French test method

Measurement of flame spread under external heat flux is necessary where the thermal radiation is likely to impinge on the textile materials, for example, the flooring material of the building or transport vehicles whose upper surfaces are heated by flames or hot gases, or both. The French test method, NF P 92-503 Bruleur Electrique or M test involves radiant panel for testing flame spread of flexible textile materials. This test method (flame spread under external heat flux) is the basis of that used by the FAA (Federal Aviation Administration) for assessing flammability of textile composites used in thermal/acoustic insulation materials (FAR 25.856 (a)) used in aircraft and has also been included by the EU for fire test approval of floorings such as prEN ISO 9239 and BS ISO 4589-1. 

Table 7.8, which gathers the French government specifications and test methods concerning hydrocarbon solvents, is divided into three parts ... 

Specifications and test methods for heavy fuel oil (in France, FOL). The French specifications distinguish two grades FOL No. 1 and the heavier ... 

Specifications and test methods for paraffins and waxes. There are no French specifications for these products, but only the customs ... 

This paper describes the result obtained in a study of AFCEN (French Society for Design and Construction Rules for Nuclear Island Components) in order to characterize dye penetrant product family, based on experimental test methods of french standards NFA 09.520 and NFA 09.521. In particular, sensitivity tests have been carried out on artificial defects, and correlated with tests on real defects. Some tests on penetrant washability have also been performed. The results obtained with these three series of tests show that the choiee of a dye penetrant product family is not without influency on results obtained, and that is not so simple to make the good choice which could, in certain cases, be the less bad compromise. 

As microwave sample preparation has evolved, standard microwave procedures have been developed and approved by numerous standard methods organisations (ASTM, AOAC International, EPA, etc.), see ref. [64]. Examples are standard test methods for carbon black/ash content (ASTM Method D 1506-97), lead analysis in direct paint samples (ASTM Method E 1645-94), etc. Table 8.15 shows some microwave ashing references (detection weight). A French AFNOR method utilises the atmospheric pressure single-mode microwave method as an alternative sample preparation procedure for Kjeldahl nitrogen determination [84], The performance of a microwave-assisted decomposition for rapid determination of glass fibre content in plastics for QC has been described [85]. 

A description is given of the initiatives carried out within the European Community for the harmonization of fire testing. The technical and economic reasons are explained for such initiatives, which are taken in order to remove barriers to trade from the European internal market. Of the various fire aspects, only fire reaction testing is taken into consideration here, because it appears as a major technical obstacle to the free circulation of construction materials. All possible approaches are considered for the attainment of such a harmonization and one, the so called interim solution, is fully described. The proposed interim solution, is based on the adoption of three fundamental test methods, i.e. the British "Surface Spread of Flame", the French "Epiradiateur" and the German "Brandschacht", and on the use of a rather complicated "transposition document", which should allow to derive most of the national classifications from the three test package. 

The RA 25 contract has been extended by CEC and renumbered RA 100 in order to continue this exercise with the ISO 1182 apparatus. However, the major part of the work of the RA 100 group will be the preparation of unified test reports for each of the test methods, which will ensure that all the necessary details are recorded to enable a product to be classified in any of the EEC Member States. Two new laboratories, i.e. the French Laboratoire National d Essai and the Danish Dantest, joined the previous seven. 

For textile materials used as interior wall-coverings in U.K. buildings including railway carriages, where the fabric could be in a vertical orientation attached to the wall panel, measurement of rate of flame spread under external heat flux is one of the requirements. For such applications, the test method (BS 476 Part 7) essentially requires a vertically oriented specimen exposed to gas-fired radiant panel with incident heat flux of 32.5kW/m2 for lOmin. In addition, a pilot flame is applied at the bottom corner of the specimen for 1 min 30 s and rate of flame spread is measured. The same principle is used in the French test for carpets, NF P 92-506. 

Ground orris rhizomes to which an internal standard was added were extracted with hexane under reflux (Figure 3). After hexane concentration, irones were quantified by gas chromatography, following the French test standard NFT 75-424 (October 1996). This lab method provides results that correlate well with data obtained for actual industrial scale productions. The laboratory quantification method is useful for predicting industrial yields and is used as a guide for purchasing lots of orris rhizomes. 

