Study of gases released under incomplete combustion using PCFC–FTIR

In order to get new insights on cable behavior during real-scale fires, the gases released under incomplete combustion in pyrolysis combustion flow calorimeter were recorded for several PVC and halogen-free flame-retardant cables. Incomplete combustion was monitored by changing combustion temperature between 600 and 900 °C. Gases were identified using PCFC–FTIR coupling. Quantitative assessment of different gases produced during combustion was also carried out. It appears that larger amounts of unburnt gases are produced for PVC cable at low temperature (< 650 °C). Moreover, CO release is observed for PVC cable up to 800 °C while this gas disappears between 700 and 750 °C for halogen-free flame-retardant cables. Interestingly, the CO production is non-monotonous upon the temperature range investigated. These analyses would be useful to assess the risk of multiple re-ignitions during cable burning in real-scale fires, especially in confined compartments.