireproof properties. The new approach of CFRP laminate differs with a protective concept. Every system consists of two different interlayers (titanium foil, thermoplastic foil PEI, ceramic layer WHIPOX, rubber tape Pyrostat, basalt fibres and kenaf fibres), where the one layer constitutes the fireproof protection, that delays the rise of temperature in the rest of laminate, and the second layer provides very good structural connection with carbon fibre layers, thus improves the mechanical integrity of CFRP composite in fire.
The time to failure of CFRP composite was 17s. Protective systems significantly enhance the fire stability and increased time to failure by 3 to 10 times. Thicker specimens showed longer resistance time, however CFRP laminate with ceramic layer and titanium foil presented outstanding results and the best performance. The protection with Kenaf and basalt fibres offered a natural fibre solution with also good fire resistance performance
Although bench-scale tests are limited with respect to assessing the performance of components and structures, they are valuable in the assessment of different materials concepts. Furthermore, the reduced effort of conducting bench-scale test (lower costs, time, personnel resources) makes it more practical and effective.
Hydrogen is among the most promising candidates to replace fossil fuels in the energy transition. Hydrogen-powered vehicles are already a reality, and their number is foreseen to increase considerably in the next decade. Among the possible solutions to store hydrogen in such vehicles, cryogenic tanks equipped with multi-layer insulation (MLI) appear to be one of the most effective to ensure high volumetric energy density. A potential loss of integrity of this kind of storage equipment might lead to severe consequences due to high flammability of hydrogen. This might occur, for instance, as a consequence of the exposure to an external source of heat such as a fire following a car accident. Real scale fire test results suggest that the super insulating performance of MLI systems may undergo severe degradation when this is subjected to high temperature, leaving the tank almost unprotected and leading to failure in a relatively short time. Characterizing this kind of accident scenario is crucial to ensure a safe design of storage tanks for Hydrogen-powered vehicles.
This presentation provides an overview of the ongoing research work on modelling MLI LH2 tanks exposed to fire. Lumped and computational fluid dynamic based models are presented, highlighting current gaps. The relevance of taking MLI degradation into account when simulating the pressure increase due to external fire exposure is here demonstrated through the analysis case studies.
Fire resistance of fiber-reinforced polymers (FRPs) has been an important area of research for many years since FRPs are mainly used in the transportation and construction sectors. This study presents the fire behavior, and mechanical performance between the flame retarded pure epoxy resin and flame retarded glass-fiber composites before, during, and after a fire event. This enables a deeper understanding of the transferability of flame retardants on composite materials.
Main message: Sustainability, or in other words, exploiting environmental conservation for the economic welfare and prosperity for all, would revolutionise the plastics industry were it to become predominant practice as a linear, fossil-fuel–based economy is switched to a carbon circular economy. Food for though is given by dint of a critical overview of the current trends in sustainable flame-retardant polymeric materials.
Introduction:
Transforming the plastics industry into a carbon circular economy over the next 30 years requires an immediate revolution entailing the development of cutting-edge materials and the planning of future industrial production plants. Hence, the innovative field of flame-retardant polymeric materials should lend its strength to drive this challenge. Visionary solutions are proposed to inspire us, while the implementation of economically feasible concepts can take us forward into the future.
Experimental The synthesis, processing, polymer analysis, thermal analysis, and investigation of fire behaviour from our own research are performed according to the state of the art, mostly in accordance with the pertinent ISO standards. Indeed, some of our equipment is part of the accredited lab; for the other methods we fulfil equivalent quality standards in terms of maintenance, calibration, participation in round robins, etc. Work steps such as the synthesis or preparation of new materials are usually outsourced or done with partners that have the relevant core competence. The talk also presents examples from other groups whose experimental is described in the corresponding scientific papers.
Results and Discussion An overview of current trends towards producing sustainable, flame-retardant polymeric materials is presented, using examples from the literature and by sketching our own projects performed in recent years. The examples are structured along a common theme leading from the use of old and new natural materials with some intrinsic flame retardancy, via flame-retardant biopolymers and biocomposites, to using renewable sources for flame retardants with the objective of exploiting natural sources available as industrial waste streams. Natural flame retardants and adjuvants are highlighted, although the status of most may be assessed as merely motivating our vision. Nevertheless, there are natural material streams finding their way into polymer mass production as fillers, adjuvants, polymers, or renewable educt sources. Natural substances originating from industrial waste streams open the door to sustainable solutions, because they are often available at low cost and avoid competition for land with farming or virgin forests. Aside from this main topic, remarks will address the recycling of flame-retarded polymeric materials; vitrimers are mentioned as a potential material for recyclable thermosets. At the end of the day, only convincing property profiles will prevail both for exploiting renewable sources and circular design, including cost effectiveness, sufficient availability, consistent quality, processibility, mechanical properties, and flame retardancy. However, sustainability must not be merely tolerated as an additional demand, but should instead be recognized as a solution, because sustainability aspires to ensure our economic welfare now and in the future.
Acknowledgement:
The examples shown from own project were supported by funding grants: BMBF WTZ: 01DN16040, DFG Scha 730/19-1, VW-Stiftung: Experiment No: 97437, DFG Scha 730/20-1, BMBF KMU Innovativ 031B1289B.
