On the true fire hazard investigation of ionic liquids
Résumé
Studies about ionic liquids are mostly focused on synthesis, characterization, and applications, however very limited research is dedicated to safety and even less on relating physico-chemical hazards. It is actually true that ionic liquids generally present good thermal stability and resistance to ignition. Even if they present superior fire safety margins compared to conventional solvents, combustibility of these materials do however exist, especially at high operating temperatures. In view of ionic liquids structures, fire induced toxicity and thermal threat can be an issue in case of an accidental fire scenario. This communication presents the results of combustion tests performed on some 15 ionic liquids in terms of ignitability, combustibility, actual heat release profiles and fire induced toxicity by use of the fire propagation apparatus also called Tewarson calorimetry. These systematic studies provide useful input data that can be incorporated into contextual risk assessment of ionic liquids.