The French test NFX 70-100 [134] is similar in principle to the lEC 754-1 corrosivity-test and is increasingly applied to materials used for railway transport. Air is passed through the preheated furnace at 2 liters minute, and the fire effluent generated by heating 1 g of material at 200, 400. 600, and 800 C is passed through bubblers individual gases are determined by various analytical methods. 

Laboratory Tests. Many different types of procedures and apparatus for testing dispersants are described in the literature. Fifty different tests or procedures are described in one paper [42]. Only a handful of these are in common use, however, including the Labohna or rotating flask test, the Mackay or MNS test, the swirling flask test, and the IFF (French Institute for Petroleum) test method. 

The data in the CAMPUS database has been obtained with uniform, standardized test methods as descriribed in ISO 10350, ISO 11403-1, and ISO 11403-2. CAMPUS is distributed free of charge to customers directly from the resin manufacturers. In fact, CAMPUS data from a number of resin suppliers can be downloaded from their websites at no cost. CAMPUS is available in five languages English, German, French, Spanish, and Italian [102]. Some of the data in this chapter are actually from this database. 

A bomb calorimetric method is used to measure calorific potential of materials. Similar tests are described in DIN 51900, NF M03-005 and in Italian regulations. This type of test is often used in conjunction with flammability test methods to determine classifications of materials for legislation (for example, in French Building Regulations, only materials with a calorific value of less than 2500 kj kg , as determined in NF M03-005, can be considered for MO, the highest classification). 

Test Method, where available, shows the initials of the test-standards organisations, i.e. National -NF French DIN German BS UK ASTM USA, etc. International (ISO, EN, etc.) industry standards, e.g. Airbus, General Motors. Specification numbers for particular properties, if given, are stated in the Notes of each data sheet. 

In Europe, we have the German DIN standards and norms, the French AFNOR, the British BS, and a few other (Spanish, Swedish, etc.), but a huge effort has been made since 1985 to systematize all these test methods into European norms enacted by the Comite europeen de Normalisation (CEN), in Brussels and Paris. 

A decree of the French Home Secretary from June 30, 1983 on the classification of construction materials according to their fire resistance and on the definition of test methods has rated common metals such as aluminium alloys and steel MO , which means that under the conditions of a fire, these materials are considered to be incombustible. 

The Charpy test is similar to the Izod test. It is named after Georges Charpy, a French engineer and scientist who developed and standardized the test methods in the early 1900s. It is also a pendulum type test, but in this test the specimen is clamped sideways, by securing it at each end. The specimen could have a V-shaped or U-shaped notch, and the notch faces away from the pendulum. The test device itself could a bench top size, or a larger, floor size model. 

The choice of the radiant panel only depends upon the rate of development of the international test procedure. If this is not available in sufficient time, the French method will be taken. 

Balthasar-Georges Sage, 1740-1824. French analytical and mmeralogical chemist of the phlogistic school. In his Analyse Chimique, published in 1786, he gave methods of testing and analyzing coal, clay, water, and many minerals. 

The Canadian Acceptable Methods document [14] gives more or less a combination of the two definitions described above and considers 3 levels in the testing of the ruggedness of a method, with the third level being performed only rarely. Level one requires verification of the basic insensitivity of the method to minor changes in environmental and operational conditions and should include verification of reproducibility by a second analyst . The first part of this definition resembles the French Guide s definition. The second part is a check on the adequacy of the method description and should be done without input from the original analyst. 

GAP TESTS. A general name for several tests used for determination of sympathetic detonation. They include Bur of Mines tests "Halved-Cartridge Method (Vol 1, p XIV), French "Coefficient de self-excitation ... 

Pepin Lehalleur (1935) Assembly of Calorimeter Landrieu-Malsallez and Bomb of Burlot-Malsallez (p 44, Fig 5) Brisance Determination by Kast, Quinan and Chalon Methods (63-64) Trauzl Block Test (French Modification) (64-66) Mortar Test (Epreuve de tir au mortier) (66-67) Ballistic Pendulum... 

Bullet Impact Test (pp B332 B335 to B338) Bullet Test, French Method (pp 333 B 339) No sensitivity tests are described in Vol III of Encycl, while in Vol IV, the tests are described under DETONATION (AND EXPLOSION), EXPERIMENTAL PROCEDURES and under DETONATION (AND EXPLOSION) BY INFLUENCE... 

---