y -

NATIONAL BUREAU OF STANDARDS REPORT

Approved for public release by the

1 Director of the National Institute of

| Standards and Technology (NIST)

j on October 9, 2015.

1555

EVALUATION OF FOUR TEST METHODS

FOR FIRE RETARDANT PAINTS

by

tooCO

LGCO g a

c- g

s

3

Cl. Cn

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3.

Marjorie W. Sandholzer,

Eo Wo Bender and

Catherine Rhodes

U. S. DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE

NATIONAL BUREAU OF STANDARDS
U. S. DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE

Charles Sawyer, Secretary

NATIONAL BUREAU OF STANDARDS

A. V. As tin. Acting Director

THE NATIONAL BUREAU OF STANDARDS

Th© scope of activities of the National Bureau of Standards is suggested in the following listing of the divisions and sections engaged in technical work. In general, each section is en- gaged in specialised research, development, and engineering in the field indicated by its

title. A brief description of the activities, and of the resultant reports and publications,

appears on the inside of the back cover of this report.

|. ELECTRICITY. Resistance Measurements. Inductance and Capacitance. Electrical Instruments. Magnetic Measurements. Electrochemistry.

2. OPTICS AMD METROLOGY. Photometry and Colorimetry. Optical Instruments. Photographic

Technology. Length. Gage.

3. HEAT km POWER. Temperature Measurements. Thermodynamics. Cryogenics. Engines and

Labricatioe. Engine Fuels.

4. ATOMIC AND RAD I ATS OH PHYSICS. Spectroscopy. Radiometry. Mass Spectrometry. Physical Electronics. Electron Physics. Atomic Physics. Neutron Measurements. Nuclear Physics. Radioactivity. X-Rays. Betatron. Nucleonic Instrumentation. Radiological Equipment. Atattic Energy Commission Instruments Branch.

5. CHEMISTRY. Organic Coatings. Surface Chemistry. Organic Chemistry. Analytical Chemistry. Inorganic Chemistry. Eiectrodeposition. Gas Chemistry. Physical Chemistry. Thermochemistry. Spectrochemistry. Pure Substances

.

G® [MECHANICS. Sound. Mechanical Instruments. Aerodynamics. Engineering Mechanics. Hydraulics. Mass. 'Capacity, Density, and Fluid Meters. ?. ORGANIC AND F8 8R0US MATERIALS. Rubber. Textiles. Paper. Leather. Testing and

Specifications. Organic Plastics. Dental Research.

8. METALLURGY. Thermal Metallurgy. Chemical Metallurgy. Mechanical Metallurgy . Corrosion.

9. MINERAL PRODUCTS. Porcelain and Pottery. Glass. Refractories. Enameled Metals. Building Stone. Concreting Materials. Constitution and Microstructure. Chemistry of Mineral

Products.

KL BUILDING TECHNOLOGY. Structural Engineering. Fire Protection. Heating and Air Con- ditioning. Exterior and Interior Coverings. Codes and Specifications.

81® APPLIED MATHEMATICS. Numerical Analysis. Confutation. Statistical Engineering. Ma- chine Development.

12. ELECTRONICS. Engineering Electronics. Electron Thbes. Electronic Computers. Electronic Instrwaentatioa.

13. ORDNANCE DEVELOPMENT. Mechanical Research and Development. Electromechanical

Fuses. Technical Services. Missile Fuzing Research. Missile Fusing Development. Pro- jectile Fuses. Ordnance Components. Ordnance Tests. Ordnance Research.

14. RADIO PROPAGATION. Upper Atmosphere Research. Ionospheric Research. Regular Propagation Services. Frequency Utilisation Research. Tropospheric Propagation Research. High

Frequency Standards. Microwave Standards.

15. MISSILE DEVELOPMENT. Missile Engineering. Missile Dynamics. Missile Intelligence.

Missile Instrumentation. Technical Services. Combustion.
NBS PROJECT NBS REPORT

1002-43-1029

This report is issued

in any form, either in

fro* the Office of the

March 20, 1952 1555

EVALUATION OF FOUR TEST METHODS

FOR FIRE RETARDANT PAINTS

by

Marjorie W. Sandholzer,

E. W. Bender and

Catherine Rhodes

Approved for public release by the

Director of the National Institute ot

Standards and Technology (NIST)

on October 9, 2015.

ion, reprinting, or reproduction

ermission in writing is obtained

Washington 25, D- C.

EVALUATION OF FOUR TEST METHODS

FOR FIRE RETARDANT PAINTS

ABSTRACT

Interlaboratory tests were arranged to study the reproducibility and usefulness of a proposed cabinet test method

for determining the relative fire resistance of fire retardant

paints. The National Bureau of Standards cooperated in the

investigation and further expanded its program to include a

comparison of the cabinet test with three other suggested

test methods. The report covers only the work carried out

at the National Bureau of Standards , an analysis of the

interlaboratory results being in process at the Engineer

Research and Development Laboratories. Results of the

single laboratory indicate that the performance requirements

imposed by the present cabinet method are less severe than

can readily be met by a number of available paints. It is

suggested that, with certain modifications, both the cabinet

test and a standard British test for non- inflammability of

materials offer promise as tests which might be satisfactory

in sensitivity as well as severity.

