Flame Retardant Polymer Nanocomposites
Chapter One
INTRODUCTION TO FLAME
RETARDANCY AND POLYMER
FLAMMABILITY
Sergei V. Levchik
Supresta U.S. LLC, Ardsley, New York
1.1 INTRODUCTION
Together with numerous advantages that synthetic polymeric materials provide
to society in everyday life, there is one obvious disadvantage related to the high
flammability of many synthetic polymers. Polymers are used in manufacturing
not only bulk parts but also films, fibers, coatings, and foams, and these thin
objects are even more combustible than molded parts.
Fire hazard is a combination of factors, including ignitability, ease of extinction,
flammability of the volatile products generated, amount of heat released on
burning, rate of heat release, flame spread, smoke obscuration, and smoke toxicity,
as well as the fire scenario. Fire fatalities are usually reported as resulting
from the lethal atmosphere generated by fires. Carbon monoxide concentrations
measured in real fires can reach up to 7500 ppm, which would probably result
in a loss of consciousness in ... read full excerpt from Flame Retardant Polymer Nanocomposites ebook
