Evaluation of materials used in fire-resistant phenolic foam

Materials to be used in the fire-resistant phenolic foam are outlined in the U.S. Atomic Energy Commission (Department of Energy) Material and Equipment Specification SP-9. Many of the specified materials are no longer available, or are difficult to obtain, due to specified vendor, grade, or mesh size. Compatibility evaluations of materials that are now being substituted for those outlined in the specification have been made, and the results are presented in this report. A number of tests were run on the substituted materials, including mesh evaluation, thermal gravimetric analyses, free-foam density, fire tests, and moisture tests. The tests indicated that the substituted materials did not affect the quality of the final foam product. It is recommended that the required properties of the final foam product be detailed in the material specification, along with suggested component materials that are known to yield an acceptable foam. Speification of component materials to be used should be avoided because material availability, material variations between vendors or between lots from the same vendor, and other differences would necessitate obtaining formal deviations from the specification or issuing frequent specification revisions