FIRE CHARACTERISTICS OF CORED COMPOSITE-MATERIALS FOR MARINE USE

This paper presents results from Cone Calorimeter testing of two types of cor en composite materials used in shipbuilding: a GRP/Balsa-cored sandwich and a GRP/PVC foam-cored sandwich. The observed phenomena of delamination, melting and charring of the core materials, and edge ef fects are discussed in the context of how they affect test results. Th e ''standard'' ignition data analysis method specified in ASTM E 1321 and Janssens' ''improved'' method of analysis were both used to derive effective material ignition properties such as ignition temperature a nd kpc. The findings of the study indicate that Janssens' method is we ll suited for analyzing the ignition data of cored composite materials . Derived material propel ties are used as input to Quintiere's fire g rowth model in order to evaluate their influence on time to flashover predictions in the ISO 9705 Room-Corner-test scenario. (C) 1998 Elsevi er Science Ltd. All rights reserved.