Studies on polymer ignition and development of a relative hazard ranking method

The argument is presented that a primary determinant for polymer ignition is the rate of heat input during thermal decomposition. An experimental protocol is described in which a conventional thermogravimetric analyzer is used to monitor the behavior of polymeric solids brought to ignition by exposure to preheated air. The data obtained are used to establish the minimum heating rate required for ignition and the initial decomposition temperature at that critical rate. These two properties are then combined to give a numerical ranking value which seems to be a reasonable indicator of a material's ignitability hazard potential. Data for a variety of polymers and mixed systems are presented.