Table Of ContentFIRE AND CELLULAR POLYMERS
Proceedings of a Conference on 'Fire and Cellular Polymers', 11-12
October 1984, organised by the Fire & Materials Centre, Queen Mary
College and the Fire Research Station. The papers were first published in
the journal Cellular Polymers.
FIRE AND
CELLULAR POLYMERS
Edited by
J. M. BUIST
Abelard Management Consultancy, Cheshire, UK
S. J. GRAYSON
Fire & Materials Centre, Queen Mary College, London, UK
and
W. D. WOOLLEY
Fire Research Station, Borehamwood, UK
Reprinted from the journal
Cellular Polymers
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© CROWN COPYRIGHT 1986-pp. 25-59, 93-102, 103-116, 191-198
Britisll Library Cataloguing in Publication Data
Fire and Cellular Polymers (Conference
1984: London)
Fire and cellular polymers.
\. Fire resistant polymers
I. Title II. Buist, J. M. III. Grayson.
S.l. IV. Woolley. W. D.
620.1'9204217 THi074.5
ISBN·13: 978·94·010·8041·5 c·[SBN·13: 978·94·009·3443·6
001: 10.1007/978·94·009·3443·6
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Preface
This conference, organised jointly by QMC Wolfson Fire & Materials
Centre (Queen Mary College) and the Fire Research Station, held at the
Tara Hotel in London, UK, was well attended by a wide range of experts
in the production and use of polymer foams. Other experts concerned
with research, development, testing, specifying, approving and
purchasing products incorporating polymer foams for use in the
construction, engineering and furniture industries were also present and
contributed to the several valuable discussions on specific topics. The
conference was successful and achieved its aim of infonning delegates of
the fire characteristics of these materials and how they can be assessed in
the light of the latest knowledge and technology.
The papers presented a wide-ranging review of the main important
cellular polymers and their applications in different environments where
fire hazards have been encountered. Delegates accepted that there was a
continuing need for major growth in the use of cellular polymers and
therefore intensified research into development of improved test
procedures, fire retardants and smoke suppressants was required.
The Editors
Contents
Preface v
List of Contributors
IX
Introduction
Sir HARRY MELVILLE, Ke B, FRS
Cellular Polymers 5
J. M. BUIST
Are Foams a Fire Hazard? 25
W. D. WOOLLEY
Fundamentals of the Fire Behaviour of Cellular Polymers. 61
D. D. DRYSDALE
How Do Foams Perfonn Under Fire Conditions? 77
J. H. TROITZSCH
Legislation- Standards- Polymers 93
S. O. CHRISTIAN
Fire Performance of Building Elements Incorporating Cellular
Polymers 103
B. F. W. ROGOWSKI
Fire Behaviour of Rigid Foam Insulation Boards 117
P. J. BRIGGS
VB
VIII Contents
Fire, Foams and Furniture. 135
K. T. PAUL
Fire and Foams in Transport Applications- Aircraft . 165
L. VIRR
Fire Performance and Characteristics of British Rail Flexible
Polyurethane Foam Seating 175
T. M. GOTCH & V. C. MORRIS
The Fire Hazards Associated with the Use of Cellular Polymers
on HM $hips 191
L. J. E. SAWYER & T. C. THUNDERCLIFFE
Standard Laboratory Tests: How Meaningful are they 10
Assessing Fire Performance of Insulation Materials? 199
J. G. ABBOTT
PVC Foams: Their Use and Fire Behaviour 219
M. J. HITCH & D. C. ROLPH
Fire Properties of Isocyanate Based Rigid Foams 239
R. WIEDERMANN
Halogenated Polyetherpolyol IXOL® for Rigid Cellular PUR
Materials with Improved Flame Retardancy 251
P. WALCH
The Performance of Flame Retardants in Rigid Polyurethane
Foam Formulations 265
D. L. BuszARD & R. J. DELLAR
Advance of Flexible Polyurethane Foam Technology. 279
H. CREYF & 1. FISHBEIN
Multifunctional Smoke- and Gas-Suppressant Systems for
Polyurethane Foams 289
S. J. GRAYSON, J. HUME & D. A. SMITH
Index . 315
List of Contributors
J. G. ABBOTT
Dow Chemical Europe. BachtobelSlrasse 3. CH-88JO Hargen,
Switzerland
P. 1. BRIGGS
lei Corporate Fire Laboratory, Imperial Chemical Industries PLC.
