This test method provides a means to measure a variety of fire-test-response characteristics associated with smoke obscuration and resulting from burning the electrical insulating materials contained in electrical or optical fiber cables. The specimens are allowed to burn freely under well ventilated conditions after ignition by means of a propane gas burner.

Smoke obscuration quantifies the visibility in fires.

This test method is also suitable for measuring the rate of heat release as an optional measurement. The rate of heat release often serves as an indication of the intensity of the fire generated.

Other optional fire-test-response characteristics that are measurable by this test method are useful to make decisions on fire safety. The most important gaseous components of smoke are the carbon oxides present in all fires. They are major indicators of the toxicity of the atmosphere and of the completeness of combustion and are often used as part of fire hazard assessment calculations and to improve the accuracy of heat release measurements. Other toxic gases which are specific to certain materials are less crucial for determining combustion completeness.

Test Limitations:

5.5.1 The fire-test-response characteristics measured in this test method are a representation of the manner in which the specimens tested behave under certain specific conditions. Do not assume they are representative of a generic fire performance of the materials tested when made into cables of the construction under consideration.

5.5.2 In particular it is unlikely that this test method is an adequate representation of the fire behavior of cables in confined spaces without abundant circulation of air.

5.5.3 This is an intermediate-scale test and the predictability of its results to large scale fires has not been determined. Some information exists to suggest that it has been validated against some large-scale scenarios.

1.1 This is a fire-test-response standard.

1.2 This test method provides a means to measure the smoke obscuration resulting from burning electrical insulating materials contained in electrical or optical fiber cables when the cable specimens excluding accessories are subjected to a specified flaming ignition source and burn freely under well ventilated conditions.

1.3 This test method provides two different protocols for exposing the materials when made into cable specimens to an ignition source (approximately 20 kW) for a 20 min test duration. Use it to determine the flame propagation and smoke release characteristics of the materials contained in single and multiconductor electrical or optical fiber cables designed for use in cable trays.

1.4 This test method does not provide information on the fire performance of electrical or optical fiber cables in fire conditions other than the ones specifically used in this test method nor does it measure the contribution of the cables to a developing fire condition.

1.5 Data describing the burning behavior from ignition to the end of the test are obtained.

1.6 The production of light obscuring smoke is measured.

1.7 The burning behavior is documented visually by photographic or video recordings or both.

1.8 The test equipment is suitable for making other optional measurements including the rate of heat release of the burning specimen by an oxygen consumption technique and weight loss.

1.9 Another set of optional measurements are the concentrations of certain toxic gas species in the combustion gases.

1.10 The values stated in SI units are to be regarded as the standard (see IEEE/ASTM SI 10).

This standard measures and describes the response of materials products or assemblies to heat and flame under contro......

This test method is used to determine the heat release rate and a number of other fire-test-response characteristics as a result of exposing insulating materials contained in electrical or optical cables to a prescribed heating flux in the cone calorimeter apparatus.

Quantitative heat release measurements provide information that is potentially useful for design of electrical or optical cables and product development.

Heat release measurements provide useful information for product development by giving a quantitative measure of specific changes in fire performance caused by component and composite modifications. Heat release data from this test method will not be predictive of product behavior if the product will not spread flame over its surface under the fire exposure conditions of interest.

The fire-test-response characteristics determined by this test method are affected by the thickness of the material used as test specimen whether as a plaque or as coating on a wire or cable. The diameter of the wire or cable used will also affect the test results.

A radiant exposure is used as an energy source for this test method. This type of source has been used for comparison with heat release rate and flame spread studies of insulating materials constructed into cables when burning in a vertical cable tray configuration (Test Methods D 5424 and D 5537) (2-9). No definitive relationships have been established.

The value of heat release rate corresponding to the critical limit between propagating cable fires and non-propagating fires is not known.

This test method does not determine the net heat of combustion.

It has not been demonstrated that this test method is capable of predicting the response of electrical or optical fiber cables in a full scale fire. In particular this test method does not address the self-extinguishing characteristics of the cables in a full scale fire.

1.1 This is a fire-test-response standard.

1.2 Several fire-test-response characteristics including the time to sustained flaming heat release rate total heat released effective heat of combustion and specific extinction area; are measured or calculated by this test method at a constant radiant heating flux. For specific limitations see also 5.7 and Section 6.

1.3 The tests are conducted by burning the electrical insulating materials contained in electrical or optical fiber cables when the cable test specimens excluding accessories are subjected to radiant heat.

1.4 This standard measures and describes the response of materials products or assemblies to heat and flame under controlled conditions but does not by itself incorporate all factors required for fire hazard or fire risk assessment of the materials products or assemblies under actual fire conditions.

1.5 The values stated in SI units are to be regarded as the standard. The values given in parentheses are for information only.

1.6 This standard does not purport to address all of the safety concerns if any associated with its use. It is the responsibility of the user of this standard to establish appropriate safety and health practices and determine the applicability or regulatory limitations prior to use. For specific precautionary statements see Section 7.