A few layer/multilayer graphene (MLG) with a specific surface area of BET ≥ 250 m2/g is proposed as an efficient multifunctional nanofiller for rubbers. The preparation method, i.e., ultrasonically-assisted solution or latex premixing of master batches followed by conventional two-roll milling, strongly influences the dispersion in the elastomeric matrix and is fundamental for the final properties. When homogenously dispersed, single stacks of only approximately 10 graphene sheets, with an aspect ratio of ca. 35, work at low loadings, enabling the replacement of large amounts of carbon black (CB), an increase in efficiency, and a reduction in filler load. The appropriate preparation yielded nanocomposites in which just 3 phr are sufficient to significantly improve the rheological, curing, gas barrier properties, electrical and thermal conductivity, as well as mechanical properties of different rubbers, as shown for chlorine-Isobutylene-Isoprene rubber (CIIR), nitrile-butadiene rubber (NBR), natural rubber (NR), and styrene-butadiene rubber (SBR).[1-5] 3 phr of MLG tripled the Young’s modulus of CIIR, an effect equivalent to 20 phr of CB. The stronger interactions between MLG and NR or SBR also resulted in a reduction in the elongation at break by 20% and 50%, respectively, while the same parameter was hardly changed for CIIR/MLG and NBR/MLG. CIIR/MLG and NBR/MLG were stiffer but just as defomable than CIIR and NBR. The strong reinforcing effect of 3 phr MLG was confirmed by the increase of greater than 10 Shore A in hardness. MLG reduces gas permeability, increases thermal and electrical conductivities, and retards flammability. We investigated MLG also as a synergist for reducing the aluminium trihydrate loading in flame retardant hydrogenated acrylonitrile-butadiene (HNBR), polybutadiene chloroprene (BR/CR), and chlorosulfonated polyethylene rubber(CSM).[6-8] The higher the nanofiller concentration is, the greater the improvement in the properties. For instance, the permeability decreased by 30% at 3 phr of MLG, 50% at 5 phr and 60% at 10 phr, respectively. Moreover, the MLG nanocomposites improve stability of mechanical properties against the effects of weathering. In key experiments an increase in UV-absorption and a pronounced radical scavenging were proved as stabilizing mechanisms. In a nutshell, MLG is an efficient multifunctional nanofiller ready to be used for innovative rubber development.
In recent years, fire safety requirements for bus interior materials have been increased and introduced into international regulations. Fire safety requirements for the burning rate, melting and dripping behaviour of interior materials already exist for many years. However, it remains unclear to what extent the release of smoke, combustion products and their toxicity should be limited. Therefore, a research and development project 82.0723 funded by BASt (Federal Highway Research Institute) was initiated to develop a simplified procedure for testing the toxicity and smoke development in case of fire of interior materials used in buses. The scope of the research included calculations to assess the toxicity of fire gases and the derivation of specifications for the formation of practicable limit values for smoke toxicity. Further investigations are needed to derive these limit values for smoke toxicity in order to be applicable for real fire scenarios in buses.
Das EU Projekt TREEADS „A Holistic Fire Management Ecosystem for Prevention, Detection and Restoration of Environmental
Desasters” beschäftigt sich mit der Erforschung der drei Phasen „Prävention und Bereitschaft“, „Detektion und Reaktion“ und
„Aufforsten und Anpassen“ der Waldbrandverhütung. Im Projekt gibt es acht ausgewiesene Pilotregionen, in denen Deutschland
auch mit einer Pilotregion in Sachsen-Anhalt bzw. in Brandenburg vertreten ist. Unsere Arbeit auf Charakterisierung des Waldbodens und numerische Simulation wird vorgestellt.
Although fire safety regulations for buses have been adapted in recent years regarding, for example, fire detection and engine fire suppression systems, the changes in regulations for bus interior materials are minimal. A comparison of fire safety regulations for interior materials in other transport sectors for trains, ships or aircraft reveals a much lower level of requirements for bus materials. Although repeated bus accidents as well as fire statistics show the danger a bus fire can pose to passengers.
In particular, the combination of a fire incident and passengers with reduced mobility led to severe disasters in Germany and other European countries. To enhance the fire safety for passengers, the interior bus materials are crucial as the fire development in the bus cabin determines whether escape and rescue is possible. Against this background, bus interior materials were tested in different fire test scenarios. Measurement of a wide variety of parameters, for example, the mass loss, ignition time, smoke gas composition, heat release rate among others were carried out. Tested materials complied to the newest set of requirements. For this purpose, interior materials and their components had to be identified according to their chemical structure. Parts of the tests were funded by BASt (Federal Highway Research Institute) in the project 82.0723/2018. Experimental results show reaction-to-fire behaviour which lead to very limited times for escape and rescue in case of fire in a bus cabin. Based on the studies on fire behaviour and toxicity assessment, recommendations for improved fire safety regulations for interior materials could be made.
Das EU Projekt EU FireStat SI2.830108, das vom Europäischen Parlament finanziert und von der DG GROW der Europäischen Kommission in Auftrag gegeben wurde, hat aufgearbeitet, welche Terminologie in den europäische Mitgliedsstaaten verwendet wird und die von den Mitgliedstaaten erhobenen Daten über Gebäudebrände zu analysieren. Dabei wurden die Schwierigkeiten bei der Erfassung und die Unterschiede bei der Auslegung ermittelt und eine gemeinsame Terminologie sowie eine Methode zur Erfassung der erforderlichen Daten vorgeschlagen.
Folgende Schwerpunkte wurden bearbeitet: Zunächst erfolgte eine Diagnose von Terminologie-, Datenerhebungs- und Auslegungsproblemen, Erhebung der Terminologie und der Datenerfassung, Identifizierung der für die Entscheidungsfindung benötigten Daten, Analyse der Methoden zur Datenerhebung Definition einer gemeinsamen Terminologie, Methodik der Kosten-/Nutzenbewertung zur Unterstützung politischer Entscheidungen, Fallstudie zur Anwendung der Methode der Kosten-/Nutzenbewertung, Beschreibung einer zukünftigen Datenerhebungsmethode.
