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Author
Quintiere, J. G. | Harkleroad, M. F.
Title
New Concepts for Measuring Flame Spread Properties.
Coporate
National Bureau of Standards, Gaithersburg, MD
Sponsor
Federal Aviation Administration, Atlantic City Airport, NJ
Report
NBSIR 84-2943; ASTM STP 882, November 1984, 154 p.
Distribution
AVAILABLE FROM National Technical Information Service (NTIS), Technology Administration, U.S. Department of Commerce, Springfield, VA 22161. Telephone: 1-800-553-6847 or 703-605-6000; Fax: 703-605-6900; Rush Service (Telephone Orders Only) 800-553-6847; Website: http://www.ntis.gov
Book or Conf
American Society for Testing and Materials. Fire Safety: Science and Engineering. ASTM STP 882. June 26-27, 1984, Denver, CO, Harmathy, T. Z., Editors, 239-267 p., 1984
Keywords
carpets | composite materials | fire tests | flame spread | ignition | material properties | plastics | wood
Identifiers
materials flammability
Abstract
An experimental procedure is described which can be used to derive data relevant to the prediction of ignition and flame spread on materials. It offers a direct method for determining material property data suitable for use in mathematical fire models. The apparatus utilizes a radiant heat source capable of supplying up to 6.5 W/cm2 to a vertically oriented specimen. The test results pertain to piloted ignition of a vertical sample under constant and uniform irradiation, and to lateral flame spread on a vertical surface due to an external applied radiant heat flux. The results can be used to display the maximum velocity and ignition time as a function of irradiance. Critical or minimum irradiances for spread and ignition are determines. An empirical correlation, based on heat conduction principles, is found to correlate the ignition data and also provides a more general interpretation for the flame spread results. Further analyses of the data yield effective values for the thermal inertia of the material, its ignition temperature, and a parameter related to flame temperature. These parameters appear to be phenomenological constants for each material, rather than factors dependent on the apparatus. Results are presented for a wide range of materials. Suggestions for extending the results to other flame spread conditions are presented.