Good Practice Guide to Composites Fire

A composite material is composed of at least two materials, which combine to give properties superior to those of the individual components. This good practice guide refers primarily to FRP composites, usually with carbon, glass, aramid, basalt, polymer or natural fibres embedded in a polymer matrix. Ceramic and metal matrix composites are covered only briefly. Composites may also contain fillers, to modify its physical characteristics or its function, and may incorporate core materials and surface coatings, all of which affect the fire performance of the product. The purpose of this guide is to provide a greater level of understanding of the requirements and solutions available when specifying or manufacturing FRP composite components, which need to provide a level of fire performance. It attempts to clarify the wide variety of material options, appropriate selection considerations, and the effects on fire performance in typical applications. It provides high level guidance on the standards and testing applicable to different applications, but does not provide a fully comprehensive list of standards for every product in every sector in every country. There is some guidance to formulators on approaches, but not detailed advice on how to enhance the fire, smoke and toxicity (FST) properties of a particular material. Although aimed specifically at components manufactured using thermoset resin matrices, some of the information included herein can also be applied generally to thermoplastic materials and components as many of the referenced tests are generic and unless specifically mentioned therein will apply equally to both material types. The guide does not cover high temperature operational performance except for brief mentions