Standard Test Methods for Measurement of Material Flammability Using a Fire Propagation Apparatus (FPA)

Importancia y uso:

5.1 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).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.

5.2 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.

5.3 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 E1321, which yields measurements during lateral/horizontal or downward flame spread on materials and Test Methods E906, E1354, and E1623, which yield measurements of the rate of heat release from materials fully involved in flaming combustion, generally use an external radiant flux, rather than the flames from the burning material itself, to characterize fire behavior.

5.4 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.

Subcomité:

E05.22

Referida por:

E1591-20, C0726-24, D6113-21, E0176-24, E3020-22

Volúmen:

04.07

Número ICS:

13.220.40 (Ignitability and burning behaviour of materials and products), 59.060.20 (Man-made fibres)

Palabras clave:

effective heat of combustion; fire propagation apparatus; flammability characteristics; upward fire propagation;