Smoke characterisation tests

Most of the tests done for smoke characterisation are gravimetric or optical, the latter measures the density of smoke accumulated in an enclosure or density of smoke past specific location [132]. 

H. K. Hasegawa, Characterisation and Toxicity of Smoke, Pubhcation STP 1082, American Association for Testing and Matedals, Philadelphia, Pa., 1990. 

Because of the extreme importance of regularity and freedom from failure which must characterise safety fuse, detailed and exhaustive tests must be carried out on the product. Certain controls are obvious, namely, measurement of powder charge and of burning speed, both before and after immersion in water. Other tests usually carried out include resistance to cracking on flexing at low temperatures round a mandrel, coil tests in which the fuse is bunched into flat or complex coils and freedom from failure after immersion in water is determined. New types of fuse are usually tested to indicate the amount of smoke produced and also to determine the adequacy of the end spit. The end spit is the projection of particles of burning powder from a cut end and is of importance because it provides the mechanism which enables the fuse to ignite a detonator. 

There are test methods developed specifically for measurement of smoke formation and others, especially for building materials, with the primary purpose of flammability characterisation, supplying subsidiary information on smoke formation. 

Many of the tests used to characterise polyaryletheretherketone (PEEK) are simple industry standard techniques to measure properties such as mechanical, rheological, colour, fire, smoke or toxicity performance. However, some techniques require a specific knowledge of the polyaryletherketone (PAEK) literature. These include the characterisation of crystallisation, crystallinity, crystalline morphology, melting, molecular weight and chemical structure. Manufacturers also tend to have a number of proprietary quality control tests. 

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