Insulation helps keep buildings warm and energy costs low, but it can also affect fire safety. Knowing more about the different tests insulation passes can help ensure that you are choosing the best fire safe options for your project.
Cellulose is a popular non-toxic option that’s made from recycled paper and fabric materials like old newspapers. This type of insulation is typically treated with fire retardants during production to reduce its flammability.
Absorption
Insulation keeps the heat inside buildings and makes energy bills low, but it also plays a significant role in fire safety. Some types of insulation are inherently non-combustible and have good fire resistance ratings. Others, such as foam plastic, can contribute to a fire’s spread and produce toxic fumes during combustion.
Generally speaking, fiberglass insulation (a combination of glass fibers combined into rolls or loose-fill type) is one of the best options from a fire safety perspective because it’s noncombustible and can resist absorbing moisture that can lead to fungi growth in humid climates. However, it is important to note that fiberglass insulation can contain combustible facings like paper or foil, which should be covered with a code-approved barrier in order to meet firestopping standards for a project.
Other insulating materials like cellulose are made from recycled paper fiber and are often treated with fire retardant chemicals to reduce the risk of a fire. While cellulose is hygroscopic and can absorb moisture, the fire retardant chemicals limit how much water can be absorbed by the insulation to avoid the formation of fungi that can damage its thermal performance.
When it comes to industrial insulation, there are many options that have top-of-the-line fire resistance ratings. These types of products can be used around heat-producing devices without posing any fire safety risks – provided they are Listed* with specific clearances from the device and installed with proper insulation installation techniques.
Combustibility
Insulation helps keep heat inside a building to save energy, but it also plays a critical role in fire safety. Different insulation materials respond to fire differently, so it’s important to choose the right type for your specific needs and building codes.
Inflammable and combustible substances ignite quickly when exposed to air, heat, or another source of ignition. To cause a fire, these three elements must all be present: heat, fuel, and oxygen.
The combustibility of a substance refers to how fast it burns, and how quickly it will oxidize to produce smoke and toxic gases. Insulation that is highly flammable or combustible can contribute to the spread of fire, and may produce toxic smoke and gases.
Choosing an insulation material with a low combustibility or noncombustible rating is the best option for fire safety. Fiberglass, mineral wool, and cellulose are examples of insulation that don’t burn or release toxic gases.
Foam insulation, on the other hand, is a combustible plastic that requires special precautions like separation from living spaces and storage in an area away from possible sources of ignition. It is also important to follow local fire codes, and talk to professional installers to ensure you are following the most up-to-date standards for your home, business, or warehouse.
Combustible Gases
Many hazardous gasses in industrial settings are combustible. These include hydrocarbons such as propane, butane and ethylene, as well as other gases such as ammonia, hydrogen and silane gas. These gasses are usually stored in cylinders which need to be kept cold and dark, away from any form of heat or flames. When a combustible gas is exposed to fire, it will release its vapors which can ignite quickly, causing a flame or explosion.
It is important to monitor the concentration of combustible gases in your workspace using an accurate gas detector. All combustible gases have a Lower Explosive Limit (LEL) and an Upper Explosive Limit (UEL). The LEL is the concentration level at which a gas can explode, while the UEL is the maximum concentration that a gas can reach before it becomes too lean to burn.
In addition to being combustible, a number of chemical gases are toxic in high concentrations. This includes carbon monoxide, Hydrogen Sulphide and Ammonia which can be ingested or inhaled and pose serious health threats. A toxic gas sensor can provide early warning that these dangerous gases are present, and can trigger automatic safety measures such as shutting off the gas supply or increasing ventilation. Often these sensors are combined in a single device with a combustible gas detector. This helps reduce cost and complexity, making it easier for users to select the correct model based on their needs and requirements.
Smoke
While smoke may seem innocuous, it presents a significant fire safety risk. It can obscure vision, impede escape routes and restrict ventilation, thereby allowing the fire to continue spreading or worsening the existing conditions. Smoke can also contain toxic gases and particles that can poison or kill people and damage equipment.
Essentially, smoke is the mixture of gasses released by a chemical reaction (usually flame or pyrolysis) and solid particles ejected from this violent reaction. It is often an unwanted by-product of these reactions, but it can also be used for pest control, communication (smoke signals), religious and spiritual practices, cooking, and smoking tobacco or other herbs.
Fortunately, mechanical insulation usually does not produce much smoke, even when it is exposed to high levels of heat for a long period. This is why it is specified in many time-temperature fire tests, such as the Tunnel Test and ASTM E119/UL 1709. However, the specifics of how this material behaves in these tests vary considerably, and the configuration and conditions under which these tests are run can have a major impact on the results. The devil is in the details, and it’s important to understand these specifics for proper use and specification of fire-resistant insulation. Moreover, when mechanical insulation is used as a firestopping material where pipes pass through walls, the same tests must be applied to ensure that the insulation prevents the passage of a fire from one side of the wall to the other.