The work described in this presentation is being conducted under the “flammability of materials” project which is part of the fire safety research program of March, 1995 General Motors/U.S. Department of Transportation Settlement Agreement. For this report twenty two componentsc, onsistingo f seventyo ne polymeric parts used on a 1996m odel year passengevr an were studied.

A high resolution thermal gravimetric analysis (TGA) was used to determine thermal decomposition temperaturesa, nd rateso f decomposition.T GA runs were conducted in nitrogen and air atmospheres. For the different polymers investigated the ranges of decompositiont emperaturesw ere between2 23°C and 552°C in nitrogen, and 240°C to 565°C in air.

Correlation was made between the thermal properties and the flammability characteristics quantified in this study. Ignition temperaturese stimatedf rom the Critical Heat Flux (CHF) values were about 14% higher than the decompositiont emperaturesfr om the thermal properties measurements. The experimental Thermal Response Parameter (TRP) values were about 28% higher than the TRP values calculated from thermal analysis. A rigorous correlation between the thermal properties and flammability characteristics of the plastics in components and parts of vehicles will be sought.