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Thermal Degradation and Ignition Characteristics of Clothes Dryer Lint
Abstract
Lint, which is a normal by-product of the laundering of clothing, is known to introduce a fire hazard and/or contribute to the fuel load in residential fires. Failure analysis of clothes dryers therefore requires an understanding of how dryer lint behaves at elevated temperatures and how the physical condition of lint can be interpreted when testing for potential failure modes. The purpose of this research is to characterize the behavior of dryer lint at elevated temperatures, including its thermal degradation and ignition.
The drying of powders can present a decomposition, fire, or dust explosion hazard and the manufacturers and users of dryers must consider the nature of the potential risk and the most appropriate basis for safe operation. The existing methods for dust explosion risk evaluation and this procedure for the characterization of exothermic decomposition provide a means whereby safe drying conditions can be specified for multi-product industrial dryers. In certain cases, safety can be based on the avoidance of decomposition and ignition, but in the majority of situations the control of the atmosphere to make it non-flammable or the use of explosion protection (venting, containment, suppression) will be required.
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