Fire performance properties of commonly used South African hardwood

Abstract

The effect of fire or heat and the associated fire hazards of South African hardwoods had been minimally researched. Quantitative investigations on fire performances of selected and common South African hardwood species that include Leadwood (Combretum imberbe), Mopani (Colophospermum mopane), Tamboti (Spirostachys Africana), Stinkwood (ocotea bullata), and Real Yellowwood (Podocarpus latifolius) were undertaken using the cone calorimeter and the thermal gravimetric analysis instrument. The results indicated that Leadwood has the superior thermal performance. It has the lowest peak heat release rate (first peak at 156 kW/m2) at external heat irradiation flux of 75 kW/m2, highest thermal response parameter (376.2 kW s1/2/m2), highest thermal inertial (11.5 kW2 s/K2 m4), highest q · ″ cr = 15 kW / m 2 , lowest fire growth index (derived from first heat release rate peak at 3120 W/s) and lowest smoke growth index (derived from first smoke production rate peaks at 0.760 m2/s2), and lowest smoke release (toxicity) 446.5 kg/kg. Bad thermal performance wood species are Mopani and Real Yellowwood. Stinkwood on the other hand has the best thermal stability from activation energy measurements.