The effects of angular orientation and ultraviolet aging on ETFE wire flame spread

Abstract

Summary This paper considers the solid phase heat conduction along with the effect of ultraviolet (UV) aging on the flame spread and separately discussed the upward and downward flame spread. The 0.15‐mm‐thick ethylene‐tetrafluoro‐ethylene (ETFE) insulated with a 0.5‐mm‐diameter copper core used in the paper. The flame spread was measured at various inclined angles (vertical ± 90○, to horizontal 0○) in the directions of gravity assistance (up) and gravity opposition (down). The ETFE was categorized into two groups: the unaged ETFE (ETFE‐U) and the UV aged ETFE (ETFE‐A). The kinetic parameters of samples were obtained from thermogravimetric analysis (TGA) test. The flame spread experimental results showed that the bigger the absolute inclined angle, the higher the flame spread rate. Besides, the effect of UV aging on the upward spread is greater than that of the downward spread. A theoretical system was established through the flame spread experiments and TGA test. The heat flux and the flame spread rate of upward and downward equations were presented to reveal the effects of solid conduction, orientation, inclination, and UV aging on wire flame spread.