Effects of Variations in Thermal Properties on the Performance of Flame Resistant Fabrics for Flash Fires

A numerical model of heat transfer in thermal protective fabrics under high heat flux conditions is used to determine the effects of varying individual thermal properties and boundary conditions on the predicted performance of single layer fabrics during bench top tests simulating flash fire conditions. The fabric thermal properties with the largest effects are thermal conductivity and specific heat. The boundary conditions, i.e., flame temperature and emissivity and convective heat transfer coefficient, have an even larger effect on predicted bench top test results. The results of the parametric studies are described in this paper, along with a discussion about how these results may be used to design thermal protective fabrics.