How do I do fire testing?

With composites usage in critical applications increasing, knowledge of their fire performance becomes a safety critical issue. This particularly applies to composites in aircraft, marine and the oil and gas industries. The heat from a fire may weaken the polymer and cause eventual creep and structural failure as the temperature exceeds the glass transition temperature. Alternatively the polymer itself may ignite and spread the flame, releasing further heat and potentially toxic smoke. However, composites are by their nature inherently fire resistant. The inert fibre reinforcement displaces polymer resin during fire and thus removes fuel for the fire. When the outermost layers of a composite laminate lose their resin, they act as an insulating layer, slowing heat penetration.

Flame retardant resins are being developed that lessen the flammability of a composite. Resins such as brominated vinyl ester resist spread of flames although they do not necessarily improve ignition properties. Phenolic resins have excellent charring capabilities resisting fire ignition better than other resin systems. Coatings may also be used on composites to delay ignition, lower the rate of heat release, suppress lateral flame spread, and extend the duration of fire resistance.

Flame testing generally falls into two categories: tests to measure ignition and flame spread properties, and tests to measure fire resistance. Fire resistance is a measure of a material's ability to continue to serve its structural role during a fire. Several methods of fire testing are available including:

	Fire tests for building materials
	Fire tests for hydrocarbon pool fires
	Surface burning of building materials
	Surface flammability
	Material ignition and flame spread properties