Self-extinguish time

Flame Retardants. Flame retardants are added to nylon to eliminate burning drips and to obtain short self-extinguishing times. Halogenated organics, together with catalysts such as antimony trioxide, are commonly used to give free-radical suppression in the vapor phase, thus inhibiting the combustion process. Some common additives are decabromodiphenyl oxide, brominated polystyrene, and chlorinated... 

Thermal gravimetric analysis shows that the increase in phosphorus content results in char yield increases which are correlatable with the self-extinguishment time decreases. This led to the conclusion of phosphorus "rich" barrier shielding the surfaces as a mechanism of the flammability decrease. 

The above flame retardants, HMPN and TMP, along with another commercially available alkyl phosphate, triethyl phosphate (TEP), were systematically characterized by Xu et al. To quantify the flammability of the electrolytes so that the effectiveness of these flame retardants could be compared on a more reliable basis, these authors modified a standard test UL 94 HB, intended for solid polymer samples, and measured the self-extinguishing time (SET) instead of the universally used flame propagation rate. Compared with the UL 94 HB, this new quantity is more appropriate for the evaluation of the electrolytes of low flammability, since the electrolytes that are determined to be retarded or nonflammable by this method all showed zero flame propa-... 

The chain reactions from the flame are stopped and a phenomenon called self-extinguishing occurs which is characterised by the self-extinguishing time, a measure of flame retardant efficiency. 

Notes Self-extinguishing time 1-3 secs. Water absorption 4% max. 

Flammability. Most nylons ate classified V-2 by the Underwriters Laboratory UL-94 test, which means that these nylons are self-extinguishing within a certain time-scale under the conditions of the test. They achieve this performance by means of giving off burning drips. 

The UL flammability ratings describe the relative ease of ignition and combustibiUty of plastics. Tests include the measurement of flame propagation, time to self-extinguish, melt and drip with and without flame, and oxygen indexes. Some engineering plastics, eg, polyetherimides, are, as ranked by this test, inherently nonflammable. Others can be made nonflammable by compounding with flame retardants (ERs) such as bromine... 

After obtaining the prototypes, tests must be made to determine the utility. Generally these include a short time destructive test to determine the strength and to check out the basic design. Another test that is done is to use the product in the projected environment with stress levels increased in a rational manner to make for an accelerated life test. Other tests may include consumer acceptance tests to determine what instructions in proper use are required, tests for potential safety hazards, electrical tests, self-extinguishing tests, and any others that the product requires. In the case of high risk products, the test program is continued even after the product enters service. 

The possibility of accidental events such as fire and chemical spills revealed some possible short term undesirable effects. These were in the area of obnoxious fumes or short-time-interval pollution. Virtually all of the sulfur pavement materials were difficult to ignite and were self extinguishing. 

Polyimide (PI) caps all other polymers in its temperature range of use (-200 to 260 °C in air short-time even up to 500 °C). Because of its high price, it is used in special cases only, such as space vehicles, nuclear reactors and some electronic parts. Newer developments, related to polyimide, are the polyether imides (e.g. Ultem ), polyester imides and polyamide imides (e.g. Torlon ), all with very good mechanical, thermal and electrical properties and self-extinguishing. 

Time to self-extinguishing after the first and second 10 s ignition in two sample runs. 

Flammability (60 sec. ignition, vertical self.exlinguishing) time, seconds 2 0 <10 self extinguishing <2 self extinguishing burn rate 1 in./min <1... 

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