I am unaware of any published papers on the self-heating of recycled paper on rolls. I can think of two reasons why this may not be able to occur and why there are no published papers on the subject.

The first is the issue of the presence of the condition of a porous pile of material.The paper is not significantly porous with respect to the ability of oxygen to diffuse at a rate necessary to support oxidation and subsequent thermal energy generation within the material.The rolling of the layers of paper also significantly reduce the ability of oxygen to diffuse across multiple layers of paper to the interior of the roll of paper.

The second reason is that the recycled paper does not provide a rate of oxidation and thermal energy release that is significant with respect to the ability to self-heat. Like thermal insulation,self-heating requires the introduction of some liquid contamination that does provide a significant rate of oxidation. If the paper is not contaminated, then I would doubt self-heating, to say nothing of thermal runaway, is a relevant phenomenon.

Crumpled paper and off the roll that is contaminated with some type of oxidating liquid would be a better candidate for self-heating under the right conditions and assuming there is evidence in your case of such.

Douglas J. Carpenter, MScFPE, CFEI, PE, FSFPE
Vice President & Principal Engineer
Combustion Science & Engineering, Inc.
8940 Old Annapolis Road, Suite L
Columbia, MD 21045
(410) 884-3266
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