Thermal reactivity and fire risk in lagging systems: Influence of contaminants, lagging materials, and metals
Year: 2025
Type: article
Abstract: Lagging fires pose a significant safety risk in industrial systems where organic contaminants interact with lagging (insulation) materials. This study used isothermal calorimetry to investigate factors influencing the self-heating and ignition propensity of various C18-based substances and rapeseed oil, as contaminants in the lagging. As well as the effects of lagging materials and metal contaminants. Substances with non-conjugated double bonds, particularly those containing bis-allylic hydrogen, demonstrated the highest reactivity, producing the greatest peak thermal powers. All tested substances exhibited some level of reactivity, suggesting no substance can be considered completely safe without system-specific analysis. Rapeseed oil was used to study the interactions with different laggings (glass wool and stone wool treated at various temperatures). Higher reactivity was observed with laggings treated at ≥500 °C, likely due to the degradation of the binder materials, as supported by TGA, SEM, and EDS analyses. Metal salts (Mn, Fe, Cu) and copper shavings were found to significantly increase reactivity, while stainless steel had no significant effect. Mixtures of reactive substances behaved as single entities, and their peak thermal power could be estimated as a weighted average of the pure components. These findings have practical implications for system design, material selection, and experimental protocols, aiding engineers in evaluating fire risks and developing safer insulation systems under realistic operating conditions.
Institutions: RISE Research Institutes of Sweden, Lund University
Language: English
Topic: Thermal and Kinetic Analysis
Subfield: Materials Chemistry
Field: Materials Science
Domain: Physical Sciences
Open Access status: hybrid
Estimated APC paid: $4,020
Funders: ÅForsk, Stiftelsen Åforsk
Award: G7565311570
OpenAlex ID: W4416718651