IJME 502tn

Paper Title: Flame Spread and Smoke & Toxicity Testing Interpretations for Plastic Pipes 

Authors

M S McLaggan, L S Kristensen and C Møller, DBI – Danish Institute of Fire & Security Technology, Denmark

Summary  

Lightweight composite materials are increasingly used in the ship industry as a substitute to their heavier steel alternatives. These materials are often inherently flammable and require an assessment of the fire risk associated with their flame spread and smoke & toxicity in order to enable their safe usage. However, for plastic pipes there are contradictions within the IMO (International Maritime Organisation) guidelines which lead to different interpretations and different implementations. The goal of this work is to evaluate whether smoke and toxicity is adequately assessed for products currently approved for use and commercially available on the market. Testing according to standardised means given in the IMO code shows that the materials fail both flame spread and smoke & toxicity testing. This proves that there are different interpretations and illustrates the need for clarity in this area to enable safe and consistent use of these materials.

Reference

Transactions RINA, Vol 161, Part A2, International Journal Maritime Engineering, Apr - Jun 2019 

DOI Number

DOI No: 10.3940/rina.ijme.2019.a2.502tn

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