Das Ergebnis des Projekts ist eine Empfehlung, welche Daten in den Mitgliedstaaten erhoben werden sollten, um wissensbasierte Entscheidungen in Bezug auf den Brandschutz zu ermöglichen. Damit wird die Grundlage für Maßnahmen und Initiativen geschaffen, die den Brandschutz und die Brandverhütung der Mitgliedstaaten unterstützen, so dass knappe Ressourcen gezielt eingesetzt werden können.
The interest in hydrogen-based green energy is increasing worldwide, and the same is true for hydrogen-powered vehicles. Among the possible solutions to store hydrogen in such vehicles, cryogenic tanks equipped with multi-layer insulation (MLI) are the most promising to increase the amount of energy stored per unit volume. However, MLI is affected by severe deterioration when exposed to an external source of heat such as a fire following a car accident, leaving the tank unprotected and leading to failure in a relatively short time. In this work, a one-dimensional model to evaluate MLI thermal degradation when a liquid hydrogen tank is exposed to fire is presented. The relevance of taking MLI degradation into account when simulating the pressure increase due to external fire exposure is here demonstrated through the analysis of several case studies. The results show that MLI systems performance depletes within a few minutes of exposure to hydrocarbon poolfire.
Das EU Projekt EU FireStat SI2.830108, das vom Europäischen Parlament finanziert und von der DG GROW der Europäischen Kommission in Auftrag gegeben wurde, hat aufgearbeitet, welche Terminologie in den europäische Mitgliedsstaaten verwendet wird und die von den Mitgliedstaaten erhobenen Daten über Gebäudebrände zu analysieren. Dabei wurden die Schwierigkeiten bei der Erfassung und die Unterschiede bei der Auslegung ermittelt und eine gemeinsame Terminologie sowie eine Methode zur Erfassung der erforderlichen Daten vorgeschlagen.
Folgende Schwerpunkte wurden bearbeitet: Zunächst erfolgte eine Diagnose von Terminologie-, Datenerhebungs- und Auslegungsproblemen, Erhebung der Terminologie und der Datenerfassung, Identifizierung der für die Entscheidungsfindung benötigten Daten, Analyse der Methoden zur Datenerhebung Definition einer gemeinsamen Terminologie, Methodik der Kosten-/Nutzenbewertung zur Unterstützung politischer Entscheidungen, Fallstudie zur Anwendung der Methode der Kosten-/Nutzenbewertung, Beschreibung einer zukünftigen Datenerhebungsmethode.
Das Ergebnis des Projekts ist eine Empfehlung, welche Daten in den Mitgliedstaaten erhoben werden sollten, um wissensbasierte Entscheidungen in Bezug auf den Brandschutz zu ermöglichen. Damit wird die Grundlage für Maßnahmen und Initiativen geschaffen, die den Brandschutz und die Brandverhütung der Mitgliedstaaten unterstützen, so dass knappe Ressourcen gezielt eingesetzt werden können.
A well-defined terminology of fire-related variables is important for correct analyses and supporting knowledge-based decisions regarding the evaluation of building fires at the European level. After developing an overview of current practices for fire statistics in Part I, the terminology used and the data collected by the EU Member States and eight other countries regarding fire incidents, property damage and human losses were mapped to increase awareness of their practice and support a comprehensive assessment of several fire statistical datasets. A questionnaire was distributed to relevant authorities responsible for the collection, elaboration/analysis, and fire statistical data publications to define and select the essential variables for an appropriate fire assessment and fire incident description. Based on the results of the questionnaire able to identify the essential fire statistical variables and a detailed analysis of current definitions adopted in the fire statistics of the EU Member States and other countries, a common terminology is proposed to collect the necessary data in the EU Member States and obtain meaningful datasets based on standardised terms and definitions. The results will generate essential outputs to move towards harmonised fire statistics at the EU level and contribute to an appropriate analysis able to improve fire prevention and fire mitigation in building fires.
This study provides an analysis on the fire safety of passengers and the fire protection of coaches and buses. A brief review of major bus fire incidents, an overview of current regulations in Europe, and their limitations are presented. The study finds that the current small-scale fire test methods described in UN ECE Reg No. 118 need to be replaced by test methods that can assess the reaction to fire of materials when exposed to ignition sources of varying sizes. To address these shortcomings, the study proposed an expert recommendation to update the material fire safety requirements and testing for buses. Additional measures are proposed, derived from objectives and strategies applied in other transport sectors, and can be tested through existing European and international standards, which are widely used by several industries. These measures aim to extend the time with tenable conditions for a safe evacuation in case of fire, reduce the degree of damage to buses, reduce the risk for fast and excessive thermal exposure on modern energy carriers needed for a more sustainable transport sector.
The analysis of the current state of fire statistics and data collection in Europe and other countries is needed to increase awareness of how fire incidents affect buildings and to support pan-European fire prevention and fire mitigation measures.
The terminology and data collected regarding fire incidents in buildings in the EU Member States were mapped to obtain meaningful datasets to determine common terminology, collection methodology, and data interpretation system. An extensive literature review showed that fire data collection systems have been instrumental in informing firefighting strategies, evidence-based planning, prevention, and educational programmes. Differences and similarities between fire data collection systems were also investigated. The amount and quality of the information in fire statistical recording systems appear to be influenced by the complexity and structure with which the data are collected. The analysis also examined the existing fire statistics in the EU Member States and a few other countries. Finally, a detailed investigation of the number of fires, fire deaths, and injuries from 2009 to 2018 in several countries was examined based on data from a report by CTIF. The trends showed differences attributable to the existing fire statistical practices in terms of terminology and data
collection, and interpretation. Part II proposes a common terminology for selected fire statistical variables. The results provide relevant information regarding fire safety at the European level and should be used to guide the development of more uniform fire statistics across Europe.
