Plastics Flammability Handbook

None of the many publications on the reaction of plastics to fire provides a comprehensive review of the fundamentals as well as of the relevant regulations and test methods. The "International Plastics Flammability Handbook", first published in 1983 has filled this gap. The last decade saw a breakthrough in the internationalization of fire testing and classification, particularly in building, electrical engineering, and transportation. At the same time, the perception of how to assess the main parameters governing a fire and the role of combustible materials like plastics were redefined and led to new approaches particularly in the fields of smoke development and toxicity of fire effluents. All these developments required a comprehensive revision of the handbook and are summarized in this 3rd up-dated and completely revised edition.

Plastics flammability is a highly important consideration in many industries, including building and construction, mass transportation, electrical and electronic equipment, wire and cable, as well as upholstered furniture and textiles. This comprehensive handbook has been, since its first edition in 1983, unrivalled as the definitive source of information on the reaction of plastics to fire, as well as on the relevant regulations and testing methods. This fourth edition is comprehensively updated throughout, with inclusion of new national and international standards, new technologies and testing procedures, and novel retardants and formulations, reflecting the current state of the art. The book is edited by the internationally renowned consultant Jürgen Troitzsch and by Edith Antonatus, who have assembled leading experts to cover their specialty areas with authority within their respective chapters.

FROM THE INTRODUCTION "Considerable effort has gone into the study of various aspects of flammability and of various plastic materials, so that these materials which are proving so useful to man will always be used in ways which will not compromise his safety. The task is a continuing one, because the family of plastics continues to grow, and, along with it, its variety of applications. Some of these future applications cannot even be conceived of at the present time. The needs of man and his society are changing, and with them the factors that affect his safety, comfort, and convenience. A flammability handbook for plastics must necessarily involve a variety of sciences and technologies spread across the whole spectrum of human knowledge, and it is impossible to discuss all the subjects in great depth. Any details extracted for attention are brought because they are believed to be significant to the overall effort to make plastics as useful and safe as humanly possible."

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