At the 1998 Annual Conference on Fire Research held at NIST in November, scientists presented their recent work on new fire-retardant materials, focusing on plastics. One promising candidate may be available to airplane manufacturers by the end of the year, says Lyon. Researchers are uncertain, however, whether cost and demand will drive such materials into construction and consumer goods. S cientists began studying the flammability of materials in earnest after World War II, when U.S. residents enjoying newfound wealth began living in larger homes with more furnishings. However, many plastics burn easily being composed primarily of carbon.
Airplane cabins, for example, consist mostly of plastics, or polymers.
An all-metal airplane cabin would be impervious to flame but impractically heavy, not to mention uncomfortable. Because of the heightened dangers of fire in an enclosed cabin surrounded by jet fuel, much fire-retardant research has focused on materials for the seats, walls, and carpets in airliners. The plastics currently in airplane cabins have an overall fire potential comparable to that of an equivalent weight of aviation fuel. Once they are burning, the materials give off the same amount of energy per kilogram. To reduce the risk of fire, materials in airplanes must pass strict flammability tests.