Possibilities of Synchronous Thermal Analysis for Assessing the Fire Hazard Properties of Polymer Materials

The article discusses the possibilities of the synchronous thermal analysis method combined with infrared spectroscopy to assess the fire-hazardous properties of polymer materials using the example of two polyvinyl chloride materials, which are quartz-vinyl tiles and canvas for a stretch ceiling. The study was carried out on a synchronous thermal analyzer NETZSCH STA 449 F3 Jupiter at a heating rate of 20 °C/min to 900 °C in an atmospheric atmosphere with simultaneous analysis of volatile products using an IR Fourier spectrometer FSM-1201. It has been established that due to the content of an additional organic filler (wood flour), quartz vinyl decomposes in four stages, with the first stage (≈287 °C) characterized by an exothermic peak on the DSC curve, accompanied by intense release of HCl, CO and Co₂, which indicates possible flaming. The stretch ceiling fabric (plasticized PVC without combustible fillers) decomposes according to the scheme typical for PVC plastics in three stages; Up to temperatures above 405 °C, the active release of gaseous products is accompanied by the presence of exothermic peaks on the DSC curve, which indicates the absence of flaming . It is shown that the dynamics of the release of gaseous carbonyl compounds, HCl, CO, and co₂, determined by the characteristic bands in the IR spectra, allows us to identify temperature and time intervals in which the occurrence of flame combustion of the materials under consideration is possible. It is concluded that the STA–X method provides objective information on the thermal and oxidative degradation of polymers, thermal effects, and kinetics of gas release and can be used to assess the fire hazard of materials and predict their behavior in a fire.