THE THERMAL DECOMPOSITION PRODUCTS OF RIGID POLYURETHANE FOAMS UNDER LABORATORY CONDITIONS
Woolley, W.D., Fardell, P.J. and Buckland, I.G., 1975. THE THERMAL DECOMPOSITION PRODUCTS OF RIGID POLYURETHANE FOAMS UNDER LABORATORY CONDITIONS. Fire Research Notes1039
The thermal decomposition of four commercial rigid polyuretnane foams(two of which
contain organophosphorus flame retardants) has been studied over the temperature
range 200 to 1000C using elemental analysis and gas chromatography.
The general decomposition mechanisms of the foams appear to be similar and involve
a preferential release of some of the polyol content followed by a uniform
fragmentation of the residue to release particulate material. This particulate
material (smoke) appears to volatilise from the furnace zone at temperatures up
to 600C but decomposes above 700C to give the typical family of nitrogen
containing products of low molecular weight (hydrogen cyanide, acetonitrile,
acrylonitrile, pyridine and benzonitrile)as observed with flexible polyurethane
foams. The main nitrogen containing product of low molecular weight observed
in this work is hydrogen cyanide which increases markedly in yield from 700C to
the maximum temperature studied (1000C). At 1000C the yields of hydrogen cyanide
from the foams range between 3.8 to 7.3 weight per cent conversion which represents
28 to 42 per cent of the theoretically available nitrogen.