- Author
-
Johnson, J. E.
|
Woods, F. J.
- Title
- Flammability in Unusual Atmospheres. Part 1. Preliminary Studies of Materials in Hyperbaric Atmospheres Containing Oxygen, Nitrogen, and/or Helium. Interim Report.
- Coporate
- Naval Research Lab., Washington, DC
- Report
-
NRL 6470,
October 31, 1966,
28 p.
- Distribution
- Available from National Technical Information Service
- Keywords
-
flammability
|
hyperbaric atmospheres
|
fabrics
|
ignition
|
burning rate
|
oxygen
|
nitrogen
|
helium
|
thermal conductivity
|
oxygen enriched atmospheres
- Identifiers
- oxygen enriched atmospheres
- Abstract
- A study of the flammability of fabrics and other solids under unusual atmospheric conditions has been initiated. The most profound effect on both ease of ignition and linear burning rate was caused by oxygen enrichment. For example, many materials which did not ignite in 21 percent oxygen ignited and burned readily at 31 percent or 41 percent oxygen. With a given atmosphere, increase in pressure was often effective in causing ignition where no ignition occurred at lower pressures. Substitution of helium for nitrogen in mixtures with oxygen had two generally significant effects. Helium decreased the tendence of a material to ignite. This effect was shown to be due largely to the high thermal conductivity of helium. Once ignited, burning rates were often much faster in helium than nitrogen.