Influence of Surface Silica on the Pyrolysis of Silicones.
Influence of Surface Silica on the Pyrolysis of
Silicones.
(259 K)
Buch, R. R.; Shields, J. R.; Kashiwagi, T.; Cleary, T.
G.; Steckler, K. D.
NISTIR 6242; October 1998.
National Institute of Standards and Technology. Annual
Conference on Fire Research: Book of Abstracts.
November 2-5, 1998, Gaithersburg, MD, Beall, K. A.,
Editor(s), 41-42 pp, 1998.
Available from:
National Technical Information Service
Order number: PB99-102519
Keywords:
fire research; fire science; fire suppression;
silicones; silica; pyrolysis
Abstract:
Silicones encompass a wide variety of noval materials
that find applications in virtually every major industry
sector. The dominant polymer in the silicone industry
is polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS). The combustion of long
chain PDMS exhibits a low heat release rate and the
unique characteristic that the heat release rate does
not increase significantly with an increase in external
applied thermal radiant flux or pool size. The
deposition of amorphous silica ash (a major combustion
product of silicones) on the fuel surface is believed to
play a significant role in mediating the fuel formation
rate of silicones in fire scenarios. The objective of
this study was to document and quantify the influence of
surface silica on the pryolysis rates of PDMS. For this
study, the gasification apparatus developed at NIST-BFRL
by Steckler and others was used.
Building and Fire Research Laboratory
National Institute of Standards and Technology
Gaithersburg, MD 20899