Combustion Properties of Woods for Indoor Use (II)

Abstract

The aim of this study is to analyze the combustion and thermal properties in order to establish baseline data for the fire safety evaluation of domestic timbers. The combustion properties such as heat release rate, total heat release, gas yield, and mass loss were analyzed by the method of cone calorimeter test and thermogravimetry (TGA). Thermal de- composition temperatures of the specimens by TGA were recorded as 359.83℃ for White pine, 359.80℃ for Red-Leaved Hornbeam, 363.14℃ for Carolina poplar, 358.59℃ for Konara oak, and 362.11℃ Sargent cherry. Red-Leaved Hornbeam showed the highest value of heat release rate, but, Carolina poplar wood showed the lowest value. In case of the total heat release, Red-Leaved Hornbeam wood showed the highest value and Carolina poplar wood showed the lowest one. The gas analysis results showed that Sargent cherry wood had the lowest value of 0.021, and Konara oak had the highest at 0.031 in the CO/CO2. The minimum value of mass reduction was recorded as 87.57% for Sargent cherry, but, on the other hand, it was 95.03% for Konara oak. There was a correlation between the gas generation of CO and CO2, and combustion behavior of woods. These results are expected to be usful for providing a fundamental guideline with the fire safety of wood use in interior applications.