Pulp mills make pulp. Paper mills use pulp to make finished paper. Baled to me makes it most likely this is kraft pulp, although sulfite pulp is possible. Dried Kraft pulp* is typically sold in two forms. In bales of maybe 100-150kg with for to the pallet, if palletized. If not palletizded, bales are larger, and about the size of a pallet load. The other is rolled, maybe 200-400kg. At the paper mill these are thrown into a big eggbeater type affair(Hydropulper), water added, and poof, you have pulp again. Customer can add minor amendments, say clay, and run it through a drier, roll it, cut it, box it, and send paper out the loading dock door.
The pulp and paper industry is one of the traditional old standbys of the FM companies. As you looked this up, I won’t. FM used to include some discussion in their stored pulp, linerboard, and newsprint guidance. First, cleanliness. Storing and handling this stuff produces small amounts of dust. Over time small amounts add up. If your responsibilities include fire safety, not just sprinkler design, look at the existing dust situation. ‘Nough said. FM’s discussion of these products had some moderately detailed information. Baled Kraft is always wrapped in top and bottom sheet of pulp. Then they are secured. Once upon a time this was signode banding. I’m so out of date I won’t guess what is used now. The discussion was along the lines that the individual bales exfoliate, exposing new unburnt, not prewetted combustible material. It is normal for fire to continue burn, and slowly spread even with sprinkler protection. Like roll carpet the advice was leave the sprinklers on, support at the FDC, and have FF’s in SCBA use multiple 2-1/2 hose lines to extinguish fire. These days I suppose they’d add TIC’s. FM’s old advice was similar in that way to roll carpet. The BIG DIFFERENCE is that these piles are also become increasingly unstable as they burn and absorb all that water. My memory is that the FF’s killed at the Lewiston ID fire a couple decades ago were killed by the bales falling on them, not products of combustion. They are not the only ones this has happened to, just the only ones in a mill I’ve walked through. If this was in my jurisdiction, I’d first ask if they were an FM insured. If no, then same for supplier. Usually with three calls I’d expect to be on phone with the appropriate P.E. for the project. I admit they may be more helpful with the local AHJ. *At least in Puget Sound or the Willamette you may see huge black plastic bags, one to a semi flatbed trailer, maybe 48-60” high. These are carrying not dried pulp between a pulp mill and a paper mill. Drying pulp, is expensive and energy intensive. If the two mills are reasonably close together it’s cheaper to ship pulp at this 50% water weight. At this it will feel moist, but you can’t squeeze water out of it. Yes, a 150kg bale of Kraft pulp can absorb about the same weight in water without much if any running off. Linerboard is what they make corrugated boxes out of, as well as other products. 3-ply, 5-ply, etc. usually converted from really heavy roll to corrugated at the box plant, near final use. Best. > On 03/11/2023 10:56 AM Rick Matsuda <[email protected]> wrote: > > > > What is baled pulp fiber?…is it wood or paper? I think it depends on how > dense the bales of pulp fiber are. > > The baled cotton is not real dense and the wood pallets have lots of air > gaps so sprinkler protection schemes are extreme. > > If the bales of pulp fiber are real dense, then maybe Class 3 like wood > or paper is reasonable, but I might lean toward Class 4 since it’s still not > solid and maybe easier to ignite. > Rick Matsuda > > > > > On Mar 11, 2023, at 12:47 PM, [email protected] wrote: > > > > > > > > > > > > I recommend staying away from equating this to Baled Cotton. > > > > > > The Cotton industry didn’t like their reputation for Fire > > Protection and conducted in depth testing and research. > > > > > > The end result was compression of the cotton bale, around 14%-20% > > minimum from top of my head, to prevent the ability for fire to breathe. > > > > > > Therefore, I do not feel Cotton, even thought they share the word > > baled, is a good example. > > > > > > R/ > > > > Matt > > > > > > > > Please rate our customer service > > https://survey.medallia.com/?emailsignature&fc=3539&bg=Fire%20and%20Fabrication > > > > > > > > Matthew J. Willis, CWBSP, CET > > > > Engineering Designer IV > > > > FERGUSON FIRE DESIGN, LLC > > > > A Wholly Owned Subsidiary of Ferguson Fire & Fabrication, LLC > > > > 401 N 5th Street > > > > Suite 448 > > > > Wausau, WI 54403 > > > > C: 307-236-8249 tel:307-236-8249 > > > > [email protected] mailto:[email protected] > > > > www.FergusonFire.com http://www.fergusonfire.com/ > > > > > > From: Art Tiroly <[email protected]> > > Sent: Saturday, March 11, 2023 11:04 AM > > To: 'Discussion list on issues relating to automatic fire > > sprinklers' <[email protected]> > > Subject: [Sprinklerforum] Re: Baled Pulp Fibers > > > > > > Would this be similar to baled corrugated box board? > > > > These are very dense bundles that can only allow a surface burning. > > > > Yes it’s class 3. > > > > Is this stacked on the floor in large piles or in racks? > > > > NFPA 13 should have the answer. > > > > > > Art > > > > > > From: James Crawford <[email protected] > > mailto:[email protected] > > > Sent: Friday, March 10, 2023 4:15 PM > > To: [email protected] > > mailto:[email protected] > > Subject: [Sprinklerforum] Baled Pulp Fibers > > > > > > Looking for a little help from those smarter than me > > > > > > We have a client that wants to store baled pulp fiber to a height > > of 20’ but all I can find is NFPA #13 that allows 15’ and FM that allows > > 16’. > > > > > > Is there anything out there that gives a protection scheme for > > higher storage? > > > > > > Thank You > > > > > > James Crawford > > > > Phaser Fire Protection Ltd. > > > > Phone 604-888-0318 tel:604-888-0318 > > > > Cel: 604-790-0938 tel:604-790-0938 > > > > Email [email protected] mailto:[email protected] > > > > Web: www.phaserfire.ca http://www.phaserfire.ca > > > > > > > > _________________________________________________________ > > SprinklerForum mailing list: > > > > https://lists.firesprinkler.org/list/sprinklerforum.lists.firesprinkler.org > > To unsubscribe send an email to > > [email protected] > > > > > _________________________________________________________ > SprinklerForum mailing list: > > https://lists.firesprinkler.org/list/sprinklerforum.lists.firesprinkler.org > To unsubscribe send an email to > [email protected] >
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