Fireproof Capability of Rigid Polyurethane Foam Based Composite Materials

Abstract

Rigid polyurethane foams are widely used in the thermal insulation and the automotive industries because of their superior properties. However, the foams are flammable materials and they can burn easily. During the ignition and the combustion of the foams, smoke, heat and toxic compounds are released at different rates depending on the generic nature of the polyurethanes and the environmental conditions. Thermal and the non-thermal hazards can be reduced by enhancing the fire resistance of the polyurethanes. Therefore, the polyurethanes are modified by variety of techniques to increase their fire resistance. The most common technique is to use flame retardant materials. Among them, the intumescent flame retardants as halogen-free flame retardants have been found to stand out because of better performance. Therefore, extensive studies were conducted on the intumescent flame retardants for providing fireproof rigid polyurethane foams. In addition, a different and new approach, which is the coverage of rigid polyurethane foams with glass fiber fabric, is introduced to enhance the fireproof capability of the foams.