Comparison of smoke component yields between room‐scale and bench‐scale experiments

Abstract

SummaryA standard procedure is needed for obtainingaccurate values of the yields of fire effluent components that are associated with harm to people from a singleacute exposure to the effluent from a fire involving realistic commercial products. We compare yields of toxic gases generated by four bench‐scale apparatus to the yields from previously conducted room‐scale fires. The apparatus is the radiant apparatus in NFPA 269 and ASTM E 1678, the smoke density chamber in ISO 5659‐2, a controlled‐atmosphere version of the cone calorimeter (ASTM E 1354), and the tube furnace specified in ISO/TS 19700. The bench‐scale specimens were cut from the same products that were burned in the room‐scale tests: a sofa, bookcases, and household electric power cable. The yields of CO2 CO, HCl, and HCN were determined. The yields of other toxicants (NO, NO2, formaldehyde, and acrolein) were below the detection limits, but were shown to be of limited importance relative to the four measured gases. We developed a criterion of a factor of two for satisfactoryscale agreement. Using this, the yields from the modified cone calorimeter were the most promising, but still imperfect, match to the room fire yields. The results of this study provide an improved basis for obtainingaccurate combustion product yield data for fire hazard and risk modeling over what currently exists.