Application of Synchronous Thermal Analysis in the Investigation of a Fire Accident

Physical evidence is the lifeline of investigation, and scientific and effective examination and identification of physical evidence can provide crucial support in reconstructing cases or events. In the context of fire scene evidence, the focus revolves around the nature of the fire and the analysis and determination of the fire's causes. Particularly in the determination of the fire's causes, identifying the ignition source, the fuel, and the conditions that lead to ignition are the key factors in the final analysis of the fire's origin. During the investigation of a complex fire incident in a production workshop, difficulties were encountered in identifying the fuel and the ignition conditions. Through the application of simultaneous thermal analysis techniques to analyze the thermal properties of relevant physical evidence, parameters such as the thermal decomposition initiation temperature were determined. Upon identifying the point of origin, the heat of ignition was determined through the melting point temperature, and the material first ignited was identified through the pyrolysis temperature. Even though the pyrolysis temperature differs from the ignition temperature, the majority of combustion occurs in the gaseous phase, and combustible gas forms the basis of the combustion process. For polymeric materials, the generation of combustible gas must occur through pyrolysis, making pyrolysis a prerequisite for ignition. Only when the combustible material undergoes pyrolysis and produces a sufficient concentration of combustible gas can combustion potentially occur. Materials were collected from the point of origin in this fire investigation, and using thermal analysis techniques, the initial pyrolysis temperature was theoretically used to reasonably infer and identify the material first ignited, offering crucial reference for the analysis and identification of similar fire incidents.