Progress Report on U.S. Research on Materials and Test Methods.
Progress Report on U.S. Research on Materials and Test
Methods.
(744 K)
Kashiwagi, T.; Babrauskas, V.
U.S./Japan Government Cooperative Program on Natural
Resources (UJNR). Fire Research and Safety. 12th Joint
Panel Meeting. October 27-November 2, 1992, Tsukuba,
Japan, Building Research Inst., Ibaraki, Japan Fire
Research Inst., Tokyo, Japan, 242-254 pp, 1992.
Keywords:
fire safety; fire research; test methods; heat release
rate; ignition; flame spread; smoke; toxic products
Abstract:
Two important recent trends which have started to affect
the materials aspects of fire are non-halogenated flame
retardant treatments and polymer recycling. Brominated
flame retardants have gained a major position in the
worldwide plastics industry. To meet today's
requirements in the electronic and electrical equipment
industries, virtually every plastic requires flame
retardancy. Due to negative publicly about dioxin and
furan as possible degradation products, these retardants
have received a negative public perception in Europe.
Some regulations on the use of certain types of these
flame retardants will be introduced within the next
several years. Although the use of halogenated flame
retardants is still showing an upward trend, some
concerns have been raised and there is a definite trend
to seek alternatives for halogenated flame retardants.
The possible introduction of future test methods on
corrosivity of combustion products, as discussed in the
Test Method Section, might further affect the use of
halogenated flame retardants.
Building and Fire Research Laboratory
National Institute of Standards and Technology
Gaithersburg, MD 20899