- Author
- Arvidson, M.
- Title
- Intermediate Scale Comparison Between the FMRC and EUR Standard Plastic Commodities.
- Coporate
- SP Swedish National Testing and Research Institute, Boras, Sweden
- Report
- SP Report 1999:30; Brandforsk Project 735-941, 1999, 20 p.
- Distribution
- For more information contact: SP Swedish National Testing and Research Institute, Box 857, SE-501 15 BORAS, Sweden. Telephone: +46 33 16 50 00, Fax: +46 33 13 55 02, Email: info@sp.se Website: http://www.sp.se/eng/default.htm
- Keywords
- plastics | fire tests | sprinkler systems | cardboard | calorimeters | pallets
- Identifiers
- intermediate scale fire tests; cardboard cartons; plastic cups; Industry Calorimeter; water applicator
- Abstract
- This report describes the development of a EUR Standard Plastic commodity and intermediate scale comparison tests with the FMRC Standard Plastic commodity. The intention was to develop a commodity with similar fire and suppressibility characteristics. The primary intention is to use this commodity as a benchmark commodity for the commodity classification tests. Both commodities consists of polystyrene plastic cups without lids, placed upside down in compartmented cartons. Intermediate scale comparison tests were conducted where four pallet loads of commodity in a 2 by 1 by 2 configuration were ignited and water was applied at a predetermined heat release rate. By comparing the heat release rate histories of the tests it can be concluded that the fire development of the two commodities are similar. After the application of water the behaviour is such that it can be concluded that the FMRC commodity is more difficult to suppress compared to the EUR commodity in this scale. No general explanation for this is known, the principle design of the commodities are similar and so is the overall size of one pallet load and the amount of combustibles. Three concurrent reasons are suspected: (1) the FMRC cardboard cartons are not as rigid as the EUR cartons, (2) the individual compartments of the FMRC cartons are larger and (3) the fact that the individual weight of the FMRC polystyrene cup is higher.