1. INTRODUCTION

In connection with the preparation of specifications

covering fire retardant paints, a test for fire retardancy

which was judged appropriate to the requirements and facilities of paint factory laboratories was developed at the

Engineer Research and Development Laboratories at Fort

Belvoir, Va. After intensive study of the test at the ERDL

,

it was felt that organized cooperative tests to provide data

2

on the reproducibility and correlation of results obtained in

different laboratories were an essential step in establishing

the practical dependability of the method. Accordingly, a

conference attended by representatives of the ERDL , the

Office of the Chief of Engineers, and the National Bureau of

Standards, was held on May 16, 1951 at the NBS , to plan and

initiate such a cooperative testing program.

The following five laboratories had indicated willingness to participate and were equipped with or could obtain

the necessary testing apparatus:

Albi Manufacturing Co., 29 Bartholomew Ave.

,

Hartford, Conn.

Ocean Chemical Co., 8l36 Dobson St., Chicago, 111.

Vita Var Corp. , Albert Ave., Newark, N. J.

Engineer Research and Development Laboratories,

Ft. Belvoir, Va.

National Bureau of Standards, Washington, D. C.

It was the general plan that each of these laboratories would

use the proposed cabinet method in conducting tests of the

same paints applied to the same base materials under conditions as closely similar as proved feasible. The results of

the individual laboratories would be submitted to the ERDL

for correlation and analysis.

Several factors were considered in an effort to establish reasonable uniformity in test procedures and test

specimens. A check was to be made of the various laboratories to insure proper adjustment of the test equipments

and full understanding of the stipulated procedure. Two

base materials, poplar wood and insulating fiberboard, were

selected, and it was arranged that all of the poplar wood

panels would be procured and distributed to the participating laboratories by the ERDL while all of the fiberboard

panels would be cut and distributed by the National Bureau

of Standards. Furthermore, half of the panels, a set of

ten for each test, were to be painted at the distributing

laboratory, preferably by a single operator, and the other

half, comprising duplicate sets of ten for each test, were

to be supplied unpainted for preparation at the testing

laboratory. This arrangement was designed to provide not

only uniform specimens but also an indication of the effect

on the results of differences in paint application. Three

paints representing a range in fire retardancy, as indicated by earlier tests, were to be selected by, and

distributed to the testing laboratories from the NBS. All

samples of each paint were to be taken from a single

- 3

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shipment of that paint and forwarded to the laboratories

,

identified only as Paints Nos. 1, 2, and 3. It was agreed

that in all cases the paint would be applied to give a

coverage of 250 ft2 /gal.

The following is a report of the work carried out at

the National Bureau of Standards, where, in addition to

tlie cooperative testing outlined above, the program was expanded to include tests by three other methods which have

been used for comparison of fire retardancy in paints. These

additional methods comprised the horizontal panel test described in paragraph F--3c(2) of Federal Specification

SS-A-ll8a for Acoustical Units; Prefabricated, the Mild

Schlyter Test described in Mimeo. No. l4*+3 entitled "Fire

Test Methods Used in Research at the Forest Products

Laboratory" and distributed by the Forest Products Laboratory,

Madison, Wisconsin, and the "Test of Non- Inflammability of

Materials" of Standard British Specification *+7 6, modified

as described in a Progress Report, Project 179- Jo on "Flame

Spread Tests of Fiber Insulating Boards" prepared by the

Forest Products Laboratory. The tests by these methods

were conducted on specimens of the same fiberboard used in the

cooperative tests by the cabinet method, using the same three

paints applied at the same coverage of 250 ft^/gal.

2. TEST MATERIALS

The following paints, under identification numbers assigned in the order of decreasing fire resistance (as indicated in previous tests by the method of Specification

SS-A-ll8a on earlier shipments of the paints) were used in

the tests:

No. 1 - "Duotex", manufactured by the Glidden Co. for

the Celotex Corp.

No. 2 - "Fi-Re-Sist " , manufactured by the Resistant

Products Corp., Baltimore, Md.

No. 3 - a paint conforming to the military specification JAN- P-702, manufactured at the Navy Paint

Factory, Philadelphia, Pa.

A bulk supply of each paint was procured by the NBS , from

which the required smaller supplies were forwarded to each

of the other testing laboratories. On all test specimens

painted at the NBS, the specified coverage of 250 ft^/gal

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was applied in a single heavy brush coat.

