Establishing pyrolysis kinetics for fire modelling and thermal analysis of polymeric cladding materials used in high-rise buildings

Abstract

This research paper presents a comprehensive analysis of kinetics data concerning with the core materials of Aluminium Composite Panels (ACPs), with a specific focus on composite materials comprising mineral fillers and organic polymers. The study addresses the current scarcity of kinetics data for cladding panel core materials, particularly those with complex compositions involving mineral fillers and organic polymers, which poses a significant challenge for accurate fire modelling. The study aims to extract essential parameters, including activation energy, pre-exponential factors, and reaction orders, essential for precise fire modelling. This study involves Thermogravimetric Analysis (TGA) on three distinct cladding core materials, namely, ACP-1, ACP-2, and ACP-3, featuring varying proportions of organic polymer content (100%, 30%, and 7%) and exposure to different heating rates (5, 10, 15, and 20 K/min). By employing both model-free and model-based techniques in conjunction with TGA analysis, the study successfully derives kinetics data aligned with specific pyrolysis reaction stages. To validate the extracted kinetics data, the study conducted experimental tests utilising a Cone calorimeter. The results from these experiments showcased a strong correlation between fire performance parameters such as Total Heat Release (THR), Effective Heat of Combustion (EHC), and Mass Loss Rate (MLR) and the proportion of polymer in the cladding composites. Furthermore, the study examined the implications of the derived kinetics data within the Fire Dynamics Simulator (FDS). The insights gained from this research substantially contribute to our comprehension of core material kinetics in ACPs, while also offering valuable input for fire dynamics simulations, thereby enhancing fire safety modelling and practices knowledge in the field of construction materials and design.