16.08.2021 by Aileen Sammler

Prediction of the Material Behavior under Fire Conditions

For safety reasons, it is very important to know the behavior of supposedly non-combustible materials under fire conditions: What happens with the building material? How durable are the building constructions? We show how to use the Kinetics Neo software to predict the material behavior under fire conditions.

Especially for safety reasons, it is very important to know the behavior of supposedly non-combustible materials under fire conditions: What happens with the building material? How durable are the building constructions? Usually for such tests, the experiments are carried out, where a sample is exposed to a controlled fire testing environment in accordance with the corresponding physical provisions and standards. NETZSCH offers a new testing solution: We show how to use the Kinetics Neo software to predict the material behavior under fire conditions.

Different Standards for Different Types of Fire

Proper selection of materials and components is crucial to completely preventing fires, or at least preventing them from spreading. This is based on fire tests in accordance with German, European and international standards classifying the flammability, fire resistance and the burn rate of materials for the construction, textile, automobile and electrical industry. The standards and laws vary depending on the type of fire: A fire in a house or office is not the same as at a petrol station or in a chemical factory. Therefore, different experiments and tests for the different fire conditions need to be done. These experiments require big and high-priced equipment. The results can partially be studied after the fire experiment, but not during it. For this fact, the Kinetics Neo software provides the solution to predict the material behavior.

Safe Time, Costs (and Lives?) with Kinetics Neo

Kinetics Neo is a software for studying chemical and crystallization kinetics. It investigates the reaction rates of chemical processes including autocatalytic curing, aging, decomposition as well as crystallization depending on time and temperature. The main advantage in predicting material behavior under fire conditions is the use of desktop laboratory measurements such as TGA, DSC, TMA instead of a real fire. Based on the set of experiments at different heating rates, the kinetic model is created for the specific material. This kinetic model can also be used to predict the material behavior for different fire types.

The Same Kinetic Model for Different Hypothetical Assumptions

It is not necessary to run separate experiments for different fire types. The same kinetic model can be applied to a wide variety of assumptions to make predictions for them as well.The user should just select the type of fire curve from the list of presets of typical fire curves and then the prediction will be simulated.

Available Kinetics Neo Standards and Fire Curves

Kinetics Neo contains the presets for the fire curves in accordance with the following standards:

  • ISO 834-1
  • EN 1363-1
  • EN 1363-2
  • EN 191-1-2

The fire curves are:

  • Standard time-temperature fire curve
  • Hydrocarbon curve
  • External fire curve
  • Slow heating curve

Predictions for Different Oxygen Contents

To obtain a kinetic model, one measurement is insufficient; it requires several measurements under different temperature conditions and heating rates.
Measurements with TGA, DSC, TMA can be carried out with different content of oxygen in the measurement atmosphere. This makes it possible to create corresponding kinetic models and to predict the material behavior for the air condition with maximal oxygen concentrations as well as for the conditions of the lack of oxygen. Even during the prediction, it is possible to see the exact change in concentrations of different components inside the material.

Fig. 2: Prediction of decomposition of polypropylene in synthetic air for slow heating fire curves in accordance with the standard EN1363-2.

Want to Know More?

Watch our new video by Dr. Elena Moukhina “Fire resistance by Software: Prediction of Material Behavior under Fire Conditions with Kinetics Neo”.

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Description

Kinetics as a Service

Want to test us? Our NETZSCH experts will optimize your process! Kinetics as a Service includes:

  • Experimental measurements of your material in our laboratory
  • Kinetic analysis of this experimental data and creating the kinetics model
  • The results of kinetic analysis – kinetics model – will be used for the process predictions at different temperatures or under real conditions like change in climate or fire
  • Investigating the optimal temperature conditions in order to improve the material quality and to reduce the production time

Our NETZSCH specialists will perform all experimental measurements, analysis, creating of kinetic model and optimization of the existing temperature program.  As a result, you will get the optimized temperature program and kinetic model of your process. You can then use this model by yourself for predictions of your process rate and conversions at any temperature program.

Learn more about our Kinetics Neo Software: https://kinetics.NETZSCH.com/ or get your free trial version.