Sheets of l/2 in. "Insulite" taken from a single shipment were used in the preparation of all of the fiberboard

test panels. Three hundred 6 in. by 12 in. panels were cut

for the cabinet method tests, half of them being painted,

fifty with each paint. The paint was applied on the edges

as well as both surfaces. Thirty of the painted panels, ten

coated with each paint, together with thirty unpainted panels

to be similarly coated at the testing laboratory, were sent

to each of the participating laboratories. In addition to

the fiberboard panels prepared at the 3TBS , sixty poplar wood

panels, 6 in. by 12 in. by I/I4. in., were received from the

ERDL for tests by the cabinet method. Thirty of the wood

panels had already been painted, ten with each paint, at the

ERDL, and the remaining thirty were similarly coated after

receipt at the NBS . All of the test panels, both poplar

wood and fiberboard, were conditioned for one week prior to

painting in an atmosphere controlled to 75° ±3° F and 50 to

60 percent relative humidity. After being coated they were

similarly conditioned for two weeks before testing.

For tests by the horizontal panel method (Spec. SS-A-ll8a)

and the Schlyter Test, three 8 by Ip ft sheets of the "Insulite"

were painted, one with each paint, on the finished side only.

Three of the 36 by 32 in. specimens required for the horizontal

panel test, and two of the 31 by 12 in. specimens required for

the Schlyter Test were then cut from each painted sheet. This

provided sufficient test panels to make three determinations on

each paint by the horizontal panel method, and one determination on each paint by the Schlyter Test, a set of two panels

being required for each determination in the latter method.

The specimens were conditioned, before and after painting, in

the same manner as those prepared for the cabinet test.

Thirty 12 inch square fiberboard panels were painted on

the finished side only, ten with each paint, for use in the

British Non- Inflammability Test. These specimens were not

specially conditioned before painting, and were tested after

approximately three days of conditioning after painting.

3 . TEST METHODS

3.1 Cabinet Method (Proposed Military Spec. MIL-P-CE for

Paint, Fire Retardant, Interior)

- 5 - Before testing, the panels are placed for LlO hours in

an oven held at 120° ±3°F. Individual panels are then removed from the oven, cooled to room temperature, and weighed

to the nearest 0.1 gram.

The test equipment is housed in a metal cabinet approximately 18 in. high by 111 in. wide and 10 in. deep, with a chimney vent in the top at the right hand side and a hinged,

glass-paneled door in the front. Inside the cabinet, parallel

supports of strap iron, set six inches apart and attached to

the left side of the cabinet near the base, extend upward toward the vent at an angle of l±5 degrees. The test panel is

placed lengthwise on these supports, with the face to be tested

downward and the lower end resting against an adjustable metal

cross bar. To provide the test flame, 5 ml o f absolute alcohol

are drawn from a burette into a small brass cup supported on a metal pedestal Insulated with asbestos paper. The cup has an

outside diameter of l5/l6 in., an outside height of ll/l6 in.,

wall thickness of l/32 in., and a capacity of 6 ml. The cup

is moved into position under the test panel so that the lip of

the cup is one inch vertically below the panel surface near its

lower end. The alcohol is ignited with a match and the duration of the alcohol flame, the time at which flaming of the

panel begins, and the duration of the panel flaming are noted

with a stop watch.

After all flaming has ceased, the panel is cooled to

room temperature and weighed to the nearest 0.1 gram. It is

then cut into four sections along the lines of maximum length

and width of flame attack by a fine-toothed saw. The charred

paint film is scraped away, and the maximum length and width

of char in the wood are determined along the longitudinal and

lateral cuts, respectively. The maximum depth to which char

penetrated at any point is also determined. From these

values, the char area is calculated as the product of maximum

char length and maximum char width, and char volume is taken

as the product of char area and maximum char depth.

The specification proposes that the following requirements must be fulfilled by an acceptable paint. The average

loss in weight of five specimens shall not exceed 13> grams

and the average char volume, based on five specimens, shall

not exceed I4..5 cu in. If the standard deviation in char

volume among the specimens is greater than 0.9 cu in., five

additional panels are tested and the average char volume of

- 6 -

the ten specimens shall not exceed 4.5 cu in.

The results of the tests made by this method are shown

in Tables 1, 2, and 3.

3.2 Horizontal panel test (Spec. SS-A-ll8a)

The panels for this horizontal test were not dried in

the oven but were taken directly from the conditioning room

for testing.

The 36 in. by 32 in. specimen is mounted in a horizontal position, with the painted surface downward, on an angle

iron frame which encloses an exposed area 30 inches square.

The specimen is covered by an incombustible board, 1/2 in.

thick, placed flat on its upper surface. The flame from a

7/8--in. gas-air burner set with the top of the burner

28-3A in. below the specimen, is directed against the

center of the under surface of the specimen. The intensity

of the fire exposure is gaged with a thermocouple placed

one inch below the center of the specimen, and is adjusted

to follow the "Standard" time- temperature curve shown in

the specification. The duration of exposure is 20 minutes.

The specification defines as "S low- Burning , " materials

which meet the following requirements: No flame from the

specimen shall reach the angle iron frame during or after

application of the test flame, nor shall glow progress to

the edge of the specimen. All flaming shall cease within

five minutes after the test flame is discontinued.

