Burning Behavior of Polyurethane Foam Acoustic Insulation used in the Kiss Nightclub Fire

Burning Behavior of Polyurethane Foam Acoustic Insulation used in the Kiss Nightclub Fire | Research Square window.SnipcartSettings = { analytics: { enabled: false } }; (function() { var accessVector = localStorage.getItem('access_vector') || ''; window.dataLayer = window.dataLayer || []; if (accessVector) { window.dataLayer.push({ user: { profile: { profileInfo: { snid: accessVector } } } }); } })(); (function(w,d,s,l,i){w[l]=w[l]||[];w[l].push({'gtm.start':new Date().getTime(),event:'gtm.js'});var f=d.getElementsByTagName(s)[0],j=d.createElement(s),dl=l!='dataLayer'?'&l='+l:'';j.async=true;j.src='https://www.googletagmanager.com/gtm.js?id='+i+dl;f.parentNode.insertBefore(j,f);})(window,document,'script','dataLayer','GTM-K279D39R'); Browse Preprints In Review Journals COVID-19 Preprints AJE Video Bytes Research Tools Research Promotion AJE Professional Editing AJE Rubriq About Preprint Platform In Review Editorial Policies Our Team Advisory Board Help Center Sign In Submit a Preprint Cite Share Download PDF Research Article Burning Behavior of Polyurethane Foam Acoustic Insulation used in the Kiss Nightclub Fire Rodrigo Almeida Freitas, João Paulo C. Rodrigues This is a preprint; it has not been peer reviewed by a journal. https://doi.org/ 10.21203/rs.3.rs-9416055/v1 This work is licensed under a CC BY 4.0 License Status: Under Review Version 1 posted 6 You are reading this latest preprint version Abstract This study evaluates the compartment fire performance of untreated flexible polyurethane foam representative of material installed in the Kiss nightclub, using the NFPA 286 Room Corner Test. Heat release rate was measured by oxygen consumption calorimetry. The material exhibited a peak heat release rate of 2465 kW at 167 s and a total heat release of 142 MJ. The peak value exceeds the 800 kW performance criterion referenced in Annex C.2 of NFPA 286. Total smoke released was 259 m², below the 1000 m² threshold. Sustained burning generated upper-layer temperatures approaching 800°C and incident heat flux exceeding 20 kW/m². Ignition occurred under incident flux between 1–5 kW/m² from pyrotechnic sources. The results indicate high early fire intensity under compartment conditions and demonstrate the importance of heat release rate as a governing parameter in performance-based assessment of interior linings in assembly occupancies. fire safety insulation foam nightclub tests fire reaction Full Text Additional Declarations No competing interests reported. Cite Share Download PDF Status: Under Review Version 1 posted Reviews received at journal 17 May, 2026 Reviewers agreed at journal 07 May, 2026 Reviewers invited by journal 30 Apr, 2026 Editor assigned by journal 30 Apr, 2026 Submission checks completed at journal 30 Apr, 2026 First submitted to journal 14 Apr, 2026 You are reading this latest preprint version Research Square lets you share your work early, gain feedback from the community, and start making changes to your manuscript prior to peer review in a journal. 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Also discoverable on Platform About Our Team In Review Editorial Policies Advisory Board Help Center Resources Author Services Accessibility API Access RSS feed Manage Cookie Preferences © Research Square 2026 | ISSN 2693-5015 (online) Privacy Policy Terms of Service Do Not Sell My Personal Information {"props":{"pageProps":{"initialData":{"identity":"rs-9416055","acceptedTermsAndConditions":true,"allowDirectSubmit":false,"archivedVersions":[],"articleType":"Research Article","associatedPublications":[],"authors":[{"id":637258028,"identity":"6cb4b381-c4f1-4976-92ad-399175f37b26","order_by":0,"name":"Rodrigo Almeida Freitas","email":"data:image/png;base64,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","orcid":"","institution":"University of Coimbra","correspondingAuthor":true,"prefix":"","firstName":"Rodrigo","middleName":"Almeida","lastName":"Freitas","suffix":""},{"id":637258029,"identity":"8d5a1a0a-a65f-4762-9eda-633a320a93a4","order_by":1,"name":"João Paulo C. 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Heat release rate was measured by oxygen consumption calorimetry. The material exhibited a peak heat release rate of 2465 kW at 167 s and a total heat release of 142 MJ. The peak value exceeds the 800 kW performance criterion referenced in Annex C.2 of NFPA 286. Total smoke released was 259 m\u0026sup2;, below the 1000 m\u0026sup2; threshold. Sustained burning generated upper-layer temperatures approaching 800\u0026deg;C and incident heat flux exceeding 20 kW/m\u0026sup2;. Ignition occurred under incident flux between 1\u0026ndash;5 kW/m\u0026sup2; from pyrotechnic sources. 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