Title page for ETD etd-040307-133151

Document Type thesis

Author Name Avila, Melissa Barter

Email Address melissa.avila at tycofp.com

URN etd-040307-133151

Title The Effect of Resin Type and Glass Content on the Fire Engineering Properties of Typical FRP Composites

Degree MS

Department Fire Protection Engineering

Advisors
Professor Nicholas A. Dembsey, Advisor
Dr. Patricia Beaulieu, Co-Advisor
Mr. Chris Lautenberger, Reader
Professor Ali S. Rangwala, Reader
Professor Kathy A. Notarianni, Department Head

Keywords
property estimation
composites
fire engineering properties
fire modelling

Date of Presentation/Defense 2007-04-02

Availability unrestricted

Abstract
This study is designed to provide the composites industry as well as the fire engineering industry baseline data for pyrolysis modelling of common fiber reinforced polymer (FRP) systems. Four resin systems and three glass contents will be considered. This matrix of FRP systems has been carefully fabricated and documented so as to provide “transparency” as to the system compositions. An important and interesting aspect of these FRP systems is that all the resins used are listed by the manufacturers as Class 1 or Class A per ASTM E 84. The FRP systems are being evaluated in bench scale modern fire test apparatuses (FPA, ASTM E 2058, and Cone, ASTM E 1354); detailed information on the FPA is provided. These apparatuses provide a range of measurements such as heat release rate that can be used to calculate engineering “properties” of these FRP systems. The “properties”, such as minimum heat flux for proper ignition (found to range from 20 to over 100 kW/m2) and the b flame spread parameter, can then be used to compare the fire performance (flashover potential) of these FRP systems according to resin type and glass content. Additional instrumentation has also been added to the specimens to allow surface and in-depth temperatures to be measured. The additional measurements are used to complete a set of data for pyrolysis modelling and for calculating thermal properties of the composites. The effect of environment oxygen concentration and flaming and non-flaming decomposition are investigated in terms of fundamental pyrolysis behavior of the FRP systems. A general conclusion is that the phenolic composite has better fire engineering “properties” than the polyester composite but the glass is the controlling component of the composite with regards to temperature profile and resulting thermal properties.

Files
MAvila.pdf

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Document Type	thesis
Author Name	Avila, Melissa Barter
Email Address	melissa.avila at tycofp.com
URN	etd-040307-133151
Title	The Effect of Resin Type and Glass Content on the Fire Engineering Properties of Typical FRP Composites
Degree	MS
Department	Fire Protection Engineering
Advisors	Professor Nicholas A. Dembsey, Advisor Dr. Patricia Beaulieu, Co-Advisor Mr. Chris Lautenberger, Reader Professor Ali S. Rangwala, Reader Professor Kathy A. Notarianni, Department Head
Keywords	property estimation composites fire engineering properties fire modelling
Date of Presentation/Defense	2007-04-02
Availability	unrestricted
Abstract This study is designed to provide the composites industry as well as the fire engineering industry baseline data for pyrolysis modelling of common fiber reinforced polymer (FRP) systems. Four resin systems and three glass contents will be considered. This matrix of FRP systems has been carefully fabricated and documented so as to provide “transparency” as to the system compositions. An important and interesting aspect of these FRP systems is that all the resins used are listed by the manufacturers as Class 1 or Class A per ASTM E 84. The FRP systems are being evaluated in bench scale modern fire test apparatuses (FPA, ASTM E 2058, and Cone, ASTM E 1354); detailed information on the FPA is provided. These apparatuses provide a range of measurements such as heat release rate that can be used to calculate engineering “properties” of these FRP systems. The “properties”, such as minimum heat flux for proper ignition (found to range from 20 to over 100 kW/m2) and the b flame spread parameter, can then be used to compare the fire performance (flashover potential) of these FRP systems according to resin type and glass content. Additional instrumentation has also been added to the specimens to allow surface and in-depth temperatures to be measured. The additional measurements are used to complete a set of data for pyrolysis modelling and for calculating thermal properties of the composites. The effect of environment oxygen concentration and flaming and non-flaming decomposition are investigated in terms of fundamental pyrolysis behavior of the FRP systems. A general conclusion is that the phenolic composite has better fire engineering “properties” than the polyester composite but the glass is the controlling component of the composite with regards to temperature profile and resulting thermal properties.
Files	MAvila.pdf