This test method is used to determine the heat release rate and a number of other fire-test-response characteristics as a result of exposing insulating materials contained in electrical or optical cables to a prescribed heating flux in the cone calorimeter apparatus.

Quantitative heat release measurements provide information that is potentially useful for design of electrical or optical cables and product development.

Heat release measurements provide useful information for product development by giving a quantitative measure of specific changes in fire performance caused by component and composite modifications. Heat release data from this test method will not be predictive of product behavior if the product will not spread flame over its surface under the fire exposure conditions of interest.

The fire-test-response characteristics determined by this test method are affected by the thickness of the material used as test specimen whether as a plaque or as coating on a wire or cable. The diameter of the wire or cable used will also affect the test results.

A radiant exposure is used as an energy source for this test method. This type of source has been used for comparison with heat release rate and flame spread studies of insulating materials constructed into cables when burning in a vertical cable tray configuration (Test Methods D5424 and D5537) (2-9). No definitive relationships have been established.

The value of heat release rate corresponding to the critical limit between propagating cable fires and non-propagating fires is not known.

This test method does not determine the net heat of combustion.

It has not been demonstrated that this test method is capable of predicting the response of electrical or optical fiber cables in a full scale fire. In particular this test method does not address the self-extinguishing characteristics of the cables in a full scale fire.

1.1 This is a fire-test-response standard.

1.2 Several fire-test-response characteristics including the time to sustained flaming heat release rate total heat released effective heat of combustion and specific extinction area; are measured or calculated by this test method at a constant radiant heating flux. For specific limitations see also 5.7 and Section 6.

1.3 The tests are conducted by burning the electrical insulating materials contained in electrical or optical fiber cables when the cable test specimens excluding accessories are subjected to radiant heat.

1.4 The values stated in SI units are to be regarded as the standard. The values given in parentheses are for information only.

1.5 This standard does not purport to address all of the safety concerns if any associated with its use. It is the responsibility of the user of this standard to establish appropriate safety and health practices and determine the applicability or regulatory limitations prior to use. For specific precautionary statements see Section 7.

1.6 This standard measures and describes the response of materials products or assemblies to heat and flame under controlled conditions but does not by itself incorporate all factors required for fire hazard or fire risk assessment of the materials products or assemblies under actual fire conditions.

1.7 Fire testing is inherently hazardous. Adequate safeguards for personnel and property shall be employed in conducting these tests.

This test method provides a means to measure a variety of fire-test-response characteristics associated with heat and smoke release and resulting from burning the materials insulating electrical or optical fiber cables when made into cables and installed on a vertical cable tray. The specimens are allowed to burn freely under well ventilated conditions after ignition by means of a propane gas burner.

The rate of heat release often serves as an indication of the intensity of the fire generated. General considerations of the importance of heat release rate are discussed in Appendix X1 and considerations for heat release calculations are in Appendix X2.

Other fire-test-response characteristics that are measurable by this test method are useful to make decisions on fire safety. The test method is also used for measuring smoke obscuration. The apparatus described here is also useful to measure gaseous components of smoke; the most important gaseous components of smoke are the carbon oxides present in all fires. The carbon oxides are major indicators of the completeness of combustion and are often used as part of fire hazard assessment calculations and to improve the accuracy of heat release measurements.

Test Limitations:

The fire-test-response characteristics measured in this test are a representation of the manner in which the specimens tested behave under certain specific conditions. Do not assume they are representative of a generic fire performance of the materials tested when made into cables of the construction under consideration.

In particular it is unlikely that this test is an adequate representation of the fire behavior of cables in confined spaces without abundant circulation of air.

This is an intermediate-scale test and the predictability of its results to large scale fires has not been determined. Some information exists to suggest validation with regard to some large-scale scenarios.

1.1 This is a fire-test-response standard.

1.2 This test method provides a means to measure the heat released and smoke obscuration by burning the electrical insulating materials contained in electrical or optical fiber cables when the cable specimens excluding accessories are subjected to a specified flaming ignition source and burn freely under well ventilated conditions. Flame propagation cable damage by char length and mass loss are also measured.

1.3 This test method provides two different protocols for exposing the materials when made into cable specimens to an ignition source (approximately 20 kW) for a 20 min test duration. Use it to determine the heat release smoke release flame propagation and mass loss characteristics of the materials contained in single and multiconductor electrical or optical fiber cables.

1.4 This test method does not provide information on the fire performance of materials insulating electrical or optical fiber cables in fire conditions other than the ones specifically used in this test method nor does it measure the contribution of the materials in those cables to a developing fire condition.

1.5 Data describing the burning behavior from ignition to the end of the test are obtained.

1.6 This test equipment is suitable for measuring the concentrations of certain toxic gas species in the combustion gases (see Appendix X4).

1.7 The values stated in SI units are to be regarded as standard (see ). The values given in parentheses are mathematical conversions to inch-pound units that are provided for information only and are not considered standard.

1.8 This standard measures and describes the response of materials pr......