Fire performance of PEX piping systems

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This research addresses key challenges faced by our industry partner, Uponor Ltd. (Canada) related to fire performance ofcrosslinked high density polyethylene (PEX) pipe and piping systems. These systems are used in many applications: radiantheating, plumbing, energy transport and fire sprinklers. For regulatory purposes, piping manufacturers must conduct fireperformance tests on individual products and complete wall/floor assemblies containing these products. Because there are fewtest facilities that can conduct this full-scale testing, and complete systems need to be tested, it becomes expensive and timeconsuming to investigate effects on fire safety of changes to materials formulation or piping system design. Yet, this information iscritical in deciding on where to invest in R&D towards new product lines.In this research, small calorimeter and large custom wall fire tests will provide new understanding of heat transfer, decompositionand integrity of PEX piping materials under a range of heating situations, and the impacts of different fire retardant strategies onpiping system performance in fires. Relationships will be established to scale results from small to full-scale and an entirely newtest method developed for assessment of fire performance of as-installed, in-wall piping systems. Outcomes will provide UponorLtd. (Canada) significant competitive edge in the piping manufacture and solutions engineering industry, guiding development ofnext generation products, reducing time-to-market for custom solutions and reducing R&D cost and cycle time for modification ofexisting and development of new, innovative products tailored to meet fire safety demands in Ontario, Canada and the globalmarketplace.