Fire hazard of wall linings

Abstract

The application of surface linings generally results in a change to the heat, smoke and toxicity of the surface-lined assemblies. This paper evaluates the change in these parameters. The various aspects of heat release including peak heat release rate, total heat release rate, effective heat of combustion, burning time and smoke performance of the surface-lined assemblies are analysed to assess the impact of wall linings. In addition, these parameters are interpreted in the light of the run-time profile to study not only the quantum of change, but also the point of occurrence and the duration of change. This paper also aims to clarify the issue of increased fire hazard associated with the use of wall papers and to evaluate the present fire assessment approach of surface products.