Materials which do not fulfill these requirements are

classified as "Combustible."

The time at which flames reached the iron frame and

the corresponding classification of the panels tested are

given in Table 4.

3.3 Mild Schlyter test

The two panels, each 12 by 31 in., comprising the test

specimen are mounted vertically with the coated faces inward

on an angle iron frame which spaces them 6 in. apart. The

end of one panel rests on the floor while the bottom of the

other is 4 in. above the floor. A wing-tipped gas burner

having a right angle bend in the mixing tube is supported

with its top between the panels and above the bottom of the

- 7

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higher panel, the wing tip spreading the flame at right angles

to the panel surfaces , The burner flame is applied for 3

minutes and the initial and subsequent flame heights are observed with the aid of a scale mounted beside the specimen,,

Table 5 shows the results of the tests made by this

method

3.4 British Test of Non- Inflammability of Materials

In a study of flame spread tests several years a^o, the

Forest Products Laboratory found this method one of the more

promising tests for distinguishing slight differences in

flame behavior, and suggested several modifications which appeared to increase its sensitivity. These modifications,

consisting primarily of the use of larger test specimens and

a more severe flame exposure, have been adopted for the present work.

Before test, the 12 inch square panel is dried for 6

hours at 212°F, then cooled to room temperature and weighed

to the nearest 0,1 gram.

The test equipment consists of a flat metal base in

which four perpendicular metal rods are set in positions

corresponding to the four corner areas of the specimen. The

heights of the rods are so adjusted (one pair being longer

than the other pair) that a specimen laid across them is inclined at an angle of 45 degrees, and hooks on the shorter

rods serve as stops to prevent the specimen from sliding

off. The test flame is provided by one milliliter of absolute alcohol burning in a flat-bottomed steel cup 11/16 in.

in outside diameter, 9/32 in. high, and with a wall thickness

of 1/32 in. The cup is set on a No. 11 cork fixed on the top

of an adjustable metal support, and is placed so that the

base of the cup is one inch vertically below the center of

the under surface of the specimen.

The panel was mounted with the painted surface downward,

and one milliliter of alcohol was pipetted into the cup and

ignited with a match. The duration of the alcohol flame, the

duration of flaming after the alcohol had burned out, and the

time at which flame reached the upper edge of the panel were

noted. If flaming persisted for one minute after the alcohol

had been consumed, it was then manually extinguished. After

the test, the panel was cooled to room temperature and
/ ) \ / J
- a -

weighed to the nearest 0.1 gram. The charred paint was

scraped away and measurements made of the maximum length

and maximum width of char in the fiberboard. The product

of these values was taken as the char area.

The results of the tests by this method are given in

Table 6.

4. DISCUSSION OF RESULTS

Although the analysis of results from the several laboratories will provide more conclusive information on the

cabinet test method, a number of interesting observations

are suggested by the results obtained in this laboratory

alone. To more conveniently show the relative performance

of the paints and the effects of the varying conditions,

the following condensed tabulation has been prepared from

the more detailed Tables 1, 2 and 3.

Poplar Wood Panels Fiberboard

Coated. at ERDL Coated at NBS Panels

Paint avg wt avg char avg wt avg char avg wt avg char

No. loss . vol loss vol loss vol

grams in-> grams in^ grams inJ

1 (Duotex) 10.6 5-7 10.0 5.3 3.8 3.1

2 (Fi-Re-Sist ) 19-3 8.5 17.4 7.0 8.3 5A

3 (Navy) 15.0 7.0 18.3 7-5 10.4 8.1

None of the three paints, applied to poplar wood, showed

char volumes within the proposed limit of 4.5 cu in. Paint

No. 1, however, fulfilled the requirement on weight loss, and

Paint No. 3 also, on the panels coated at the ERDL, was just

within the proposed 15 gram limit. On the fiberboard panels,

Paint No. 1 satisfied both requirements for an acceptable

paint, but Paints 2 and 3 exceeded the limit in char volume.

Disregarding the proposed limits, however, the method appeared to provide reasonable differentiation among the three

paints. In all of the tests the distinction between Paint

No. 1 and the other two paints was decided and clear, which

suggests that a superior paint could probably be selected

consistently by this method. The diff'erentiation between

Paints 2 and 3 was less decided, but within each set of test

conditions the weight loss and char volume agreed in determining the order of fire resistance, and, at least in weight

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loss, a fair degree of sensitivity seems indicated.

It would appear that the method of paint application,

even when a standard coverage is used, may have a bearing

on the results of the test. Thus, the order of fire resistance of Paints 2 and 3 was reversed on the panels coated at

the ERDL and those coated at the NBS. Furthermore, reference

to the detailed tables will show that in weight loss there

was consistently a greater variation among individual specimens in the groups coated at the NBS than in those coated at

the ERDL. Whether these differences have any significance or

may be related to variations in method of application (for

example, the possible use of two light coats rather than

one heavy coat) cannot be judged without further information from the other laboratories.

