Fire Response Characteristics

Fire response characteristics are those properties which describe the response of a material when exposed to fire. For both convenience and convention, fire response characteristics are generally considered to include the following:

1. Smolder susceptibility 2. lgnitability 3. Flash-fire propensity 4. Flame spread 5. Heat release 6. Fire endurance 7. Ease of extinguishment 8. Smoke evolution 9. Toxic gas evolution

10. Corrosive gas evolution

SECTION 3.1. 1YPES OF FIRE RESPONSE CHARACTERISTICS

Fire response characteristics can be classified according to the types of measurements used to describe them. Five types of measurements are used:

1. Thermophysical: smolder susceptibility, ignitability, flash-fire propensity, flame spread, heat release, fire endurance, ease of extinguishment, and smoke evolution (gravimetric)

2. Optical: smoke evolution 3. Biological: toxic gas evolution 4. Chemical: toxic gas evolution and corrosive gas evolution 5. Electrical: corrosive gas evolution

Thermogravimetric measurements and optical measurements are used to describe smoke evolution. Chemical or biochemical measurements and biological measurements are used to describe toxic gas evolution. Chemical measurements and electrical measurements are used to describe corrosive gas evolution.