Appendix 1 – Fire Test Procedures for Surface Flammability of Bulkhead, Ceiling, Deck Finish Materials and Primary Deck Covering

 The test apparatus, except the equipment for measurement of heat release (i.e. fume stack and thermocouples for it), is specified in standard ISO 5658-2. A detailed description of the facility and apparatus required for conduct of this test is included in appendix 2 to this part. Compliance with the appendix forms an essential requirement of the test method. The equipment needed may be summarized as follows.

  5.1.1 Special test room fitted with fume exhaust system as well as fresh air inlet.

  5.1.2 Radiant panel frame fitted with blower or other source of combustion air, a methane^footnote or natural gas supply system with suitable safety controls, and a radiant panel heat source, with reverberatory wires, arranged to radiate on a vertical specimen. Alternatively, an electrically-heated radiant source of the same dimensions may be used provided it can expose the specimen to the heat flux distribution shown in table 1 of appendix 2. The effective source temperature of any radiant panel is not greater than 1,000°C.

  5.1.3 The specimen holder frame, three specimen holders, a pilot burner, specimen holder guides, viewing rakes and a viewing mirror.

  5.1.4 A specimen fume stack with both stack gas and stack temperature compensating thermocouples together with a means for adjusting the magnitude of the compensation signal.

  5.1.5 Instrumentation comprising a chronograph, digital or sweep second electric clock, a digital millivoltmeter, a two-channel millivolt recorder, gas-flowmeter, heat flux meters, a wide angle total radiation pyrometer and a stopwatch. Use of a data acquisition system to record both panel radiance and the heat release stack signal during test will facilitate data reduction.

 The calibration of the flux distribution on the specimen and the proper operation of the fume stack with its thermocouple system shall be confirmed by monthly tests, or at more frequent intervals if this is found necessary (see paragraphs 4.3 and 4.6 of appendix 2).

 As a means of assuring continued proper adjustment of the apparatus, the following tests shall be performed on a daily basis or more frequently if the nature of the specimens makes this necessary.

  6.2.1 Adjustment of the pilot burner

  6.2.1.1 Adjust the propane gas and air flow rates to about 0.4 l/min and 1 l/min, respectively, to provide a flame length of 230 ± 20 mm in the vertical orientation. When viewed in a darkened room, the flame shall extend about 40 mm above the vertical specimen holder (see figure 6 of appendix 2). Record the flow rates of propane and air to the pilot burner.

  6.2.1.2 Adjust the impingement zone of the flame onto the dummy specimen by moving the burner tube towards or away from the plane of the exposed surface of the dummy specimen. Rotate the pilot burner tube in its holder until the flame impinges over the top half of the exposed specimen height.

  6.2.1.3 The pilot flame shall be checked and, if necessary, adjusted in the way stated above every day. The nature of some specimens may make this necessary to be done more frequently.

  6.2.2 Stack gas thermocouples

 The stack gas thermocouples shall be cleaned by light brushing at least daily. This cleaning may be required even more frequently, in some instances before each test, when materials producing heavy soot clouds are tested. These thermocouples shall also be individually checked for electrical continuity to ensure the existence of a useful thermojunction. Following daily cleaning of the parallel connected stack gas thermocouples, both they and the compensating junction shall be checked to verify that the resistance between them and the stack is in excess of 106 ohms.

  6.3.1 A dummy specimen shall remain mounted in the position normally occupied by a specimen whenever the equipment is in stand-by operation. This is a necessary condition of the continuous monitoring procedure which is accomplished by measuring:

• .1 the millivolt signals from both the stack thermocouples and the total radiation pyrometer mounted securely on the specimen holder frame facing the surface of the radiant panel; or

• .2 the millivolt signals from both the stack thermocouples and a heat flux meter positioned at 350 mm from the exposed hot end of a dummy specimen as defined in paragraph 3.5 (see paragraph 4.3.2 of appendix 2).

