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Author
Amaro, A. J. | Lipska, A. E.
Title
Development and Evaluation of Practical Self-Help Fire Retardants. Annual Report.
Coporate
Stanford Research Inst., Menlo Park, CA
Sponsor
Defense Civil Preparedness Agency, Washington, DC
Report
SRI Project PYU-8150; DCPA Work Unit 2561H
August 1973
45 p.
Contract
DAHC20-70-0219
Keywords
fire retardants | evaluation | molecular weight | roofs | thermal degradation | char | thermal decomposition | weight loss
Identifiers
development of practical peranent flame retardants for self-help application to existing cedar shake roofs; thermal degradation studies of cotton and synthetics; modification of the Parker-Lipska Model to account for remaining residual retardant in the final char; evaluation of water insoluble retardants
Abstract
A study was conducted to (1) determine whether high molecular weight, high oxygen containing inorganic additives can be effectively used in developing nonleachable flame retardants for self-help application to existing roofs, (2) investigate the kinetics and thermal decomposition of cotton and synthetic polymers, and (3) modify the Parker-Lipska (P-L) model to more closely predict the empirical increase in char yield in retardant treated cellulosics. The sprayed-on, interstitially precipitated ammonium phosphomolybdate, ammonium phosphotungstate, and magnesium ammonium phosphate afford seasonal (no more than 30 inches of rain) protection against firebrands. These formulations are more weather resistant than the water-soluble retardants, but because of their shallow penetration they are not totally weather resistant. Similarities in the weight-loss kinetics and products of pyrolysis of cotton and wood-derived cellulose suggest that the guidelines used in the P-L model in choosing retardants might be applied to all cellulosic materials.