High Temperature Oxygen Index Instrument with Quantitative FT-IR Gas Analysis

A bench-scale instrument has been constructed which provides a fire hazard and combustion product profile of polymers and composites used in advanced construction. Novel to the instrument is that a standardized test of material flammability (oxygen index) can be measured as a function of sample exposure temperature up to 800°C. Sample mass loss is measured concur rently ; and Fourier transform infrared (FT-IR) spectroscopy is used for on-line quantification of evolved gas species during heating, burning, and smoldering of the sample. The instrument has applications for industrial quality control of the fire characteristics of processed materials, and research and development of new building materials. This article describes the instrument and presents measurement results for several materials.