Cellulose-fiber-based insulation materials with improved reaction-to-fire properties

The poor reaction-to-fire properties of cellulosic thermal insulation need to be improved to meet the safety regulations for building materials. In this study, cellulose-fiber-based insulation foams were prepared from formulations containing mechanical pulp and commercial fire retardants. Results of single-flame source tests showed that foams developed from the formulations with 20% expandable graphite (EG) or 25% synergetic (SY) fire retardants had substantially improved reaction-to-fire properties, and passed fire class E according to EN 13501-1. The results indicated that the foams could resist a small flame attack without serious flame spreading over a short period of time. Compared with the reference foam that contained no fire retardant, the peak heat release rate of the 20% EG and 25% SY foams decreased by 62% and 39% respectively when the samples were subjected to a radiance heat flux of 25 kW m-2 in a cone calorimeter, which suggested enhanced reaction-to-fire properties of these foams.