Regarding the base material used for the test panels,

the three paints showed the same relative order of fire

resistance on the poplar wood and on the fiberboard, although the wood evidently provided somewhat more severe

test conditions. Coupled with this greater severity was

a corresponding lesser sensitivity in the detection of

differences in fire resistance. This is apparent with both

the weight loss and char volume criteria, but is particularly notable with the char volume, which was of little

value in distinguishing between the two less effective

paints on the wood panels. The panels prepared from

fiberboard were decidedly more uniform in weight, and

probably in composition, than those prepared from the wood,

and it should be noted that the facilities available at the

time for cutting the fiberboard panels did not permit as

great uniformity as could easily be achieved. The greater

uniformity appeared to be reflected in a corresponding decrease in weight loss variation among the individual

specimens of the fiberboard panels.

Apropos of the general operation of the test equipment,

it was noted that the air supply within the cabinet is not

sufficient for unrestricted burning of the alcohol and test

panel. The suggestion is offered that a more satisfactory

test exposure, and perhaps more reproducible results, could

be obtained if this smothering effect were eliminated by

modifying the cabinet to insure adequate ventilation. Such

a modification could be expected to increase the severity

of the test to some extent, which this laboratory feels

would be a further improvement.

10

Comparing the results obtained by the different test

methods, Paint No. 1 showed the greatest fire resistance

in all cases. Except in the horizontal panel test, the difference between it and the other two paints was marked, and

it seems evident that paints having a significant degree of

fire resistance are available and the establishment of

criteria for their selection is feasible.

The horizontal panel test is the most severe of the

methods used and it does not determine relatively small differences in the flame behavior of less effective paints. Thus,

the test panels of all three paints burned too readily to permit conclusive differentiation between them. However, the

"Slow- Burning" classification of the test does offer a useful

criterion for defining a class of more highly retardant

paints, and there are paints on the market which have qualified

in this "Slow- Burning" group. It is, therefore, strongly

recommended that standards for an acceptable fire retardant

paint should be no less severe than the "Slow- Burning" requirements of this test.

A more severe exposure in either the cabinet test or

the British test for non- inflammability might provide a method in which the performance limits could be made adequately exacting and, at the same time, relative performance

could be satisfactorily determined. Proper ventilation of

the cabinet test would increase the severity of exposure in

the one case, and a larger quantity of test fuel (perhaps

5 ml) would give a more severe exposure in the other, modifications which would, in fact, make the two tests closely

similar. Reports of preliminary work using 5 ml of alcohol

in the British test have shown promise of good comparative

determinations. Although the mild Schlyter test differentiated between the three paints and could be modified to increase the severity of exposure, it is a more unwield_ test

for laboratory use and development than the cabinet method

or the British test.

5. SUMMARY

In connection with the development of a cabinet test

method for the classification of fire retardant paints, a program of interlaboratory tests to investigate the reproducibility and correlation of results was arranged. The

NBS cooperated in the interlaboratory tests and, in addition, expanded its program to include a comparison of the

11 -

cabinet method with three other test methods which have been

used to determine fire retardancy in paints. The three additional tests comprised the horizontal panel test described in

Federal Specification SS-A-ll8a, the mild Schlyter test, and

a modification of the standard British "Test for Non- Inflammability of Materials," the latter two as described in

publications of the Forest Products Laboratory. Three

different paints were applied to both poplar wood and fiberboard panels for tests by the cabinet method, and to fiberboard panels only, for tests by the other methods.

Analysis of the interlaboratory results with the cabinet

method will be made by the Engineer Research and Development

Laboratories, to which the individual laboratories have submitted their findings. It is evident, however, from the

results of tests at this laboratory alone, that test panels

of considerably more uniform weight can be prepared from

fiberboard than from poplar wood. With the use of fiberboard the test proved less severe but showed greater sensitivity, particularly with respect to the char volume

criterion. In general, weight loss appeared the more sensitive criterion, the char volume providing little distinction

between the less effective paints on wood panels.

Among the four test methods, there was consistent agreement in selecting one of the paints as definitely superior

to the other two in fire resistance. The distinction

between the two less effective paints was not as clear in

most cases, and the order of relative fire resistance was

not entirely consistent. Nevertheless, it would appear that

the establishment of suitable criteria for the selection of

acceptably fire retardant paints is readily feasible.

The horizontal panel test was the most severe of the

methods used, and correspondingly ineffective in determining

small differences in performance among paints of low fire

resistance. There are paints available, however, which have

met the requirements for the "Slow- Burning" classification of

this test, and it is recommended that performance equivalent

to these requirements should be specified for acceptable

fire retardancy.

Both the cabinet test and the British test for non- inflammability offer promise as satisfactory laboratory

methods for comparison and classification of fire resistance, if modified to increase the severity of flame exposure.

It is suggested that this might be accomplished by providing

adequate ventilation in the cabinet test, and by increasing

the quantity of test fuel in the British test.

