Application of the global search algorithm to analyze the kinetic mechanism of the thermal decomposition of flexible polyurethane foam

Accurate thermal decomposition mechanism and kinetic parameters are helpful to analyze the combustion process of flexible polyurethane foam. The thermal decomposition process of flexible polyurethane foam products (amine derivatives) was ignored in the past. Three thermal decomposition mechanisms of flexible polyurethane foam were proposed according to the thermogravimetry experiment of flexible polyurethane foam in the nitrogen atmosphere, two of which included the thermal decomposition of amine derivatives. The global search algorithm was proposed to estimate the kinetic parameters of the thermal decomposition of solid material. The results show that the global search algorithm is efficient and accurate in estimating kinetic parameters. The results also show the thermal decomposition mechanism including the carbodiimide and polycarbondiimide can well describe the thermal decomposition process of flexible polyurethane foam and amine derivatives. The activation energy, pre-exponential factor, and reaction order of flexible polyurethane foam are 187.3 kJ mol−1, 1015.6 s−1, and 1.22, respectively.