Needle flame test

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 Superseded BS 6458 Part 1 1990 Elammability of solid non-metallic materials when exposed to flame sources - List of test methods. Superseded BS 6334 1983... 

The Needle Flame Test is designed to simulate a small flame as might be encountered from a small electrical malfunction in an appliance or a piece of office equipment. The test apparatus consists of a hypodermic needle 35 mm in length with a bore of 0.5 mm and an outer diameter not exceeding 0.9 mm. The hypodermic needle has the tapered end cut off to avoid any interference with the flame. The gas used is butane. With the axis of the burner vertical,... 

Table I. Needle-Flame Tests on Engineering Structural Foam Samples with EMI Coatings...

Table VI. Comparison of Needle-Flame Test Results and Oxygen Indices for Modified Polyphenylene Oxide Structural Foam Samples...

IEC 60695-2-2, Fire Hazard Testing—Part 2 Test Methods—Section 2 Needle-Flame Test, International Electrotechnical Commission, Geneva, Switzerland. 

The needle-flame test for simulating the effect of a small flame which may result from fault conditions within the equipment is comprised in lEC Publication 695-2-2 (1980). 

The specimen (a complete unit, its sub-assembly or component) and the test conditions (the material in the normal environment or underlaid with a pinewood board covered by tissue paper) are identical to the former standard. The igniting source is a 35 mm long burner tube with a bore of 0.5 0.1 mm and an outer diameter not exceeding 0.9mm(e.g. a hypodermic needle with the tapered end cut off). In the vertical position of the burner, the length of the flame is adjusted to 12 1 mm. The test flame is applied at 45 deg. to the specimen, in most unfavourable position of normal use (Fig. 3.119) preferably for 5, 10, 20, 30, 60, or 120 s. The exact site and duration of ignition may be given by the relevant specification of a particular product. Unless otherwise specified, the specimen is considered to have withstood the needle-flame test if one of the following four situations applies ... 

DIN EN 60695-11-5, Fire Hazard Testing - Part 11-5 Test Flames - Needle-Flame Test Method - Apparatus, Confirmatory Test Arrangement and Guidance, 2005. 

To simulate the effect of small flames that may result from faulty conditions within electronic equipment, the lEC 695-2-2 Needle Flame Test may be used. In this case a small test flame is applied to the sample for a specified period and observations made concerning ability to ignite, extent of burning along the sample, flame spread onto adjacent material and time of burning. 

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