Honors College Thesis
 

Determining and Characterizing the Efficacy of Superabsorbent Polymer for Wildfire Resistance Applications

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https://ir.library.oregonstate.edu/concern/honors_college_theses/h702qd966

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  • Climate change is a pertinent issue causing an increase in the quantity and severity of wildfires. Current market solutions to protect homes from wildfires are expensive and do not always guarantee the safety of the home. Superabsorbent polymer (SAP) is a cross-linked polymer that can absorb over 100x its weight in water. In the hydrated state SAP becomes a semi-continuous hydrogel composed of thousands of individual gel particles exhibiting solid-like flow behavior (similar to sand particles). SAP has unique firefighting capabilities due to the high latent heat of evaporation of water and the lack of convection in its gel form. Preliminary absorbance characterization showed that the SAP could absorb 120 mL/g of SAP in 2 minutes. A benchtop experiment was conducted using a small cross-section of a roof and a blowtorch to simulate wildfire conditions. Thermal characterization showed that a 1.5 cm thick layer of SAP could protect human skin (T< 45C) from a 600°C wildfire for 5 minutes. A 0.5 cm thick layer of SAP could protect a roof (T< 350C) from a 600°C wildfire for 5 minutes. The ASTM E108 Section 10: Burning Brand Test was conducted, proving that a 1.5” (3.8 cm) thick layer of SAP met and exceeded the standard for a Class A roof. Different concepts were investigated for turning the technology into a product. Customer interviews were conducted, which concluded that low-income housing is the most vulnerable, but also the least likely to buy due to price and perceived lack of risk. Future work would consist of shifting the form factor of the product and reaching out to third party companies such as humanitarian organizations and roofing companies for financial support.
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  • Ongoing Research
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  • 2021-06-04 to 2022-07-05

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