Grenfell Tower inquiry report published

Grenfell Tower inquiry report published

The rapid spread of the tragic fire from its start in a fridge-freezer was allowed by windows, and by cladding which was not con-form to fire safety regulations. The public inquiry into the Grenfell Tower fire, London, 2017, in which 72 people were killed, has...
Fire testing solar PV panels

Fire testing solar PV panels

Efectis has developed a new fire test for photovoltaic panels to take into account mounting and other construction materials. Solar panels pose fire risks, in particular because of risk of arcing, sparking or overheating of the DC-AC converter, cables or connect-ors....
Zinc – wood nanocrystals

Zinc – wood nanocrystals

Zinc oxide coated cellulose nanocrystals, sourced from wood, were tested in 4mm HDPE sheets. Zinc oxide is widely used in for example sunscreens. The zinc oxide (50%) – cellulose (50%) nano-particles were ground to a particle size < 44 µm, then screw extruded into...
PIN FRs in recycled plant waste insulation

PIN FRs in recycled plant waste insulation

Mineral PIN FRs prove effective to improve fire safety of insulation boards made from non-reusable plant fibre wastes. Sodium carbonate decahydroxide [Na2CO3.10H2O] and alumina trihydroxide [Al2O.3H2O] were tested as PIN FRs, at 0 – 30% loading, in thermal insulation...
UK Government £1 billion for fire risk claddings

UK Government £1 billion for fire risk claddings

The UK Government has announced an (additional) £1 billion fund to support replacement of non fire-safe cladding materials on tall buildings. This adds to UK£ 600 million already allocated to replace the highest risk ACM (aluminium composite material) cladding, as...