EFFECTS OF FORCED AIR FLOW AND OXYGEN CONCENTRATION ON FLAMMABILITY, SMOKE DENSITY, AND PYROLYTIC TOXICITY.

The question is posed whether forced air flow should be incorporated into flammability tests as a relevant variable. A test apparatus is described which permits tests to be conducted, on small test specimens, in a forced flow which is (continuously) variable over flow velocities from zero to 300 feet per minute (1. 52 m/s). The effects of air-flow rate and oxygen concentration on flame propagation rate, maximum smoke density, and pyrolytic product toxicity were measured for a single material and were statistically evaluated. Regression analysis was used to graph the resulting relationships. It is concluded that air velocity is an important variable for laboratory flammability testing.