- Author
- Einhorn, I. N. | Kanakia, M. D. | Seader, J. D.
- Title
- Physio-Chemical Study of Smoke Emission by Aircraft Interior Materials. Part 2. Rigid- and Flexible-Urethane Foams. Final Report. October 1969-June 1973.
- Coporate
- National Aviation Facilities Experimental Center, Atlantic City, NJ
- Sponsor
- Federal Aviation Administration, Washington, DC
- Report
- FAA-RD-73-50, II, July 1973, 143 p.
- Distribution
- Available from National Technical Information Service
- Contract
- 183-522-060
- Keywords
- aircraft interiors | smoke emissions | rigid foams | flexible foams | urethanes | combustion products | exposure | gas chromatography | pyrolysis | smoke | fire retardants | flammability | thermal degradation | oxygen index
- Identifiers
- aircraft materials; smoke development in polymeric materials; commercial utilization of urethane foams; commercial utiliation of fire retardants for urethane foams; flammability and smoke characteristics of urethane foams
- Abstract
- A study was conducted by personnel of the University of Utah's Flammability Research Center to determine the flammability characteristics and thermal degradation of urethane cellular plastics used in aircraft interiors. Initially, model urethane polymers, representative of systems used in aircraft interiors, were prepared, and the effect of the chemical structure of isocyanates and ployols on performance during fire exposure were studied. A series of non-fire-retarded rigid-urethane foams was synthesized and evaluated to serve as the basis for further research directed toward the synthesis of fire-retarded systems. Following this, a series of fire-retarded rigid foams was synthesized incorporating reactive and non-reactive fire retardants in various concentrations. The flammability characteristics of these cellular plastics were evaluated using test methods for the ease of ignition, flame propagation, fire endurance, smoke emission, and oxygen index as criteria. Based on the information obtained, a series of optimized rigid foams, which incorporated reactive and auxiliary fire retardants, was prepared and evaluated. The optimized rigid foam systems exhibited substantial improvements in the ignition, flame propagation, and fire-endurance characteristics, and a moderate reduction in the tendency to produce smoke. Similar studies were carried out using formulations representing flexible urethane foams. Improvement in those properties governing ignition and flame propagation were realized at the expense of increasing the smoking tendency of these flexible systems.