  6.3.2 Either of these measurement methods would be satisfactory for determining that an appropriate thermal operating level has been achieved. The use of the radiation pyrometer is preferable since it permits continuous monitoring of the panel operating level even when tests are in progress. Both signals shall remain essentially constant for 3 min prior to the test. The observed operating level of either the radiation pyrometer or the heat flux meter shall correspond, within 2%, to the similar required level specified in table 1 of appendix 2 and referred to in the calibration procedure mentioned in paragraph 6.1 above.

  7.1.1 Specimens required

 At least six specimens shall be provided for each different exposed surface.

  7.1.2 Required number for the test

 Three specimens shall be tested for each different exposed surface of the product evaluated and applied. Condition of retest is described in paragraph 8.3.

  7.2.1 The specimens shall measure from 150 mm to 155 mm wide and from 795 mm to 800 mm long, and shall be representative of the product.

  7.2.2 Specimen thickness: materials and composites of normal thickness 50 mm or less shall be tested using their full thickness. For materials and composites of normal thickness greater than 50 mm, the required specimens shall be obtained by cutting away the unexposed face to reduce the thickness between 47 mm and 50 mm.

  7.3.1 Substrate of surface material and floor coverings

 Materials and composite materials shall be tested using their full thickness, attaching them, by means of an adhesive if appropriate, to the substrate to which they will be attached in practice. The test specimen shall reflect actual application.

  7.3.2 Substrate of primary deck covering

 The specimens shall be applied to a steel plate having a thickness of 3 ± 0.3 mm. The specimens shall have a nominal thickness; the components and construction of the primary deck covering shall reflect actual application.

  7.4.1 Assembly shall be as specified in paragraph 7.2. However, where thin materials or composites are used in the fabrication of an assembly, the presence of an air gap and/or the nature of any underlying construction may significantly affect the flammability characteristics of the exposed surface. The influence of the underlying layers shall be recognized and care taken to ensure that the test result obtained on any assembly is relevant to its use in practice.

  7.4.2 Vapour barriers used in conjunction with insulation shall be tested without any other components that will shield the barrier being tested from the radiant panel. The substrate of the specimen shall reflect actual application on ships.

 If a bright metallic faced specimen is to be tested, it shall be tested as it is.

 A line shall be marked centrally down the length of the face to be tested of each specimen. Caution shall be exercised to avoid the use of a line which would influence specimen performance.

 Before test, the specimens shall be conditioned to constant moisture content, at a temperature of 23 ± 2°C, and a relative humidity of 50 ± 5%. Constant moisture content is considered to be reached when, following two successive weighing operations, carried out at an interval of 24 h, the measured masses do not differ by more than 0.1% of the mass of the specimen.

 The test method involves mounting the conditioned specimen in a well-defined flux field and measuring the time of ignition, spread of flame and its final extinguishment, together with a stack thermocouple signal as an indication of heat release by the specimen during burning.

  8.1.1 Prepare a properly-conditioned specimen for test in a cool holder away from the heat of the radiant panel. Prior to insertion in the specimen holder, the back and edges of the specimen shall be wrapped in a single sheet of aluminium foil of 0.02 mm thickness and dimensions of 175 + a mm x 820 + a mm where "a" is twice the specimen thickness. When inserted in the specimen holder each specimen shall be backed by a cool backing board. When mounting non-rigid specimens in the holder, shims shall be placed between the specimen and holder flange to ensure that the exposed specimen face remains at the same distance from the pilot flame as a rigid specimen. For such materials, the shims may often only be required for a 100 mm length at the hot end of the specimen.

  8.1.2 The dummy specimen in a specimen holder shall be mounted in position facing the radiant panel. The equipment fume exhaust system shall be started.

  8.1.3 The radiant panel is operated to realize the test conditions as specified in paragraph 6.3. Start the millivolt recorder recording the output signal of the stack thermocouples, as well as the signal from the total radiation pyrometer or heat flux meter positioned as described in paragraph 6.3.1.2.

  8.1.4 When the radiant panel and stack signals have attained equilibrium, after the preheat period, light the pilot flame, adjust its fuel flow rate and observe both signals for at least 3 min and verify continued signal stability.

