Abstract

Polymers are composed of large numbers of repeat units forming very long chain molecules. Most polymers are based on carbon, and hence known as organic polymers. The long-chain structure means that polymers can exist in solid or liquid form but are too large to be volatile. Polymers fuel the vast majority of unwanted fires, as wood, paper, fabrics, foams and plastics. Flaming combustion is a gas phase process, and it is necessary to understand the stages in the conversion of long molecular chains into volatile fragments. This is often referred to as “pyrolysis” or “gasification”, but these terms encompass a complex set of chemical and physical processes, leading to the production of volatile flammable molecules.