An apparatus was composed in our laboratory, with which the time required for a flame to propagate a definite distance along a fabric can be automatically recorded. Using this apparatus, the burning rate of cotton fabrics was measured to get the following results:
1. The burning rate of cotton fabrics increases with increasing specimen width and becomes nearly constant for wider specimens than 70mm. Therefore specimens of 70mm width are appropriate to test the burning rate of cotton fabrics.
2. The burning rate
v of cotton fabrics can be represented empirically by v=A*w
-α and A*=A'(1+K'' sinθ), where
w is the weight of a sample per unit area, θ the inclination angle of the sample, and α,
A', and
K'' constants.
3. The burning rate of specimens placed above or below an aluminium plate or a cotton fabric was measured, and it was found that it is influenced by various factors such as: a. What material is the adjacent object made of? b. How far is the object apart from the fabric? c. Whether is the object present above or below the fabric?
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