Burning Behavior of Selected Automotive Parts From a Sports Coupe.
Burning Behavior of Selected Automotive Parts From a
Sports Coupe.
(1563 K)
Ohlemiller, T. J.; Shields, J. R.
NISTIR 6313; 68 p. April 2001.
Keywords:
automobiles; combustion; ignition source; heat release
rate; heat flux; flammability; fire tests; cone
calorimeters
Abstract:
Selected functional parts from a sports coupe were
subjected to a gas: flame ignition source and burned in
a manner that allowed measurement of the resulting total
heat release rate and heat fluxes to the surroundings.
This is the second part of a study undertaken to: (1)
assess possible means for determining the flammability
characteristics of automotive components, (2) obtain
data on the range of flammability behavior exhibited by
such components and the physical processes underlying
that behavior, and (3) obtain insights into the fire
behavior seen in related full-scale vehicle fire tests.
Most of the vehicle components examined in this study
were mounted in isolation on a vehicle buck (a stripped,
partial section of the original sports coupe). This led,
in some cases, such as with a rear interior trim panel,
to a strong influence of the vehicle structure on the
behavior seen; it also led to other interactions such as
the penetration of the windshield by a front fender
fire. Other parts exhibited a wide variety of behaviors
influenced not only by their constituent polymer resins
but also by their shapes, sizes and internal structures.
Building and Fire Research Laboratory
National Institute of Standards and Technology
Gaithersburg, MD 20899