Organics Division, PO Box 42. Hexagon House. Blackley.
Manchester M9 3DA, UK
J. M. BUIST
Abelard Management Consultancy, Kings/ea. Cliff Side, Wilms/ow.
Cheshire SK9 4AF, UK
D. L. BUSZARD
Ciba-Geigy Industrial Chemicals. Tenox Road, Trafford Park.
Manchester M17 1 WT, UK
S. D. CHRISTIAN
Home Office. Fire & Emergency Planning Department, 50 Queen
Anne's Gate. London SWIH 9AT, UK
H. CREYF
Gechem Division Rectice/. Damstraal 2, 8-9200 Wetleren, Be/gium
R. 1. DELLAR
Ciba-Geigy Industrial Chemicals. Tel/ax Road, Trafford Park,
Manchester M17 I WT, UK
List of Contributors
D. D. DRYSDALE
Unit of Fire Safety Engineering, University of Edinburgh. Edinburgh
EH9 3JL. UK
J. FISHBEIN
British Rubber Manufacturers' Association Ltd, 90-91 Tottenham
Court Road, London WI, UK
T. M. GOTCH
British Railways Board, Research and Development Division,
Hazards Unit, Hartley House, London Road, Derby DE2 SUP. UK
S. J. GRAYSON
Fire & Materials Centre, Queen Mary College, 101 Marshgate
Lane. London E15 2NQ, UK
M.1. HITCH
Imperial Chemical Industries PLC, Petrochemical and Plastics
Division, Runcorn Heath, Cheshire, UK
J. HUME
Fire & Materials Centre, Queen Mary College, 101 Marshgate
Lane, London E15 2NQ, UK
Sir HARRY MELVILLE KCB, FRS
Fire & Materials Centre, Queen Mary College, 101 Marshgate
Lane, London E15 2NQ, UK
V. C. MORRIS
British Railways Board, Research and Development Div.ision,
Hazards Unit, Hartley House, London Road, Derby DE2 SUP, UK
K. T. PAUL
Rubber and Plastics Research Association, Shawbury, Shrewsbury,
Shropshire SY4 4NR. UK
B. F. W. ROGOWSKI
Building Research Establishment, Fire Research Station, Boreham
wood, Herts WD6 2BL, UK
List of Contributors ,;
D. C. ROLPH
Imperial Chemical Industries PLC. Petrochemical and Plastics
Division, Runcorn Heath, Cheshire, UK
L. J. E. SAWYER
Admiralty Research Establishment. Dockyard Laboratory, HM
Naval Base. Portsmouth, Hants POI 3LZ. UK
D. A. SMITH
Fire & Materials Centre, Queen Mary College, 101 Marshgate
Lane. London E15 2NQ, UK
T. C. THUNDERCLIFFE
Admiralty Research Establishment, Dockyard Laboratory. HM
Naval Base, Portsmouth. Hants POI 3LZ, UK
1. H. TROITZSCH
Fire Protection Service, Wiesbaden, FRG
L. VIRR
Civil Aviation AuthorilY, Brabazon House. High Street. Redhill,
Surrey RHllSQ, UK
P. WALCH
Solvay el Cie, Rue de Ransbeek 310, 1120 Brussels. Belgium
R. WIEDERMANN
Bayer AG, PU-Anwendungstechnik. Geb. B2l1, D-5090 Leverkusen.
FRG
W . D. WOOLLEY
Fire and Materials Division. Building Research Establishment. Fire
Research Station, Borehamwood, Herts WD62BL. UK
