ISO/FDIS 5659

Plastics — Smoke generation — Determination of optical density by a single-chamber test

ISO 5659-2:2017 specifies a method of measuring smoke production from the exposed surface of specimens of materials or composites. It is applicable to specimens that have an essentially flat surface and do not exceed 25 mm in thickness when placed in a horizontal orientation and subjected to specified levels of thermal irradiance in a closed cabinet with or without the application of a pilot flame. This method of test is applicable to all plastics. It is intended that the values of optical density determined by this test be taken as specific to the specimen or assembly material in the form and thickness tested and are not to be considered inherent, fundamental properties. The test is intended primarily for use in research and development and fire safety engineering in buildings, trains, ships, etc. and not as a basis for ratings for building codes or other purposes. No basis is provided for predicting the density of smoke that can be generated by the materials upon exposure to heat and flame under other (actual) exposure conditions. This test procedure excludes the effect of irritants on the eye.

Plastiques — Production de fumée — Détermination de la densité optique par un essai en enceinte unique

ISO 5659-2:2017 spécifie une méthode pour le mesurage de la production de fumée provenant de la surface exposée d'éprouvettes constituées par des matériaux ou des composites. Elle est applicable à des éprouvettes qui ont une surface essentiellement plane et dont l'épaisseur est inférieure à 25 mm, lorsqu'elles sont orientées horizontalement et soumises à des niveaux spécifiés d'éclairement énergétique thermique dans une enceinte fermée, avec ou sans utilisation de flamme pilote. La présente méthode d'essai est applicable à tous les plastiques. Les valeurs de densité optique déterminées par le présent essai sont propres au matériau de l'éprouvette ou de l'assemblage soumis à essai, sous la forme et avec l'épaisseur sélectionnées pour l'essai. Ces valeurs ne doivent pas être considérées comme révélatrices de propriétés de base, inhérentes au produit. L'essai est principalement destiné à être utilisé en recherche et développement et en ingénierie de sécurité incendie dans les bâtiments, les trains, les navires, etc., et non en tant que base d'appréciation pour des codes de construction ou pour d'autres fins. Aucun élément fondamental n'est fourni pour prévoir la densité de la fumée susceptible d'être produite par les matériaux exposés à la chaleur et à une flamme dans d'autres conditions (réelles) d'exposition. Le présent mode opératoire d'essai ne traite pas de l'effet des irritants sur les yeux.

General Information

• Status: Not Published
• ICS: 13.220.40 - Ignitability and burning behaviour of materials and products
• ICS: 83.080.01 - Plastics in general
• Technical Committee: ISO/TC 61/SC 4 - Burning behaviour
• Drafting Committee: ISO/TC 61/SC 4 - Burning behaviour
• Current Stage: 5020 - FDIS ballot initiated: 2 months. Proof sent to secretariat
• Start Date: 17-Oct-2025
• Completion Date: 17-Oct-2025

Relations

• Consolidates: ISO/IEC 23894:2023 - Information technology — Artificial intelligence — Guidance on risk management
• Effective Date: 28-Jan-2023
• Revises: ISO 5659-2:2017 - Plastics — Smoke generation — Part 2: Determination of optical density by a single-chamber test
• Effective Date: 14-Jan-2023

Standards Content (Sample)