  8.1.5 After both signals reach stable levels, remove the dummy specimen holder and insert the specimen in the test position within 10 s. Immediately start both the clock and chronograph.

  8.1.6 Operate the event marker of the chronograph to indicate the time of ignition and arrival of the flame front during the initial rapid involvement of the specimen. The arrival at a given position shall be observed as the time at which the flame front at the longitudinal centreline of the specimen is observed to coincide with the position of two corresponding wires of the viewing rakes. These times are recorded manually both from measurement on the chronograph chart and from observations of the clock. As far as possible, the arrival of the flame front at each 50 mm position along the specimen shall be recorded. Record both the time and the position on the specimen at which the progress of flaming combustion ceases. The panel operating level, as well as stack signals, shall be recorded throughout the test and continued until test termination.

  8.1.7 Throughout the conduct of the test, no change shall be made in the fuel supply rate to the radiant panel to compensate for variations in its operating level.

  8.2.1 The test shall be terminated, the specimen removed, and the dummy specimen in its holder reinserted when any one of the following is applicable:

• .1 the specimen fails to ignite after a 10 min exposure; or

• .2 3 min have passed since all flaming from the specimen ceased or 10 min exposure, whichever is longer.

  8.2.2 Operations in paragraphs 8.1.1 to 8.1.7 shall be repeated for two additional specimens (see paragraph 8.3).

  8.3.1 In the event of failure, during test of one or more specimens, to secure complete flame spread times or a reasonable heat release curve, the data secured shall be rejected and a new test or tests performed. Such failures might involve, but not be limited to, incomplete observational data or malfunction of data logging equipment. Excessive stack signal baseline drift shall also require further equipment stabilization and retest.

  8.3.2 If a specimen shows extensive loss of incompletely burned material during test, at least one additional specimen, restrained in the testing frame by poultry netting, shall be tested and the data secured reported separately.

  8.3.3 The following procedures shall be taken in relation to the behaviour of the specimen during the test:

• .1 if the pilot flame extinguishes: report occurrence and reject data and repeat test; or

• .2 if the specimen breaks up and falls out of the specimen holder, report the behaviour, but classify on basis of worst performance with and without specimen restraint in paragraph 8.3.2.

 In addition to the recording of the experimental data, observations shall be made and recorded on the behaviour of the specimen including but not limited to flashing, unstable flame front, sparks, glowing, charring, melting, flaming drips, disintegration of the specimen, fissures, fusion, changes in form.

 As defined in paragraph 3.7.

 A list of the values of this characteristic as defined in paragraph 3.9.

  9.3.1 An average of the values for the characteristic defined in paragraph 3.9 measured at different stations, the first at 150 mm and then at subsequent stations at 50 mm intervals through the final station or the 400 mm station, whichever value is the lower.

  9.3.2 For each specimen where the flame front does not reach the 175 mm position, the heat of sustained burning is not defined. If the heat of sustained burning is not defined for one specimen, Qsb is calculated using the data from the other two specimens. If the heat of sustained burning is not defined for two specimens, Qsb is calculated using the data from the third specimen. If the heat of sustained burning is not defined for all three specimens, Qsb is undefined and the criterion of Qsb is deemed to have been met.

 A list of the values of this characteristic for the specimens tested and the average of these values (see paragraph 3.4).

 Both a heat release time curve and a listing of the peak and total integrated heat release shall be secured from the experimental data. They shall be corrected for the non-linearity of the heat release calibration curve. The curve of the millivolt signal from the stack thermocouples shall include at least 30 s of the initial 3 min steady state verification period as well as the starting transient just prior to and following specimen insertion. In converting millivolt signals to heat release rate, the zero release level of the calibration curve shall be set at the level of the initial steady state just prior to test of the specimen involved (see figure 10 of appendix 2).

  9.5.1 Total heat release

 The total heat release is given by integration of the positive part of the heat release rate during the test period (see figure 10 of appendix 2).

  9.5.2 Peak heat release rate

 The peak heat release rate is the maximum of the heat release rate during the test period (see figure 10 of appendix 2).