FACTORS INFLUENCING FLAME SPREAD RATES IN SOLID MATERIALS.

The influence of both geometrical and environmental factors on flame spread in solid materials was investigated both experimentally and analytically. The observed flame spread behavior of cellulosic specimens could be predicted on the basis of a simple heat transfer model. Geometrical factors, such as orientation and specimen surface area per unit weight, were shown to have a dominant influence on flame spread. The effects of altitude on flame spread in small and full-scale specimens was explored.