We are interested in accidental fire impingement of HazMat pressure vessels. Want to develop improved models for predicting time to failure or empty (if PRV present). We are still trying to properly predict pressurization and time to first PRV activation due to liquid temperature stratification for a range of fire scenarios (Full and partial engulfing pool fire, jet fires, with roll over, with TP defects, etc.)
The interest in hydrogen-based green energy is increasing worldwide, and the same is true for hydrogen-powered vehicles. Among the possible solutions to store hydrogen in such vehicles, cryogenic tanks equipped with multi-layer insulation (MLI) are the most promising to increase the amount of energy stored per unit volume. However, MLI is affected by severe deterioration when exposed to an external source of heat such as a fire following a car accident, leaving the tank unprotected and leading to failure in a relatively short time. In this work, a one-dimensional model to evaluate MLI thermal degradation when a liquid hydrogen tank is exposed to fire is presented. The relevance of taking MLI degradation into account when simulating the pressure increase due to external fire exposure is here demonstrated through the analysis of several case studies. The results show that MLI systems performance depletes within a few minutes of exposure to hydrocarbon poolfire.
A series of flexible polyurethane foams (FPUFs) were prepared with single and different combinations of flame retardants and additives. Expandable graphite (EG), phosphorous polyol (OP), copper (II) oxide (CuO), and/or castor oil (CAS) were added to FPUF during the foam preparation in a one-step process. The purpose of the study is to evaluate the synergistic effects of the flame retardants, additives, and the presence of bio-based content on the mechanical properties, flame retardancy, and smoke behavior of FPUFs. The combination of 10 wt % EG and 5 wt % OP in FPUF significantly improves the char yield. In the cone calorimeter experiment, the char yield is nearly three times higher than that with 10 wt % EG alone. The smoke behavior is additionally evaluated in a smoke density chamber (SDC). Comparing the samples with a single flame retardant, 10 wt % EG in FPUF considerably reduces the amount of smoke released and the emission of toxic gases. Replacing the amount of 10 wt % polyether polyol in FPUF with CAS maintains the physical and mechanical properties and fire behavior and enhances the bio-based content. The presence of 0.1 wt % CuO in FPUF effectively reduces the emission of hydrogen cyanide. As a result, this study proposes a multicomponent flame retardant strategy for FPUF to enhance the biomass content and address the weaknesses in flame retardancy, smoke, and toxic gas emissions. A starting point is disclosed for future product development.
Liquefied Hydrogen (LH2) or Liquefied Natural Gas (LNG) establish themselves as important energy carriers in the transport sector. Its storage requires tanks with Thermal Super Insulations (TSI) to keep the transported fluid cold. The presentation includes 2 main topics of the department.
First TSI has proven itself in various applications over a long time, but not in the land transport sector, where accidents involving collisions, fires, and their combination are to be expected. To analyze fire scenarios a High-Temperature Thermal Vacuum Chamber (HTTVC) was developed that allows the thermal loading of thermal insulation material in a vacuum and measuring the heat flow through the TSI in parallel. Within this chamber, 5 samples were tested regarding 3 different types of MLI, rock wool, and perlites. In the presentation, the results are presented.
Second, the studying of accident scenarios enables the improvement of thermal superinsulation and to find novel insulation concepts. This is necessary for LH2 large-scale storages, for which state-of-the-art solutions are not suitable. Within the presentation, a novel insulation concept will be presented.
Im Rahmen des Forschungsprojektes IGF 20470N wurden Untersuchungen zum Alterungsverhalten von reaktiven Brandschutzsystemen (RBS) auf Stahlbauteilen durchgeführt. Mithilfe der Ergebnisse einer umfangreichen Literaturrecherche sowie experimentellen und numerischen Untersuchungen sollte ein Vorschlag für ein Prüfkonzept zum Nachweis einer Nutzungsdauer von RBS von mehr als 10 Jahren auf Basis von Kurzzeitversuchen abgeleitet werden. Dabei setzt die Bewertung des Alterungsverhaltens von RBS voraus, dass die Mechanismen der Alterung hinreichend bekannt sind.
Dafür wurden zunächst systematisch Daten von Kurz- und Langzeitversuchen von nationalen Zulassungsprüfungen der letzten Jahrzehnte ausgewertet. Anschließend wurden umfangreiche experimentelle Untersuchungen an einer wasserbasierten sowie einer epoxidharzbasierten Richtrezeptur durchgeführt. Da aus der Literatur bekannt ist, dass die Einflüsse der Bewitterung zu einer Veränderung der Konzentration der Bestandteile innerhalb der Beschichtung führen können, wurden Untersuchungen mit Mangelrezepturen durchgeführt, wobei systematisch einzelne Bestandteile reduziert wurden. Neben optischen Untersuchungen wurden thermoanalytische Verfahren (DSC-TG-, ATR-FTIR-, Elementar-, Farbanalyse) angewandt sowie Brandversuche an beschichteten Stahlplatten durchgeführt. Des Weiteren wurden die Richtrezepturen den beschleunigten Kurzzeitversuchen gemäß EAD 350402-00-1106 (2017) unterzogen, welche die Zulassung von Produkten auf europäischer Ebene regelt. Für die wasserbasierte Richtrezeptur wurden die Bewitterung für den feuchten Innenraum (Typ Z1) mehrfach wiederholt (1x, 3x, 6x). Für die epoxidharzbasierte Richtrezeptur entsprach die Bewitterung dem Zyklus für die Außenanwendung (Typ X). In Brandversuchen sowie thermoanalytischen und optischen Untersuchungen wurde das Alterungsverhalten sowie die thermische Schutzwirkung analysiert.
