These test methods are an integral part of existing test standards for cable fire propagation and clean room material flammability, as well as, in an approval standard for conveyor belting (1-3). Refs (1-3) use these test methods because fire-test-response results obtained from the test methods correlate with fire behavior during real-scale fire propagation tests, as discussed in X1.4
The Ignition, Combustion, or Fire Propagation test method, or a combination thereof, have been performed with materials and products containing a wide range of polymer compositions and structures, as described in X1.7.
The Fire Propagation test method is different from the test methods in the ASTM standards listed in 2.1 by virtue of producing laboratory measurements of the chemical heat release rate during upward fire propagation and burning on a vertical test specimen in normal air, oxygen-enriched air, or in oxygen-vitiated air. Test methods from other standards, for example, Test Method E 1321
These test methods are not intended to be routine quality control tests. They are intended for evaluation of specific flammability characteristics of materials. Materials to be analyzed consist of specimens from an end-use product or the various components used in the end-use product. Results from the laboratory procedures provide input to fire propagation and fire growth models, risk analysis studies, building and product designs, and materials research and development.
1.1 This fire-test-response standard determines and quantifies synthetic polymer material flammability characteristics, related to the propensity of materials to support fire propagation, by means of a fire propagation apparatus (FPA). Material flammability characteristics that are quantified include time to ignition (tign), chemical ( ˙Qchem), and convective ( ˙Qc) heat release rates, mass loss rate ( ˙m) and effective heat of combustion (EHC).
1.2 The following test methods, capable of being performed separately and independently, are included herein:
1.2.1 Ignition Test, to determine tign for a horizontal specimen;
1.2.2 Combustion Test, to determine ˙Qchem, ˙Qc, ˙m, and EHC from burning of a horizontal specimen; and,
1.2.3 Fire Propagation Test, to determine ˙Qchem from burning of a vertical specimen.
1.3 Distinguishing features of the FPA include tungsten-quartz external, isolated heaters to provide a radiant flux of up to 65 kW/m2 to the test specimen, which remains constant whether the surface regresses or expands; provision for combustion or ......
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