Fire growth evaluation and mechanical properties of seven thermoset composites

The objective of the study was to identify thermoset composites with excellent combination of mechanical properties and resistance to fire growth for theme parks and construction applications, Fiberglass composites based on seven different thermoset resins were prepared by hand lay-up process. The processing conditions during fabrication were compared. The composites were evaluated for mechanical properties and fire safe behavior. Mechanical properties were evaluated by tensile, flexural and compression tests, Fire safe properties were determined by E-84 tunnel test, cone calorimeter, and one-half scale corner tests. A half-scale corner test protocol was developed that nominally produces the same exposure conditions as would be seen in a standard room corner test such as NFPA 265, NFPA 286 and ISO 9705. The objective is to explore the ability of engineering tools, based on bench-scale data, to predict performance in the half-scale corner and how this then relates to full-scale corner tests and thus fire performance in the built environment. The study was conducted jointly by Cinnabar of Florida (manufacturer of thermoset composites for theme parks), Georgia-Pacific Resins, Inc., and Worcester Polytechnic Institute.