Anschließend wurden numerische Simulationen von Stahlbauteilen mit gealterten RBS durchgeführt und anhand der experimentellen Untersuchungen validiert. Mithilfe der numerischen Modelle kann eine Bewertung der thermischen Schutzwirkung von Stahlbauteilen mit gealterten RBS vorgenommen werden.
Mithilfe der gesammelten Erkenntnisse wurde ein Vorschlag für ein Prüfkonzept für den Nachweis einer Nutzungsdauer von mehr als 10 Jahren abgeleitet. Das Prüfkonzept besteht dabei aus einem Katalog von Möglichkeiten, die aktuellen Zulassungsprüfungen auf europäischer Ebene für eine Nutzungsdauer von 10 Jahren auf einen längeren Zeitraum zu erweitern.
The dynamic response of a vehicle during braking is influenced by the tangential forces developed at the wheel-rail’s contact surface. The friction coefficient affects the load transfer from the wheel’s tread to the vehicle. In this work, the vibrations of a scale-down railway vehicle are monitored during braking and their relationship with the friction coefficient between wheel and rail is found out. The vehicle is instrumented with encoders, accelerometers, and is controlled via Bluetooth.
The tests are carried out with clean and friction-modified rails. The tangential forces transmitted from the wheel to the railcar’s body are visualized in time and frequency using a proposed correlation algorithm based on the outputs of the ContinuousWavelet Transform (CWT). The results demonstrate
that tangential forces have a significant impact on railway vehicles under conditions of high friction coefficients and large creep values.
Produkte, Bauteile und Konstruktionen im Transport- und Bauwesen bestehen mehr und mehr aus Klebverbunden. Allein die Menge des verwendeten Klebstoffes oder die Anzahl geklebter Verbindungen schließen für eine verlässliche Betrachtung und Bewertung der Brandrisiken aus, deren Beitrag zur Brandentstehung, Flammenausbreitung oder Feuerwiderstand von Baugruppen und Konstruktionen zu vernachlässigen. Anforderungen an die Leistungsbeschreibungen von flammgeschützten Klebstoffen bzw. Haftklebebändern werden definiert, oft ohne ein ausreichendes Verständnis der Beiträge von Klebverbunden zum Brandverhalten der Bauteile zu haben. Der Vortrag beleuchtet diese Problematik und stellt die verschiedenen komplexen Anforderungen aus dem Brandschutz in Hinblick auf Auswahlkriterien und Entwicklungsziele für flammgeschützte Klebstoffe dar. Dabei ist dieser Transfer des Brandverhaltens, sprich der Systemantwort einer Komponente oder Bauteils in einem spezifischen Brandszenario, in Materialeigenschaften des Klebstoffes eine intrinsische und anspruchsvolle Herausforderung. Im abgeschlossenen IGF-Projekt Nr. 20762 N (Forschungsvereinigung DECHEMA) haben wir für Klebebänder eine systematisch-wissenschaftliche Studie durchgeführt und aussagekräftige Erkenntnisse zu Verfügung gestellt. Die Untersuchungen zur Entflammbarkeit zu Brandbeginn, zur Flammenausbreitung (Wärmeentwicklung) im sich entwickelnden Brand und zum Feuerwiderstand im Vollbrand machen die sehr unterschiedlichen Einflüsse von Klebverbunden, d. h. auch die unterschiedlichen Anforderungen an die Modifikation der Klebebänder, deutlich. Die thermische Analyse verschiedener Klebstoffe zusammen mit den Brandtest freistehender Haftklebebänder, an einseitig geklebten Substraten und an Klebverbundprobekörpern skizzieren eindrucksvoll die komplexen Zusammenhänge zwischen Materialeigenschaften der Klebebänder und dem Brandverhalten von Klebverbunden. Der Vergleich von verschiedenen Substraten wie Stahlbleche, Holz, Mineralwolle und verschiedene Polymermaterialien belegt darüber hinaus, dass der Einfluss der Klebverbindungen auf das Brandverhalten der Klebverbunde substratspezifisch ist. Gerade der Vergleich zwischen Holz, Polymethylmethacrylat (PMMA) und Bisphenol A Polycarbonat (PC) liefert überraschend unterschiedliche Ergebnisse. Die Variation der Klebstoffe und Trägermaterialien der Klebebänder skizziert die verschiedenen Möglichkeiten für die Materialentwicklung. Abhängig vom Material und Brandszenario können Klebverbunde im Vergleich zu gleich dicken Probekörpern aus demselben Substrat sowohl eine deutliche Erhöhung der Brandrisiken, ein praktisch unverändertes Brandverhalten oder eine Reduktion des Brandrisikos hervorrufen. Grundsätzlich kann keine Lösung bzw. kein Tape gefunden werden, die mit allen Substraten einen guten Brandschutz gewährleistet. Substrate, Carrier und Klebstoff müssen nicht nur aufeinander abgestimmt werden, sondern auch auf das Brandszenario, in welchem der Verbund eine gute Performance liefern soll.Das IGF-Projekt (20762) der Forschungsgemeinschaft (DECHEMA Deutsche Gesellschaft für Chemische Technik und Biotechnologie e V, Theodor Heuss Allee 25, 60486 Frankfurt am Main) wurde durch die AiF im Rahmen des Programms „Förderung der Industriellen Gemeinschaftsforschung (IGF)” des Bundesministeriums für Wirtschaft und Klimaschutz aufgrund eines Beschlusses des Deutschen Bundestages gefördert.
