Development of a Model for Flaming Combustion of Double-Wall Corrugated Cardboard

Abstract

Corrugated cardboard is used extensively in a storage capacity in warehouses and frequently acts as the primary fuel for accidental fires that begin in storage facilities. A one-dimensional numerical pyrolysis model for double-wall corrugated cardboard was developed using the Thermakin modeling environment to describe the burning rate of corrugated cardboard. The model parameters corresponding to the thermal properties of the corrugated cardboard layers were determined through analysis of data collected in cone calorimeter tests conducted with incident heat fluxes in the range 20-80 kW/m2. An apparent pyrolysis reaction mechanism and thermodynamic properties for the material were obtained using thermogravimetric analysis (TGA) and differential scanning calorimetry (DSC). The fully-parameterized bench-scale model predicted burning rate profiles that were in agreement with the experimental data for the entire range of incident heat fluxes, with more consistent predictions at higher heat fluxes.