TG10210 : 1825- FP3117

Table 1 - CABINET TEST RESULTS ON PAINTS APPLIED TO

POPLAR WOOD PANELS COATED AT E.R.D.L,

Weight Char

Paint and

Test No.

before

test

after

test loss length width depth area volume

Duotex gram gram gram in in In in^ in3

1 132.6 143,9 8.7 8.6 4.8 .19 41.3 7,9

2 133.3 142.0 11.3 7,1 3.1 .19 22 cO 4.2

3

~

. 3 142 .

10.3 8.1 3.0 .19 24.3 4.

4- 146 .

137-3 11.2 7,4 3 »

.19 26.6 3,1

3 129.9 119,7 10.2 8.3 3*1 „22 25.7 3*7

6 147.8 135.0 12.8 7.8 4*4 .19 34.3 6,3

7 14.0.3 131.0 9.3 7,3 3.0 .22 21.9 4,8

8 148.3 135.7 12.8 8.1 4,1 .19 33,2 6.3

9 144.9 135.6 9,3 7,6 3 * 6 .19 27.4 3*2

10 135.9 125.5 10.4 8 „ 6 4.0 .19 34*4 6.3

Avg 143.4 134*8 10.6 7»9 3.7 .20 29.1 3*7

Fi-Re-Sist

1 138,4 119.4 19.0 9.7 4.6 ,22 44.6 9.8

2 163.9 141.7 22.2 9.8 4*3 .19 42,1 8.0

3 141.0 126.3 14.5 8,9 4.2 .22 37.4 8,2

4 143.4 128.1 15.3 8.9 3,8 ,22 33.8 7*4

5 167.0 146.3 20.7 9.0 4*3 .19 40.5 7*7

6 169.1 150.5 18.6 8.8 3.9 ,19 34.3 6.5

7 145.2 128.6 16.6 9.4 4,6 .22 43.2 9c3

8 150.0 126.6 23.4 9,7 4.

,22 I4J1 .

9.8

9 147.8 129,2 18.6 9.6 3.9 ,22 37.4 8.2

10 143.2 118.9 24.3 9,6 4.8 ,22 46.1 10.1

Avg 130.9 131,

19.3 9,3 4*3 .21 40 ,

8,3

Navy

1 157.4 142.1 15.3 9,6 3*2 ,19 30,7 3,8

2 146.2 131.5 14.7 6,6 4.8 . 19 31.7 6.0

3 153.5 136.0 17.5 9-7 3-3 .22 32,0 7 0 0

4 158.4 145.7 12.7 6.6 4*1 ,19 27.I 3.1

3 163,1 148.3 14.6 8 »

3*3 .19 30.1 3.7

6 140.9 123,4 15.5 9,7 4.9 .19 47.5 9 .

7 153.9 137*9 16.0 9*7 4,0 .19 38.8 7-4

8 146.3 131.1 13.2 9,2 3.8 .19 35.0 6.6

9 134-7 120.2 14.5 9*7 4,6 .22 44*6 9,8

10 138.1 124.4 13,7 9.7 4-3 .19 4l . 6 7,9

Avg 149,2 134.3 13.0 8.9 4,0 .20 35.9 7.0

Table 2 - CABINET TEST RESULTS ON POPLAR MOOD PANELS

COATED AT THE N.B.S.

Weight Char

Paint and

Test No.

before

test

after

test loss length width depth area volume

Duotex gram gram gram in in in in2 in3

1 141.6 136.0 5.6 6.6 2.8 c 19 18.5 3.5

2 157.5 147.7 9.8 7.9 3.6 .19 28.4 5.4

3 161.5 148.4 13.1 9.3 3.9 .22 36.3 8.0

4 163.2 151.1 12.1 7.9 3.5 .19 27.6 5.2

5 151.5 140.6 10.9 7.9 3.3 .19 26.1 5.0

6 155.7 146.2 9.5 7.3 3.2 .19 23.4 4.4

7 135.7 128.1 7.6 8.2 3.2 .19 26.2 5.0

8 162.9 151.1 11.8 8.2 3.6 .19 29.5 5.6

9 156.5 145*9 10.6 7 .

3.2 .22 25.3 5.6

10 140.7 131.3 9.4 7-7 3.6 .19 27.7 5.3

Avg 152.7 142.6 10.0 7.9 3.4 .20 26.9 5.3

Fi-Re-Sist

1 153.7 137.0 16.

9.3 3.7 .19 34.4 6.5rV

2 152.1 135.2 16.9 8.3 3.8- ;» 19 31.5 6.0

3 141.6 127.1 14.5 7.5 3.8 .19 28.5 5*4

4- 161.

142.3 19.1 9.0 3.8 .19 34.2 6.5

$ 130.2 111.5 18.7 9.7 4.4 .19 43.6 8.3

6

' 160.

141 .

19.0 9.8 3.8 .19 37-2 7.1

7 137.5 125.0 12.5 7.7 3.6 .19 27.7 5-3

8 146.8 123.2 23.6 9.8 4.