As most of polymeric materials are inherently flammable, flame retardants (FR) are commonly used to reduce their fire risks. Nevertheless, these flame retardant materials are often detrimental to smoke parameters like specific optical density or smoke toxicity. The influence of several smoke suppressants (SP)-zinc stannate, zinc phosphate, titanium oxide and hydrotalcite-were investigated with respect to flame retardancy, smoke emission, particle emission and smoke toxicity in a diethyl aluminum phosphinate (AlPi) flame retardant polyamide 6.6 (PA6.6). It was shown that the interaction between SP, FR and polymer is crucial for smoke and fire properties and can change the mode of action of the FR as well the decomposition mechanism of the polymer. Small amounts of SP show less effect on forced flaming behavior and the optical density, but they can influence flammability and the particle size distribution of the soot particles. The flame retardancy was significantly enhanced by 5 wt.-% zinc stannate in PA6.6 under forced flaming conditions. The charring mechanism was improved, and the mode of action of AlPi switched from the gas to the condensed phase. This resulted of in a reduced PHRR and TSP and an increase in residue yield. The smoke toxicity and optical density were reduced in the smoke density chamber as well. The smoke particles shifted to smaller sizes as the time in the pyrolytic zone increased. The formation of a dense char is assumed to be the key factor to enhance smoke suppression and flame retardancy properties.
Im Rahmen dieses Vortrags werden die Besonderheiten beim Einsatz von Messtechnik bei Versuchen im Groß- und Realmaßstab und unter Freifeldbedingungen dargestellt. Anhand des Themenfeldprojektes CoFi-ABV und der dort durchgeführten Versuchsreihen werden die Rand- und Rahmenbedingungen beim Durchführen der Experimente, Instrumentierung und Versuchsaufbau sowie beispielhafte Ergebnisse erläutert.
Ziel des Forschungsvorhabens ist es, ein standardisiertes Prüf- und Bewertungsverfahren zur Bestimmung des Beitrags reaktiver Brandschutzsysteme (RBS) zum Feuerwiderstand von Stahlzuggliedern zu erarbeiten und dieses in ein Entwurfsdokument für eine europäische Prüfnorm zu überführen. Hierzu wurden einerseits bereits vorhandene Erfahrungen und Erkenntnisse genutzt und andererseits mittels Brandversuchen neue Prüfdaten zur Beantwortung bisher offengebliebener Aspekte zum Einfluss der Bauteilorientierung und Profilart erzeugt und ausgewertet. Dadurch wird die prüftechnische Grundlage für eine sichere, zulassungsbasierte Anwendung von reaktiven Brandschutzsystemen auf zugbeanspruchten Stahlbauteilen gelegt und ein einheitliches Sicherheitsniveau etabliert.
Der im Rahmen des Forschungsprojektes entwickelte Normentwurf wurde mit den Fachexperten der zuständigen nationalen und europäischen Normungsgremien diskutiert und abgestimmt. Das erarbeitete Prüf- und Auswertungsverfahren basiert auf der Durchführung von Brandversuchen an mechanisch belasteten Stahlzuggliedern mit RBS. Ergänzend sind unbelastete Brandversuche zur Beurteilung des Einflusses der Bauteilorientierung sowie der Eignung bei Schwelbrandbeanspruchung möglich. Die im Projekt durchgeführten experimentellen Untersuchungen liefern die Grundlage für den im Normenentwurf vorgeschlagenen Prüfaufbau der mechanisch belasteten und unbelasteten Brandversuche. Ferner konnte durch die Untersuchungen gezeigt werden, dass sich unter bestimmten Voraussetzungen die Prüfergebnisse von Stahlzuggliedern mit Kreisvollprofil ohne zusätzliche Brandversuche auf entsprechende Zugglieder mit Rechteckvollprofil übertragen lassen. Darüber hinaus konnte belegt werden, dass die Leistungsfähigkeit eines RBS aufgrund unterschiedlicher Bauteilorientierungen abnehmen kann und daher zwingend beim Anwendungsbereich des RBS zu berücksichtigen ist. Hierzu wird ein Temperaturdifferenz-kriterium vorgeschlagen, bei dessen Einhaltung die Wirksamkeit des RBS bei von der horizontalen Referenzorientierung abweichenden Bauteilneigungen noch gleichwertig gegeben ist. Andernfalls bietet der Normenentwurf die Möglichkeit die reduzierte thermische Schutzwirkung des RBS im Assessment zu berücksichtigen.
Die Ergebnisse aus dem Forschungsvorhaben wurden bereits auf einem wissenschaftlichen Symposium vorgestellt sowie in einer referierten Fachzeitschrift publiziert. Ferner wurden die Informationen zum Forschungsprojekt und dem Normenentwurf im Rahmen eines Anwenderworkshops interessierten Kreisen zugänglich gemacht. Der im Projekt ausgearbeitete Normenentwurf wird dem zuständigen europäischen Normungsgremien, CEN/TC 127/WG 1, zur Verfügung gestellt und dort zur Abstimmung gestellt.
The impact of phosphorus-containing flame retardants (FR) on rigid polyisocyanurate (PIR) foams is studied by systematic variation of the chemical structure of the FR, including non-NCO-reactive and NCO-reactive dibenzo[d,f][1,3,2]dioxaphosphepine 6-oxide (BPPO)- and 9,10 dihydro-9-oxa-10 phosphaphenanthrene-10-oxide (DOPO)-containing compounds, among them a number of compounds not reported so far. These PIR foams are compared with PIR foams without FR and with standard FRs with respect to foam properties, thermal decomposition, and fire behavior. Although BPPO and DOPO differ by just one oxygen atom, the impact on the FR properties is very significant: when the FR is a filler or a dangling (dead) end in the PIR polymer network, DOPO is more effective than BPPO. When the FR is a subunit of a diol and it is fully incorporated in the PIR network, BPPO delivers superior results.
