Heather J. Cumming

Toxicity of pyrolysis gases from natural and synthetic materials

The authors present toxicity data on various natural and synthetic materials under simulated fire conditions, provide comparisons between materials, and discuss the significance of the data and the impact of public acceptance.

Fire Safety Aspects of Thermal Insulation

Thermal insulation materials and systems have an important role in the conservation of energy, in the economical maintenance of com fortable environments, and in the profitable operation of industries. Proper use of thermal insulation should take into account fire safety aspects. In industry, one important fire safety aspect is prevention of self-heating and spontaneous combustion; ethylene oxide, heat transfer fluid, polyalkylene oxides, and polyether polyols are given as examples. Fire protection to maintain structural integrity and prevent decomposition of reactive chemi cals is highly desirable. In any structures occupied by people, fire toxicity is an important factor in ability to escape from fires and in extent of fire injuries.

The HC value: A method for estimating the flammability of mixtures of combustible gases

The authors discuss the use of the ratio of gas concentration to its lower flammable limit in estimating the flammability of combustible gas mixtures.

The effect of test conditions on the relative toxicity of the pyrolysis products from some plastics

The authors discuss the differing results obtained from various test methods used to determine the toxicity of pyrolysis products.

Short-term LC50 values: An update on available information

The authors present an up-to-date compilation of available short-term LC50 data.

Relative Flammability and Toxicity of Pyrolysis Gases from Cellular Plastics

Twenty-three samples of flexible cellular plastics and twelve samples of rigid cellular plastics were evaluated in this study. The materials were supplied by the Ames Research Center and Johnson Space Center of the National Aeronautics and Space Administration, Jim Walter Research Corporation, Lockheed Palo Alto Research Laboratories, Stauffer Chemical Company, Dow Corning Corporation, United Foam Corporation, and Toyad Corporation.

Relative Toxicity and Flash Fire Propensity of the Pyrolysis Gases From Polyurethane Foams

Because of their versatility, light weight, and cost advantages, polyurethane foams have found their way into almost universal use. This general use has inevitably led them into almost every application in which fire safety is an important consideration, and their fire response characteristics need to be taken into account for every situation. Two aspects of polyurethane foams which have caused concern are their tendency, real or imagined, to produce toxic gases and flash fires. These aspects have been of particular concern with respect to aircraft interior materials, because aircraft interiors are confined spaces with little or no egress, certainly not in flight. Laboratory test methods for evaluating toxicity of pyrolysis gases and flash fire propensity have been developed at the University of San Francisco, and have been used to evaluate many samples of polyurethane foams (1-13). The performance data on these materials is presented in this paper.

Flash Fire Propensity of Some Upholstery Fabrics With and Without Backcoating

Evaluation of eighteen upholstery fabrics provided by the California Bureau of Home Furnishings, using the USF flash fire screening test method, indicated that these materials as a group did not exhibit greater flash fire propensity than other materials which could be found in the home.

Relative Toxicity of Pyrolysis Gases From Some Rigid Foams Used as Thermal Insulation

Various samples of rigid foams used as thermal insulation were evaluated for toxicity of pyrolysis gases, using the screening test method developed at the University of San Francisco. The rigid foam samples included polyurethane, polyimide, polyisocyanurate, polyvinyl chloride, and polystyrene. The toxicity of pyrolysis gases from polyurethane rigid foams seemed to depend on foam composition. Polystyrene rigid foam exhibited the longest time to death under these particular test conditions. The rising temperature and fixed temperature programs produced the same rank order of materials based on time to death.

Toxicity of Pyrolysis Gases from Plastics and Elastomers

Toxicity test data on 95 samples of plastics and elastomers, pyrolyzed in accordance with the USF toxicity screening test method, are presented. The samples consisted of 50 samples of solid polymers, 16 samples of solid elastomers, 12 samples of rigid cellular polymers, and 17 samples of flexible cellular polymers. Data were obtained using the rising temperature program from 200°C to 800°C, and less extensive data were obtained using a fixed temperature of 800°C.