NASA - National Aeronautics and Space Administration

We know that polystyrene foam board is not flammable in air. However, a mixture of 30-percent oxygen and 70-percent nitrogen was flowed through a triangular-shaped duct made from polystyrene foam board, and the duct was ignited. The resulting fire was dramatic, and the duct burned completely. This incident clearly shows that materials that are not flammable in air are flammable in oxygen-enriched atmospheres. This is true not only for polymers but also for metals.


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