PD 6503-2:1988

Foreword
Committees responsible
Guide
Section one. Background to small-scale tests
0 Introduction
1 Scope
2 Statistical information and fires
3 Hazard assessment and the role of test methods
4 General origin and nature of combustion products
5 Characterization of fire atmospheres and
   classification of fires
6 Guide for setting up toxicity tests
7 Basic criteria for fire models for toxicological
   studies
Section two. Available methods
8 DIN 53436
9 NBS 'Potts Pot' cup
Appendix
A Bibliography
Tables
1 Fires in occupied buildings: UK annual means for 1978
   to 1984
2 Decomposition products from some typical polymers
3 Products found in wood and polypropylene fires (40 kg
   fire load)
4 Summary of fire classification
5 Fire models
6 Relevance of the DIN 53436 method to the fire types
   classified in clause 5
7 Relevance of the NBS 'Potts Pot' cup method to the
   fire types classified in clause 5
Figures
1 Hazard and hazard assessment
2 Typical concentrations of carbon monoxide, carbon
   dioxide and oxygen in large-scale fires (wood, low
   ventilation)
3 CO2/CO ratios plotted against oxygen concentration
   for large-scale fires

Provides background and guidance to the selection of small-scale tests and reviews two appropriate available national tests.

This Part of PD 6503 gives, in section one, the background to small-scale tests for the toxicity of combustion products of materials and composites, and shows how these methods can be related in principle to different fire conditions. Section two gives details of available methods known to comply with certain essential criteria and describes their relevance in relation to defined fire types.