ASTM-E662-03

Designation:E662–03AnAmericanNationalStandardStandardTestMethodforSpecificOpticalDensityofSmokeGeneratedbySolidMaterials1ThisstandardisissuedunderthefixeddesignationE662;thenumberimmediatelyfollowingthedesignationindicatestheyearoforiginaladoptionor,inthecaseofrevision,theyearoflastrevision.Anumberinparenthesesindicatestheyearoflastreapproval.Asuperscriptepsilon(e)indicatesaneditorialchangesincethelastrevisionorreapproval.ThisstandardhasbeenapprovedforusebyagenciesoftheDepartmentofDefense.1.Scope1.1Thisfire-test-responsestandardcoversdeterminationofthespecificopticaldensityofsmokegeneratedbysolidmaterialsandassembliesmountedintheverticalpositioninthicknessesuptoandincluding1in.(25.4mm).1.2Measurementismadeoftheattenuationofalightbeambysmoke(suspendedsolidorliquidparticles)accumulatingwithinaclosedchamberduetononflamingpyrolyticdecom-positionandflamingcombustion.1.3Resultsareexpressedintermsofspecificopticaldensitywhichisderivedfromageometricalfactorandthemeasuredopticaldensity,ameasurementcharacteristicoftheconcentra-tionofsmoke.1.4Thistestmethodisintendedforuseinresearchanddevelopmentandnotasabasisforratingsforregulatorypurposes.1.5Thisstandardshouldbeusedtomeasureanddescribetheresponseofmaterials,products,orassembliestoheatandflameundercontrolledconditionsandshouldnotbeusedtodescribeorappraisethefire-hazardorfire-riskofmaterials,products,ofassembliesunderactualfireconditions.However,resultsofthetestmaybeusedaselementsofafirehazardassessmentorafire-riskassessmentwhichtakesintoaccountallofthefactorswhicharepertinenttoanassessmentofthefirehazardorfireriskofaparticularenduse.1.6Thisstandarddoesnotpurporttoaddressallofthesafetyconcerns,ifany,associatedwithitsuse.Itistheresponsibilityoftheuserofthisstandardtoestablishappro-priatesafetyandhealthpracticesanddeterminetheapplica-bilityofregulatorylimitationspriortouse.1.7Thevaluesstatedininch-poundunitsaretoberegardedasstandard.Valuesstatedinparenthesesareforinformationonly.2.ReferencedDocuments2.1ASTMStandards:D2843TestMethodforDensityofSmokefromtheBurn-ingorDecompositionofPlastics2E176TerminologyofFireStandards33.Terminology3.1Definitions—FordefinitionsoftermsfoundinthistestmethodrefertoTerminologyE176.4.SummaryofTestMethod4.1Thistestmethodemploysanelectricallyheatedradiant-energysourcemountedwithinaninsulatedceramictubeandpositionedsoastoproduceanirradiancelevelof2.2Btu/s·ft2(2.5W/cm2)averagedoverthecentral1.5-in.(38.1-mm)diameterareaofaverticallymountedspecimenfacingtheradiantheater.Thenominal3by3-in.(76.2by76.2-mm)specimenismountedwithinaholderwhichexposesanareameasuring29⁄16by29⁄16in.(65.1by65.1mm).Theholdercanaccommodatespecimensupto1in.(25.4mm)thick.Thisexposureprovidesthenonflamingconditionofthetest.4.2Fortheflamingcondition,asix-tubeburnerisusedtoapplyarowofequidistantflameletsacrosstheloweredgeoftheexposedspecimenareaandintothespecimenholdertrough.Thisapplicationofflameinadditiontothespecifiedirradiancelevelfromtheheatingelementconstitutestheflamingcombustionexposure.4.3Thetestspecimensareexposedtotheflamingandnonflamingconditionswithinaclosedchamber.Aphotometricsystemwithaverticallightpathisusedtomeasurethevaryinglighttransmissionassmokeaccumulates.Thelighttransmit-tancemeasurementsareusedtocalculatespecificopticaldensityofthesmokegeneratedduringthetimeperiodtoreachthemaximumvalue.45.SignificanceandUse5.1Thistestmethodprovidesameansfordeterminingthespecificopticaldensityofthesmokegeneratedbyspecimensof1ThistestmethodisunderthejurisdictionofASTMCommitteeE05onFireStandardsandisthedirectresponsibilityofSubcommitteeE05.21onSmokeandCombustionProducts.CurrenteditionapprovedApril10,2003.PublishedJune2003.Originallyapprovedin1979.Lastpreviouseditionapprovedin2001asE662–01.2AnnualBookofASTMStandards,Vol08.02.3AnnualBookofASTMStandards,Vol04.07.4Additionalparameters,suchasthemaximumrateofsmokeaccumulation,timetoafixedopticaldensitylevel,orasmokeobscurationindexmayprovideusefulinformation.SeeAppendixX1.1Copyright©ASTMInternational,100BarrHarborDrive,POBoxC700,WestConshohocken,PA19428-2959,UnitedStates.materialsandassembliesunderthespecifiedexposurecondi-tions.Valuesdeterminedbythistestarespecifictothespecimenorassemblyintheformandthicknesstestedandarenottobeconsideredinherentfundamentalpropertiesofthematerialtested.Thus,closelyrepeatableorreproducibleex-perimentalresultsshouldnotbeexpectedfromtestsofagivenmaterialwhenspecimenthickness,density,orothervariablesareinvolved.5.2Thephotometricscaleusedtomeasuresmokebythistestmethodissimilartotheopticaldensityscaleforhumanvision.However,physiologicalaspectsassociatedwithvisionarenotmeasuredbythistestmethod.Correlationwithmea-surementsbyothertestmethodshasnotbeenestablished.55.3Atthepresenttimenobasisisprovidedforpredictingthedensityofsmokethatmaybegeneratedbythematerialsuponexposuretoheatandflameunderotherfireconditions.5.4Thetestmethodisofacomplexnatureandthedataobtainedaresensitivetovariationswhichinothertestmethodsmightbeconsideredtobeinsignificant(seeSection6).Aprecisionstatementbasedontheresultsofaroundrobintestbyapriordraftversionofthistestmethodis