Airbus, which operates in the field of commercial aircraft design and production, also has defense, space and helicopter divisions. The “AITM 2.0007A Smoke density - Flame mode only” standard, developed by this organization within the scope of fire and flammability tests, describes a procedure for determining smoke density in flame mode only in a possible fire. Another standard developed within the same scope, “2007B Smoke density - Flame and non-flame modes” standard, considers flame and non-flame modes together.
Generally, smoke density testing is used by the aviation and transportation (rail) industries to determine the smoke producing properties of materials during combustion. In such tests, a test sample is placed in a chamber and exposed to radiant heat (non-flame mode) or radiant heat with flame (flame mode). The sample is exposed to the heat or flame for a specified period of time (usually 4 or 20 minutes), during which time a photometric system records light transmittance values to determine optical density. The smoke should not exceed the maximum smoke optical density value, which varies according to the test specification used.
Products in the aircraft category require smoke density testing when located in a compartment occupied by passengers. Although there are some exceptions, these products generally include:
Some manufacturers, particularly Airbus and Boeing, require both flamed and flameless modes on additional products not listed here.
In 1966, the US National Bureau of Standards (NBS) presented a paper on a fire test method for measuring smoke from burning materials. The test method was subsequently accepted as the standard test method by the American Society for Testing and Materials (ASTM) in the standard “ASTM E662-21 Standard test method for specific optical density of smoke produced by solid materials”.
This test method provides a means for determining the specific optical density of smoke produced by samples of materials and assemblies under specified exposure conditions. The values determined by this test are specific to the sample or assembly in the form and thickness tested and should not be considered as intrinsic fundamental properties of the material tested. Therefore, it is not possible to expect closely repeatable or reproducible experimental results from tests of a particular material, as far as sample thickness, density or other variables are concerned. The photometric scale used to measure smoke by this test method is similar to the optical density scale used for human vision. However, physiological aspects associated with vision are not measured by this test method. Correlation with measurements made by other test methods has not been established. This test method is complex and the data obtained are sensitive to variations that would be considered insignificant by other test methods.
The ASTM E662-21 standard was subsequently adopted by the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) through an amendment to 14 CFR 25.853 Compartment interiors. The new Section 25.853(d) requires certain materials used in the construction of interior components to meet the new smoke emission requirements specified in 14 CFR 25.
Organizations such as Airbus (ABD0031/AITM 2.0007), Boeing (BSS 7238), McDonnell Douglas (DMS 1500) and ASTM International (ASTM F814) have also published their own internal versions of the aviation smoke density test.
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 “AITM 2.0007A Smoke Density - Flame Mode Only” standard with its trained and expert staff and advanced technological equipment.
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