- Author
-
Hilado, C. J.
|
Cumming, H. J.
- Title
- Studies With the Arapahoe Smoke Chamber.
- Coporate
- San Francisco Univ., CA
- Journal
-
Journal of Fire and Flammability,
Vol. 8,
300-308,
July 1977
- Sponsor
- National Aeronautics and Space Admin., Washington, DC
- Contract
- NASA-GRANT-NSG-2039
- Keywords
-
combustion physics
|
flammability
|
smoke detectors
|
polyesters
|
polymethyl methacrylate
|
polystyrene
|
polyvinyl chloride
|
weight loss
- Abstract
- Samples of polymethyl methacrylate, polyvinyl chloride, polyester, and polystyrene were evaluated using the Arapahoe smoke chamber. These same materials had been previously evaluated using the NBS smoke chamber. The percent smoke based on initial weight as determined using the Arapahoe smoke chamber appeared to correlate with the maximum specific optical density under flaming conditions as determined using the NBS smoke chamber. This empirical correlation appears justifiable because of similarity of exposure and basis of calculation. The percent smoke based on weight loss as determined using the Arapahoe smoke chamber appeared to correlate with the maximum specific optical density under nonflaming conditions as determined using the NBS smoke chamber. This correlation is empirical and the authors can offer no logical explanation for it. The Arapahoe smoke chamber offers the advantage of high sample throughput and the possibility of related studies of smoke particulates.