Renault Nissan RNES-B-00071 Test Method - Horizontal Flammability for Automotive Materials

The standard “Renault Nissan RNES-B-00071 Test method - Horizontal flammability for automotive materials”, developed jointly by the French automobile company Renault and the automobile company Nissan, describes a test method for determining the flammability of automotive materials. The purpose of this test method is to determine the horizontal burning rate and the type of burning that may occur in materials located in the passenger compartment of a vehicle, especially in the interior or under the hood. This test can be performed on the surface material, on a composite containing such a surface material and bonded to the underlying surface, and on the underlying materials.

In this test, the tip of a test piece is held horizontally by means of "U" shaped jaws and exposed to a defined low energy flame. The type of combustion is noted and the burning rate between two reference points is determined.

The main equipment used in these tests is a stainless steel combustion chamber with internal dimensions of 381 mm × 356 mm × 203 mm. The front of this chamber has a flameproof viewing window covering the entire facade, which also serves as an access panel. The bottom of the chamber has 19 holes of 10 mm diameter for ventilation. The top of the chamber has a ventilation slot of 12,7 mm height on each side.

The chamber is mounted on four feet 10 mm high. At one end of the chamber there may be a hole for the entrance of the test piece holder containing the test piece, at the other end there is a hole for the gas line.

The molten material is captured by a pan placed on the floor of the chamber, without blocking any of the vent space between the vents. Aluminium foil may be added to facilitate cleaning of the ceiling after the test. This aluminium foil should be positioned so that it fits perfectly into the geometry of the ceiling without blocking the vents. The height of the pan should not exceed 16 mm and the thickness of the pan walls should be less than 2 mm.

During the test, this room should be placed in a room with a temperature of 23 degrees plus/minus 5 degrees and an air velocity of less than 0,3 m/s. It can be placed under the laboratory fume hood to exhaust combustion fumes.

After each sample tested, the combustion chamber and the test sample holder must have a temperature not exceeding 30 degrees before starting the next sample.

Another test item is the test sample holder. The test piece consists of two “U” shaped metal plates or frames made of corrosion resistant material. The lower plate is provided with pins and the upper plate with corresponding holes to ensure consistent holding of the test piece. The pins also serve as measuring points at the beginning and end of combustion. The bottom of the sample should be 178 mm above the bottom of the combustion chamber. The distance between the front edge of the test piece holder and the end of the chamber should be 22 mm.

The use of the cage used in the tests is optional in the FMVSS 302 standard. It is mandatory for the application of the ISO 3795 standard.

In the tests, an optional mirror mounted at a 45 degree angle to the rear of the chamber is used to facilitate measurement of the test piece. The mirror is positioned so that it does not come into contact with any burning or molten material. Its purpose is to ensure optimum visibility of the test piece, regardless of the type of material being tested, for example in the presence of smoke or molten material.

In addition, the following materials are used in the tests: gas burner, test gas, climatic chamber, two stop-and-watch, measuring device, air mixed oven (if necessary), humid oven (if necessary), metal comb and optional fume hood.

The tests use single or composite material samples that are fully or partially exposed less than 13 mm from the passenger compartment. Any material that does not adhere to another material at each point of contact is tested on its own. Any material that adheres to another material at each point of contact is tested as a composite material with the other/materials.

Details regarding the dimensions of the test samples, the thickness of the test samples, simple defective condition, homogeneous or anisotropic material, material with cut surfaces, reference mark, aging (if necessary) and conditioning processes to be taken into account when preparing the test sample are included in the standard.

Among the numerous tests, measurements, analyses and evaluation studies that our organization has carried out for businesses in various sectors, it also provides testing services defined in the “Renault Nissan RNES-B-00071 Test method - Horizontal flammability for automotive materials” standard with its trained and expert staff and advanced technological equipment.