Description

This fellowship opportunity at the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) Fire Research Division focuses on advancing the quantitative prediction of material and product flammability behavior, including ignition, burning rate, and fire growth. The research aims to improve fire models by accurately simulating the coupled condensed- and gas-phase processes that govern fire growth rates.

Key research activities include developing and applying experimental and analytical tools to calibrate material properties such as decomposition reaction mechanisms, kinetics, thermodynamics, and heat/mass transport properties. These tools are validated across multiple scales, from milligram-scale thermal decomposition to full-scale flame spread over panels up to 2.44 meters tall.

Materials studied include synthetic polymers, fiber-reinforced composites, porous polymer foams, and natural and engineered wood products. The resulting data and validated models are maintained in the NIST Flammability Database.

The project’s primary focus is on physical mechanisms controlling fire growth behavior, such as pyrolysis, soot formation, species yields, flame heat feedback, smoldering/char oxidation, and sample deformation. The goal is to enhance the ability to predict complex burning scenarios involving varied configurations and scales.

Further project details are available at NIST’s Engineered Fire-Safe Products program.