Characterization of Particulate From Fires Burning Silicone Fluids.
Characterization of Particulate From Fires Burning
Silicone Fluids.
(163 K)
Sivathanu, Y. R.; Hamins, A.; Mulholland, G. W.;
Kashiwagi, T.; Buch, R.
Journal of Heat Transfer, Vol. 123, No. 6, 1093-1097,
December 2001.
Keywords:
silicone; combustion; heat transfer; particulates
Abstract:
The optical properties of particulate emitted from fires
burning two distinct polydimethylsiloxane fluids (D4 and
M2 or MM, where D=(CH3)2SiO and M=(CH3)3SiO2) were
obtained using a transmission cell-reciprocal
nephelometer in conjunction with gravimetric sampling.
The specific absorption coefficient of particulate ash
from fires burning D4 and MM is significantly lower than
that of particulate soot from an acetylene (hydrocarbon)
flame. Scattering is the dominant part of extinction in
fires burning the silicone fluids. This is very
different from extinction by soot particles in
hydrocarbon fires, where absorption is approximately
five times greater than scattering. Temperatures and
particulate volume fractions along the axis of a
silicone fire (D4) were measured using multiwavelength
absorption/emission spectroscopy. The structure of the
D4 flames is markedly different from hydrocarbon flames.
The temperatures and particulate volume fractions very
close to the burner surface are much higher than in
comparably sized hydrocarbon flames.
