ASTM E84:2006 pdf free download – Standard Test Method for Surface Burning Characteristics of Building Materials.
8.2 Keep the completely mounted specimen in position in the chamber with the furnace draft operating fir 120 ± 15 s prior to the application of the test flame.
8.3 Ignite the burner gas. Observe and record the distance and time of maximum flame front travel with the room darkened. Continue the test for a 10-mm period. Termination of the test prior to 10 mm is permitted if the specimen is completely consumed in the fire area and no further progressive burning is evident and the photoelectric cell reading has returned to the baseline.
8.4 Record the photoelectric cell output immediately prior to the test and at least every 15 s during the test.
8.5 Record the gas pressure, the pressure differential across the orifice plate, and the volume of gas used in each test. If a temperature- and pressure-compensating mass flowrneter device is used to monitor the gas flow, record only the volume of gas.
8.6 When the test is ended, shut off the gas supply, observe smoldering and other conditions within the test duct, and remove the specimen for further examination.
8.7 Plot the flame spread distance, temperature, and change in photoelectric cell readings separately on the same type of coordinate paper as used in 7.9 for use in determining the flame-spread and smoke-developed indexes as outlined in Section 9. Flame front advancement shall be recorded at the time of occurrence or at least every 30 s if no advancement is noted. Flame spread distance shall be determined as the observed distance minus 4½ ft (1 .37 m),
9. Interpretation of Results
9.1 The flame spread index (FSI) shall be the value, determined as follows, rounded to the nearest multiple of five.
9.1.1 In plotting the flame spread distance-time relationship, all progressive flaming as previously recorded shall be included at the time of occurrence. A straight line shall be used to connect successive points. The total area (AT) uiider the flame spread distance-time plot shall be determined by ignoring any flame front recession. For example, in Fig. 8 the flame spreads 10 ft (3.05 m) in 2½ nun and then recedes. The area is calculated as if the flamC had spread to 10 ft in 2½ mm and then remained at 10 ft for the remainder of the test or until the flame front again passed 10 ft. This is shown by the dashed line in Fig. 8. The area (AT) used for calculating the flame spread index is the sum of areas A1 and A, in Fig. 8.
9.1.2 If this total area (AT) is less than or equal to 97.5 ftmin, the Ilarne spread index shall be 0.515 irnes the total area (FSI = 0.5 15 ‘IT)
9.1.3 If the total area (AT) is greater than 97.5 ft•min, the flame spread index shall be 4900, divided by the difference of 195 minus the total area (A.1.). (FSI = 4900/(195 —AT)).
9.2 The test results for smoke shall he plotted, using the same coordinates as in 7.9. The area under the curve shall be divided by the area under the curve for red oak, multiplied by 100, and rounded to the nearest multiple of five to establish a numerical smoke-developed index.