.19 45-1 8.6

9 155.3 137.2 18.1 9.7 4.2 .19 40.7 7.7

10 132.2 117.5 14.7 ' 8.8 4-3 .22 37.8 8.3

Avg 147.1 129.7 17.4 9.0 * 4.0 .19 36.1 7.0

Navy

1 163.9 142.3 21.6 9.7- 4.3 .19 41.7 7.9

2 156.9 141.2 15.7 9.0 4.0 .19 39.6 7.5

3 147.9 127.6 20.3 9.7 4.5 .22 43.6 9.6

4 132.6 121.5 11.1 8.0 2.9 .22 23.2 5.1

5 157.3 137.2 20.1 10.0 3.8 .19 38.0 7.2

6 I68.3 148.7 19.6 9.6 3.8 .19 36.5 6.9

7 147.3 128.8 18.5 10.3 4.5 .19 46 .4 8.8

8 140.9 119.8 21.1 9.3 4.6 .19 42.

§

8.1

9 159.8 143.1 I6.7 9.8 3.2 .19 31.4 6.0

Avg 152.8 134.5 18.3 9.6 4.0 .20 38.1 7.5

TABLE 3

- CABINET TEST RESULTS ON PAINTS APPLIED TO FIBERBOARD

PANELS COATED AT THE N.B.S.

Weight Char

Paint and

Test No.

before

test

after

test loss length width depth area volume

Duotex gram gram gram in in in in2 in3

1 199.6 196.8 2.8 5.9 3.1 .25 18.3 k» 6

2 202.3 196.1 6.2 k.k 2.4 .28 10.6 3.0

3 200.3 198.1 2.2 k* 6 2 .k .28 11.0 3.1

k 196.9 19k. 5 2 .k k.k 2 .k .28 10,6 3.0

5 206.3 20k.

1.9 k. 6 2.4 .25 11.0 2.8

6 201.9 198.7 3.2 4-7 2 -k .28 11.3 3.2

7 207.2 201.6 5.6 I+.3 2«k .25 10.3 2 .

8 196.1 192.0 k.l 4.5 2.4 • 31 10.8 3.3

9 209.5 20k4-9 k. 5 2 .

.25 11-7 2.9

10 205.9 201.5 k-k k* 6 2.k .25 11.0 2.8

Avg 202.6 198.8 3.8 k.6 2.5 .27 11.7 3.1

Fi-Re-Sist

1 206.1 195.

1-0 i.7 8.6 3.9 .25 33.5 8.k

2 211.2 201.3 9.9 5.8 k.o .25 23.2 5.5

3 203.3 195.6 7.7 6.8 k* 6 .25 31.3 7.8

4 202.7 195.9 6.8 6.3 3.3 .25 20.8 5.2

5 210.3 200.9 9.k 6.3 3.0 .25 18.9 4-7

6 202.8 193.5 9.3 6.3 3.3 .25 20.8 5.2

7 213.7 20k.

9.5 6.

3.3 .25 20.8 5.2

8 20k. 7 200.2 4-5 5.5 2.7 .22 4.8 3.3

9 205.3 196.8 3.5 5.8 3.1 .25 18.0 4*5

10 20k. 3 197.7 6.6 5.9 2.6 .25 15.3 3.8

Avg 206.ii 198.2 8.3 6.4 '3*4 .25 21.7 5® k

Navy

1 209.0 196.3 12.7 6.1 k.o • kl 2k.

10.0

2 208.5 196.3 12.2 5.9 k.o 4k 23.6 10.

3 20k.

193.1 11-7 6.0 3.2 .38 19.2 7 .

k 212.3 20k. 0 8.3 6 .

3.0 .28 19.8 5.5

5 213.0 203.7 9.3 6.0 3.8 .25 22.8 5.7

6 211.2 20k. 2 7.0 5-k 3.2 .kk 17.3 7.6

7 212.6 200.2 12 .

6.0 3.9 .28 23.4 6. 6

8 201.7 195.2 9.5 7.5 3.2 .28 2k. 0 6 .

- 9 210.7 200.6 10.1 6.9 3.6 .kk 2k.

10.9

10 211.2 200.5 10.7 6.4 k -2 .38 26.9 10.2

Avg 209.8 199.5 10. k 6.3 3.6 .36 22.6 8.1

Table Ll - RESULTS OF HORIZONTAL PANEL TEST (Spec. SS-A-ll8a)

Paint and Time flame reached

Test No. iron frame Classification

min

Duotex 1

2

3

13.00 Combustible

6.00 do

9.00 do

Fi-Re-Sist 1

2

3

4.00 Combustible

6.00 do

5c 00 do

Navy 1

2

3

[l. 55 Combustible

5.50 do

6.12 do

Table 5 - RESULTS OF MILD SCHLYTER TEST

Time of max. Flame height when Duration of

Paint flame height burner removed afterf laming

min in min

Duotex 2.30 20 3.45

Fi-Re-Sist 2.15 60 continued

(manually extinguished ) Navy 2.15 72 continued

(manually extinguished )

Table 6 - RESULTS OF BRITISH TEST FOR NON-INFLAMMABILITY

Paint

Test

and

No.