Polyurethane foams (PUF) are generally flammable, so they are limited in some applications due to strict fire safety requirements. In this study, three distinct industrial benchmark polyurethane foams containing synergistic combinations of expandable graphite (EG) and phosphorous flame retardants (P-FR) were investigated one by one for their fire performance and smoke behavior. This paper aims to substantiate the hypothesis that the combination of EG and P-FR used in polyurethane foams yields a top-notch composite in terms of flame retardancy and smoke behavior by meeting the demanding requirement of low maximum average heat emission (MARHE) and smoke emission in a variety of applications, like advanced materials in construction, lightweight materials for railways, and more.
Leather is considered a luxury good when used in seating and upholstery. To improve safety, flame retardancy in leather is usually achieved through various finishing processes such as spray or roller coating. These treatments require processing steps that cost time and are laborintensive. One avenue to achieving flame retardancy in leather is to add flame retardants during the tanning process. However, the influence on flame retardancy exerted by specific intumescent additives specifically added during leather tanning has yet to be investigated. This work explores the roles played by intumescent additive compounds in flame retarding leather when they are added during tanning instead of applied as a coating. Via a systematic investigation of various compound mixtures, the flame retardant effects in the condensed and the gas phases are elucidated. The results show a strong impact of melamine in the gas phase and of polyphosphates in the condensed phase. Their impact was quantified in fire and smoke analysis, showing a 14% reduction in the peak of heat release rate, strongly reduced burning lengths, and a 20% reduction in total smoke release compared to nontreated leather. These results illuminate the key role played by specific compounds in the flame retardancy of leather, particularly when they are added specifically during the tanning process instead of being applied as a coating.
This method has great potential to reduce processing steps, lower costs, and improve material safety.
The volumetric energy density of a gas can be increased by liquefaction, which occurs when the gas is cooled below the saturation point. Liquefied gases of great importance to the energy transition are Liquefied Hydrogen (LH2) and Liquefied Natural Gas (LNG), which can be liquefied at temperatures below 160°C. Systems for storing these gases typically must be overpressure resistant and require thermal super insulations (TSI) to hold cryogenic conditions and minimize boil-off losses from evaporation. TSI with vacuum and MLI or perlites are suitable for many applications involving LNG and LH2. Such systems are typically double-walled structures where the inner wall is in contact with the cryogenic liquefied gas. MLI or perlites are located in the gap between the inner and the outer wall, that is kept under vacuum conditions. This combination of insulations strongly reduces the heat transfer between the environment and the cryogenic liquefied gas. From an economic point of view the systems are well sophisticated. However, knowledge of the behavior of this kind of systems in a typical event such as a fire is limited, but necessary to evaluate the safety of the increasing number of applications.
The objective of the research is to determine how TSI behaves at different fire temperatures during fire exposure and afterwards. Special attention is paid to changes in the heat flux, the material properties and vacuum state over time. For this purpose, thermogravimetric analysis (TGA) studies have been carried out. In addition, a test rig was developed that allows testing of TSI at temperatures up to 1000°C under realistic integration conditions and subsequent analysis of the TSI samples. In the test rig the double-wall with vacuum and MLI or perlites inside is simulated. The fire conditions are simulated on one side of the double-wall by adjustable electrical heating elements. This process allows the implementation of repeatable heat flows of up to 100 kW/m². On the other side of the double-wall, cold or cryogenic conditions are simulated with a heat exchanger through which water or the vapor of liquid nitrogen (approx. -196°C) flows. The heat exchanger is also used to determine the heat flux through the double-wall. Thus, the test rig allows thermal loading and performance analysis of TSI samples at the same time.
Compared to tests with real cryogenic systems, tests with this experimental setup have the advantage that, first, the instrumentation is easier to realize, and a higher repeatability is ensured. Second, the local heat flow can be determined over time, and the sample of a TSI can be taken non-destructively and thus analyzed. Third, the tests are less risky as well as time+ and material intensive, so that more tests and variants can be investigated with the same budget.
Preliminary results obtained considering several types of MLI under vacuum show that all observed typs of MLI can be damaged under strong thermal loading. The damages observed were outgassing, melting, shrinkage, cracking, lump formation, and concomitant local loss of the MLI's function as a radiation shield. However, the study also shows that a damage does not always have an extreme effect on the insulating performance.
Reaktive Brandschutzsysteme finden im baulichen Brandschutz Anwendung zur Erhöhung des Feuerwiderstands von Stahlkonstruktionen. Neben den Anforderungen an die Feuerwiderstandsdauer können damit auch Ansprüche an die Ästhetik erfüllt werden. Die profilfolgende Applikation und die geringen Trockenschichtdicken der Produkte ermöglichen es, das filigrane Erscheinungsbild von Stahlkonstruktionen aufrechtzuerhalten. Neben der thermischen Schutzwirkung muss auch die Dauerhaftigkeit der Brandschutzbeschichtung sichergestellt werden. Die Bewertungsmethoden, die auf europäischer Ebene durch das EAD 350402-00-1106 zur Verfügung stehen, zielen auf eine Nutzungsdauer von zehn Jahren ab. Prüfverfahren für einen darüber hinausgehenden Zeitraum sind nicht beschrieben. In diesem Beitrag werden experimentelle Untersuchungen zum Einfluss der Bewitterung auf das Expansionsverhalten, zur thermischen Schutzwirkung und zu den während des Aufschäumens im Brandfall stattfindenden Reaktionen vorgestellt. Die Versuche wurden an einem wasserbasierten und einem epoxidharzbasierten reaktiven Brandschutzsystem durchgeführt. Die Ergebnisse wurden im Rahmen des IGF-Forschungsvorhabens 20470 N erzielt.
