1. Reaction to fire and thermal degradation of polymers

Reaction to fire refers to the way in which a material will behave as a fuel. Organic polymer materials burn in virtually all cases, when specific conditions of temperature and oxidizability are met. However, while some polymers, such as polyolefins, burn easily, only extreme temperatures and oxygen levels are capable of igniting thermostable or highly fluorinated polymers such as PEEK or PTFE. Polymer combustion involves a series of complex processes that depend on the chemical composition of the material and the characteristics of its environment. In simplified terms, we can distinguish 3 successive stages: heating of the material, thermal degradation and oxidation of degradation products.