Extending the use of the fire propagation apparatus to qualify burning scenarios of energetic materials and oxidative properties of chemicals

Abstract : The Fire Propagation Apparatus (ASTM E 2058), also called the Tewarson apparatus in Europe, is of the more versatile fire test equipments that has gained rather recently considerable scientific recognition after a long period of technical maturation (1975-1995). The poster briefly reviews technical characteristics of this polyvalent apparatus and recalls major steps of its development. Then it provides first results of the exploration of two new interconnected domains of use under the leadership or contributions of the authors that regards reactive materials. Those domains lead to consider combustion processes that depart significantly from those observed in conventional fires. One deals with the burning behavior of so called energetic materials (e.g. pyrotechnic compositions) outside of the explosion case, the other raises the qualification of oxidative substances with a view of developing pertinent test protocols aiming at an enhanced hazard driven classification scheme for such substances (that would be implemented in an updated version of NFPA 430). First results reveal the type of technical challenges that we have to face and solve to access the actual rate of heat released from energetic materials under decomposition, while revealing promising capacity in supplying toxic potency data associated to gaseous emissions. Preliminary testing of oxidizers carried out under the hospices of the Fire Protection Research Foundation reveals a clear advantage of the FPA against conventional empirical test procedures (such as UN O1 test for transport of dangerous goods and EU A17) for developing a modern classification scheme of oxidizers