Composites in Fire and Flame
(2022)
Overview over the research results of the BAM in the field fire retardancy of composites. In different applications the flame retardancy of composites targets on different fire protection goals in the fire scenarios ignition, developing fire, and fully developed fire. Efficient solutions are tailored to pass a distinct fire test and to fit to a specific material. Flame inhibition as main flame retardancy mode of action combined with a minor mode of action in the condensed phase is general very efficient approach for composites. Alternatively residue design is demanded to achieve good results with only condensed phase mechanisms. Improving the fire stability asks for protective fire residues.
Wasserstoff wird als ein potenzieller alternativer Energieträger gesehen, mit dem die für 2050 gesetzten Klimaziele erreicht werden könnten. Der Transport von Wasserstoff ist mittels verschiedener Speichertechniken möglich, von denen der kryogene Transport mit den größten volumetrischen Energiedichten einhergeht. Hierdurch eignen sich diese Speicher besonders für die energieintensiven Verkehrsmittel im Land-, See- und Flugverkehr.
Im Vortrag werden Speichertechniken, Gefahren im Umgang mit kryogenen Gasen sowie bisherige Störfälle dargestellt. Darauf aufbauend wird ein Teil der aktuellen Forschungsarbeit an der BAM vorgestellt, die die Sicherheit dieser Speicher unter außergewöhnlichen Belastungen adressiert.
Intumescent coatings are commonly used in civil engineering to improve the fire resistance of steel constructions. Especially in the case of tension bars, where mostly circular or rectangular solid sections are used, intumescent coatings offer an efficient measure to improve the fire resistance taking advantage of profile-following application and low coating thickness requirements. Thus, the architectural appearance of slender profiles can be preserved. The paper describes real-scale mechanically loaded and unloaded fire tests of circular and rectangular solid steel tension bars with intumescent coating. The aim of these tests is to investigate the influence of the different profile types as well as different bar orientations on the performance of intumescent coatings. The results are used to specify a normative test and assessment procedure to be implemented in a new European standard for determining the contribution of intumescent coatings to the fire resistance of circular or rectangular bars used as tension members.
The fire-induced spalling behaviour of concretes has a huge effect on the fire resistance of concrete components. Therefore, fire performance must be taken into account in the design and dimensioning of concrete structures. The use of new types of concrete and different types of cement or binder must also be considered. Despite decades of research, the mechanisms underlying the spalling phenomenon are not yet fully understood. However, knowledge about these mechanisms is the prerequisite for predicting the spalling behaviour as accurately as possible.
Experimental research from material characterisation on the micro scale up to full-sized fire tests as well as the simulation and modelling of fire-induced damage processes offer the opportunity to investigate the spalling behaviour of concrete. Thereby, a variety of influencing parameters must be regarded. Against this background, the effect of avoidance strategies can be evaluated.
Since 2009, the International Workshop on Concrete Spalling due to Fire Exposure (IWCS) offers a platform to get in touch with researchers and practitioners, exchange the latest research results and newly acquired data from real fire scenarios, and discuss current developments in the field of concrete spalling. After the successful workshops in Leipzig (Germany), Delft (Netherlands), Paris (France), Borås (Sweden) and Sheffield (United Kingdom), the 7th International Workshop IWCS took place in Berlin at BAM. It provided insights into the work of two RILEM Technical Committees. Based on this, various results of screening tests and large-scale tests for the assessment of the fire-induced spalling behaviour of concretes were presented, taking into account a large number of influencing parameters. Further topics of the workshop were the analysis of the mechanisms for the spalling phenomenon as well as the modelling and simulation of the spalling processes. A large part of the workshop was devoted to the high-temperature behaviour of various types of concrete.
The workshop was dedicated to Prof. Diederichs, who passed away on 20 January 2022. With his death, the spalling community lost an internationally renowned expert in the field of fire behaviour of concrete and reinforced concrete components. He played a decisive role in the design of all previous RILEM TCs on the high temperature and fire behaviour of concretes and reinforced concrete components.
Investigating the spalling behaviour of a concrete mixture using large scale members is complex and expensive. Thus, the susceptibility of concrete to spalling is investigated by means of fire tests on small scale specimens. However, the reduction of the fire exposed surface increases the influence of boundary effects. Macrocracking and the water loss via the lateral surfaces reduce the impact of the thermomechanical and thermohydraulic damage mechanisms and therefore, lower the risk of spalling. Thus, the influence of different restraints on the spalling behaviour of intermediate scaled specimens (Ø=0.47 m; h=0.29 m) was investigated for two ordinary concrete mixtures. Both mixtures had the same composition except the type of aggregate. One mixture contained only quartzitic aggregates, whereas the other mixture was made with basalt grit as coarse aggregates. Applied steel rings restrained the thermal expansion of the specimen and prevented the loss of water, whereas applied steel sheet primarily reduced the loss of water during the fire test. Additionally, the fire exposed surface of one specimen of each mixture was pre-dried under controlled climate conditions and fire tested with applied steel rings. The results show a higher spalling volume for the ring restrained specimens compared to the other covering types. Further, the pre-dried boundary zone leads to delayed and decreased occurrence of spalling compared to the non-dried specimens for the concrete with quartzitic aggregates and to a prevention of spalling for the mixture with basalt aggregates. Additionally, the results show that the influence of the thermomechanical behaviour of the coarse aggregates increases with increasing restraint. The restrained conditions of the specimens with applied steel ring are comparable to the conditions in the centre of a large scale member. This test series is a further step for possible concept of steel ring restraint concrete specimens as “screening-tests” in upcoming projects.