Weight Time flame

at top of

panel

Char

before

test

after

test loss length width area

gram gram gram min in in in^

Duotex

]_ 34-9.3 349.0 0.3 not reached 5.1 1.9 9.7

2 347-0 346* 6 0.4 do 5.0 1.8 9,0

3 353.8 353.4 0.4 do 5.5 1.8 9.9

4 345-9 345.4 0,5 do 5.0 1.9 9.5

5 346-9 346 , Ii 0.5 do 4-9 1.9 9.3

6 352-5 352.1 0.4 - do 5.1 2.2 11.2

7 350.5 349.9 0,6 do 5.0 2,0 10.0

8 348.3 347.5 0.8 do 4-9 1.9 9,3

9 355.7 355.0 0.7 do 5.0 1.9 9.5

10 354-7 353.9 0.8 do 4.8 2.0 9,6

Avg 350.5 349.9 0.5 5.0 1.9 Q , 7

Fi-Re^-Sist

1 349.0 343-4 5.6 0.70 9.2 3.8 35.0

2 353.5 344.1 94 1.17 9,4 5.6 52.6

3 343-3 342. k 5.9 0.96 9.2 4.8 44.2

ii 355-0 351.6 3.4 not reached 5.9 3 .

21,2

5 351.9 349.6 2.3 do 6.4 3*0 19.2

6 350.6 347.3 3.3 0,87 8 ,4 2.7 22.7

7 347-0 338.6 8.4 1.59 9.6 6.6 63.4

8 349.3 345.7 3.6 1.63 7.3 3.8 27.7

9 354-3 347.7 6 ,

1.17 8,5 5.6 47,6

10 351.2 347 .

3.4 not reached 6.4 3.8 24.3

Avg 351.0 345.8 5-2 1.16 8.0 4.3 35.8

Navy

1 348.5 347.2 1.3 not reached 6.4 2.2 14.

2 352.5 351.3 1.2 do 6.

2.3 13.8

3 352.6 351.1 1.5 do 6.4 2.2 14.1

4 364.3 360.0 4.3 2,30 7.4 2.7 20,0

5 350,8 349.3 i-5 not reached 6.2 2.2 13.6

6 347.4 346.1 1.3 do 6.0 2.3 13.8

7 355.7 354-4 1.3 do 6.0 2.2 13.2

8 350.7 347.8 2.9 do 6.2 2.3 14.3

9 358.7 357.3 1.4 do 6 .

2.3 13.8

10 352.3 350,6 1.7 do 6 .

2.4 15-8

Avg 353-4 351.5 1.8 6.3 2.3 14.6

THE NAT IOWA L BUREAU OF STANDARDS

Functions and Activities

The National Bureau of Standards is the principal agency of

the Federal Government for fundamental and applied research in physics, mathematics, chemistry, and engineering. Its activities range

from the determination of physical constants and properties of ma- terials, the development and maintenance of the national standards

of measurement in the physical sciences, and the development of

methods and instruments of measurement, to the development of special

devices for the military and civilian agencies of the Government.

The work includes basic and applied research, development, engineering, instrumentation, testing, evaluation, calibration services,

and various scientific and technical advisory services. A major

portion of the NBS work is performed for other government agencies,

particularly the Department of Defense and the Atomic Energy Commission. The functions of the National Bureau of Standards are set

forth in the Act of Congress, March 3, 1901, as amended by Congress

in Public La* 619, 1950. Hie scope of activities is suggested in

the listing of divisions and sections on the inside of the front

cover.

Reports and Publications

The results of the Bureau's work take the form of either actual

equipment and devices or published papers and reports. Reports are issued to the sponsoring agency of a particular project or program.

Published papers appear either in the Bureau’s own series of publications or in the journals of professional and scientific societies.

The Bureau itself publishes three monthly periodicals, available

from the Government Printing Office : the Journal of Research, which

presents complete papers reporting technical investigations; the

Technical News Bulletin, which presents summary and preliminary re- ports on work in progress; and Basic Radio Propagation Predictions,

which provides data for determining the best frequencies to use for

radio communications throughout the world. There are also five

series of nonperiodical publications: the Applied Mathematics Series, Circulars, Handbooks, Building Materials and Structures Reports, and Miscellaneous Publications.

Information on the Bureau’s publications can be found in

NBS Circular 460, Publications of the National Bureau of Standards

($1.00). Information on calibration services and fees can be found

in NBS Circular 483, Testing by the National Bureau of Standards

(25 cents). Both are available from the Government Printing Of fice.

Inquiries regarding the Bureau’s reports and publications should be

addressed to the Office of Scientific Publications, National Bureau

of Standards, Washington 25, D. C.
*4— • ' . -y.