Downloaded by 80.82.77.83 on January 10, 2018 | http://pubs.acs.org Publication Date: July 21, 1995 | doi: 10.1021/bk-1995-0599.pr001
Preface RRE, A M A J O R S O C I A L I S S U E I N T H E U N I T E D S T A T E S and around the world, causes some $10 billion in property loss annually in the United States alone. Most of these fires involve the combustion of polymeric materials. Despite the magnitude of the issue in the United States—it has the highest rate of fire in the world—there are no peer-reviewed books on currentfirescience research topics. Because fire and polymers are an importance social issue and because of the interest in and complexity of fire science, a symposium and workshop were organized in conjunction with the 208th ACS National Meeting in Washington, D.C. It was the first major symposium held on fire and polymers at an ACS National Meeting in more than five years. Leading experts were brought together to discuss new materials and new approaches to flame retardancy, combustion and toxicity, and testing and modeling. The workshop provided a basic grounding in fire chemistry, flame-retardant mechanisms, testing, toxicity, and regulation. A press conference held in conjunction with the symposium generated press clippings in more than 400 newspapers in the United States and numerous radio and television interviews of symposium participants. More press clippings were generated from this symposium than from any other symposium at the 208th ACS National Meeting. This book is based upon the symposium and workshop. It is divided into six sections, each representing a significant segment of the latest research on fire and polymers. The book includes several key contributions not presented at the symposium. The contributors, majorfiguresin the fire sciences, are drawn from the United States as well as Europe, Israel, and China. Acknowledgments I gratefully acknowledge the work of Marcelo M. Hirschler, GBH International; Barbara C. Levin, National Institute of Standards and Technology, Eli M. Pearce, Polytechnic University of New York; and Charles A. Wilkie, Marquette University. Their solicitation of papers ensured a broadly representative symposium. I thank the ACS Division of Polymeric Materials: Science and Engineering for support of travel for international speakers at the symposium. I also acknowledge Cheryl-Ann
ix Nelson; Fire and Polymers II ACS Symposium Series; American Chemical Society: Washington, DC, 1995.
Brown for her extensive assistance with various phases of this endeavor and Elaine N. Hooker for assistance with a number of figures.
GORDON L. NELSON Dean, College of Science and Liberal Arts Florida Institute of Technology 150 West University Boulevard Melbourne, FL 32901-6988
Downloaded by 80.82.77.83 on January 10, 2018 | http://pubs.acs.org Publication Date: July 21, 1995 | doi: 10.1021/bk-1995-0599.pr001
February 6, 1995
χ Nelson; Fire and Polymers II ACS Symposium Series; American Chemical Society: Washington, DC, 1995.
