Onset of smoldering in cotton: Effects of density

The ignition temperature for smoldering in cotton has been determined for several densities. Experiments and consistent theoretical calculations show that an increase in density leads to decrease in ignition temperature. Experimentally it is found that repeated heating of a cotton sample results in a higher ignition temperature than for samples heated once, as a result of partial decomposition during heating. For the lowest density investigated, smoldering occurs but is not self-sustained. The smoldering front moves through the cotton with a velocity independent of the density. The mass loss rate due to smoldering increases with density. It can be concluded that density affects both the ignition temperatures and the mass loss rates in a systematic way.