Fire test

Fire test methods attempt to provide correct information on the fire contribution of a product by exposing a small sample to conditions expected in a fire scenario. Methods can be viewed in two ways the first entails the strategy of the fire test, ignition resistance or low flammabiUty once ignited the second addresses the test specimen, a sample representative of the product or a sample of a material that might be used in the product. Fire science has progressed markedly since the older test methods were developed and it is known that the basis for many of these tests is doubthil. Results from older tests must be used with great care. 

Table 13. Fire Test Results of Laminates Containing Zinc Borate and Antimony Oxide ...

One problem associated with discussing flame retardants is the lack of a clear, uniform definition of flammabiHty. Hence, no clear, uniform definition of decreased flammabiHty exists. The latest American Society for Testing and Materials (ASTM) compilation of fire tests Hsts over one hundred methods for assessing the flammabiHty of materials (2). These range in severity from small-scale measures of the ignitabiHty of a material to actual testing in a full-scale fire. Several of the most common tests used on plastics are summarized in Table 1. 

Limiting Oxygen Index. The minimum concentration of oxygen in an O2/N2 mixture that supports combustion of a vertically mounted test specimen is called the limiting oxygen index (3,4). Test specimens are 0.65 x 0.3 cm x 12.5 cm. The principal advantage of this test is its reproducibiUty which makes it useful for quaUty control. The main disadvantage is that the results rarely correlate with the results of other fire tests. 

Fire Test Standards, American Society for Testing and Materials (ASTM), Philadelphia, Pa., 1990. 

Factory Mutual Building Comer Fire Test Procedure, Factory Mutual Research, Norwood, Mass, (updated periodically). 

Handbook of Fire Retardant Coatings and Fire Testing Services, Technomic, Lancaster, Pa., 1990. 

The Fire Tests for Flame Resistant Textiles and Films, issued by the National Fire Protection Association (NFPA) ia 1989, is the method most used by iadustrial fire-retardant finishers (ca 1993) (50). It has been approved by the American National Standards Institute. 

Italy Industrial MHD Geneva MDA 1 1.4 gas-fired test facihty... 

Metal deck assembhes are tested by UL for under-deck fire hazard by usiag their steiaer tunnel (ASTM E84). The assembly, exposed to an under-deck gas flame, must not allow rapid propagation of the fire down the length of the tuimel. FM uses a calorimeter fire-test chamber to evaluate the hazard of an under-deck fire. The deck is exposed to a gas flame and the rate of heat release is measured and correlated to the rate of flame propagation. A different FM test assesses the damage to roof iasulations exposed to radiant heat. 

Standard Methods of Fire Tests of Door Assemblies, Standard E 252, National Eire Protection Association, Quiacy, Mass., 1995. 

Fire tests on building materials and structures. Part 12 Method of test for igmtability of products by direct flame impingement. Replaced BS 476 Part 5 1979 AMD 1 Fire tests on building matenals and structures. Part 20 Method for determination of the fire resistance of elements of constiaiction (general principles) (AMD 6487) dated 30 April 1990. Replaced BS 476 Part 8 1972... 

Portable fire extinguishers. Description, duration of operation. Class A and B fire test. With BS EN 3-2 to 6 and BS 7863 1996, Superseded BS 5423 1987 (still cuiTcnt)... 

AMD 1 Eire hazard testing. Part 2 Test methods. Needle-flame test (AMD 9176J dated 15 November 1996. Previously known as BS 6458 Section 2.2 1993 Eire hazard testing. Terminology concerning fire tests. Superseded BS 6458 Part 1 1990 Elammability of solid non-metallic materials when exposed to flame sources - List of test methods. Superseded BS 6334 1983... 

Claybrook, S 1992, Comparison of FTRIN Predictions to 1986 LLNL Enclosure Fire Tests 9 and 10, Numerical Applications Inc, Personal Communications. 

Gregory, W.S., et al., 1989, FIRAC Code Predictions of Kerosene Pool Fire Tests, (Unpublished Report), LANL, May. 

Excelsior (for fire tests) Fire classification Wood wool... 

The German Federal Institute for Material Testing (BAM) carried out full-scale fire tests on commercial liquefied-propane storage tanks. Tank volume was 4.85 m in each test (Schoen et al. 1989 Droste and Schoen 1988 Schulz-Forberg et al. 1984). Unprotected and protected tanks filled with propane (50% filled) were exposed to a fire. In some tests, the propane was preheated. 

Droste, B., and W. Schoen. 1988. Full-scale fire tests with unprotected and thermal insulated LPG storage tanks. J. Haz. Mat. 20 41-53. 

The thumb-web area, referred to in the above procedure is the V-shaped section formed by the surfaces on the back of thumb, the trigger finger and the area between the thumb and trigger finger. Controlled firing tests show that the bulk of the gunshot residues are deposited on this area of the back of the hand... 

Firing tests conducted with larger than 0.22 cal ammo showed that even greater sensitivity for detection of Ba and Sb in airborne gunshot residues... 

Detection of Gunshot Residues on Floor Surfaces In another study at the Pennsylvania State University (Ref 20), gunshot residues from firing tests were assayed in order to establish distribution patterns of Ba and Sb on surfaces below the flight path of the buliet... 

Firing tests with the other cal handgnns indicated distinguishable differences in the overall distribution patterns of discharge residues from different handguns. This unique distribution pattern of residues deposited immediately below the flight path of the bullet results from the cloud of combustion products emitted thru the barrel of/the weapon. 

Widenor, W. M. "Model Fire Tests on Polyphosphazene Rubber and Polyvinylchloride (PVC)/Nitrile Rubber Foams"... 

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