FINAL DRAFT
International
Standard
ISO/TC 61/SC 4
Plastics — Smoke generation —
Secretariat: BSI
Determination of optical density by
Voting begins on:
a single-chamber test
2025-10-17
Plastiques — Production de fumée — Détermination de la densité
Voting terminates on:
optique par un essai en enceinte unique
2025-12-12
RECIPIENTS OF THIS DRAFT ARE INVITED TO SUBMIT,
WITH THEIR COMMENTS, NOTIFICATION OF ANY
RELEVANT PATENT RIGHTS OF WHICH THEY ARE AWARE
AND TO PROVIDE SUPPOR TING DOCUMENTATION.
IN ADDITION TO THEIR EVALUATION AS
BEING ACCEPTABLE FOR INDUSTRIAL, TECHNO­
ISO/CEN PARALLEL PROCESSING LOGICAL, COMMERCIAL AND USER PURPOSES, DRAFT
INTERNATIONAL STANDARDS MAY ON OCCASION HAVE
TO BE CONSIDERED IN THE LIGHT OF THEIR POTENTIAL
TO BECOME STAN DARDS TO WHICH REFERENCE MAY BE
MADE IN NATIONAL REGULATIONS.
Reference number
FINAL DRAFT
International
Standard
ISO/TC 61/SC 4
Plastics — Smoke generation —
Secretariat: BSI
Determination of optical density by
Voting begins on:
a single-chamber test
Plastiques — Production de fumée — Détermination de la densité
Voting terminates on:
optique par un essai en enceinte unique
RECIPIENTS OF THIS DRAFT ARE INVITED TO SUBMIT,
WITH THEIR COMMENTS, NOTIFICATION OF ANY
RELEVANT PATENT RIGHTS OF WHICH THEY ARE AWARE
AND TO PROVIDE SUPPOR TING DOCUMENTATION.
© ISO 2025
IN ADDITION TO THEIR EVALUATION AS
All rights reserved. Unless otherwise specified, or required in the context of its implementation, no part of this publication may
BEING ACCEPTABLE FOR INDUSTRIAL, TECHNO­
ISO/CEN PARALLEL PROCESSING
LOGICAL, COMMERCIAL AND USER PURPOSES, DRAFT
be reproduced or utilized otherwise in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, or posting on
INTERNATIONAL STANDARDS MAY ON OCCASION HAVE
the internet or an intranet, without prior written permission. Permission can be requested from either ISO at the address below
TO BE CONSIDERED IN THE LIGHT OF THEIR POTENTIAL
or ISO’s member body in the country of the requester.
TO BECOME STAN DARDS TO WHICH REFERENCE MAY BE
MADE IN NATIONAL REGULATIONS.
ISO copyright office
CP 401 • Ch. de Blandonnet 8
CH-1214 Vernier, Geneva
Phone: [phone]
Email: [e-mail]
Website: www.iso.org
Published in Switzerland Reference number
ii
Contents Page
Foreword .v
Introduction .vi
1 Scope . 1
2 Normative references . 1
3 Terms and definitions . 1
4 Principles of the test . 3
5 Suitability of a material or product for testing . 3
5.1 Material or product geometry .3
5.2 Surface characteristics .3
5.3 Asymmetrical products .3
6 Specimen construction and preparation . 4
6.1 Number of specimens .4
6.2 Size of specimens .4
6.3 Specimen preparation .4
6.4 Conditioning.5
6.5 Wrapping of specimens.5
6.6 Dimensionally unstable materials .5
7 Apparatus and ancillary equipment . 6
7.1 General .6
7.2 Test chamber .6
7.2.1 Construction.6
7.2.2 Chamber pressure control facilities .7
7.2.3 Chamber wall temperature .10
7.3 Specimen support and heating arrangements .11
7.3.1 Radiator cone.11
7.3.2 Framework for support of the radiator cone, specimen holder and heat flux
meter .11
7.3.3 Radiation shield .14
7.3.4 Heat flux meter .14
7.3.5 Specimen holder .14
7.3.6 Pilot burner . 15
7.4 Gas supply . 15
7.5 Photometric system .16
7.5.1 General .16
7.5.2 Light source .16
7.5.3 Photo detector .16
7.5.4 Additional equipment .18
7.6 Chamber leakage .18
7.7 Cleaning materials .19
7.8 Ancillary equipment .19
7.8.1 Balance (optional) .19
7.8.2 Timing device .19
7.8.3 Linear measuring devices .19
7.8.4 Auxiliary heater .19
7.8.5 Protective equipment . .19
7.8.6 Recorder .19
7.8.7 Water-circulating device .19
7.8.8 Oxygen meter (optional) .19
8 Test environment .20
9 Setting-up and calibration procedures .20
9.1 General . 20

iii
9.2 Alignment of photometric system . 20
9.2.1 General . 20
9.2.2 Beam collimation . 20
9.2.3 Beam focusing. 20
9.3 Selection of compensating filter(s) .21
9.4 Linearity check .21
9.5 Calibration of range-extension filter .21
9.6 Chamber leakage rate test . 22
9.7 Burner calibration . 22
9.8 Radiator cone calibration .
...

ISO TC 61/SC 4
Date: 2025-07-29
ISO/TC 61/SC 4
Secretariat: BSI
Date:
Plastics — Smoke generation — Determination of optical density by
a single-chamber test
Plastiques — Production de fumée — Détermination de la densité optique par un essai en enceinte unique
FDIS stage
All rights reserved. Unless otherwise specified, or required in the context of its implementation, no part of this publication
may be reproduced or utilized otherwise in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying,
or posting on the internet or an intranet, without prior written permission. Permission can be requested from either ISO
at the address below or ISO'sISO’s member body in the country of the requester.
ISO Copyright Officecopyright office
CP 401 • Ch. de Blandonnet 8
CH-1214 Vernier, Geneva
Phone: + 41 22 749 01 11
Email: [e-mail]
E-mail: [e-mail]
Website: www.iso.orgwww.iso.org
Published in Switzerland.
ii
Contents Page
Foreword . vii
Introduction . viii
1 Scope . 1
2 Normative references . 1
3 Terms and definitions . 1
4 Principles of the test . 3
5 Suitability of a material or product for testing . 3
6 Specimen construction and preparation . 4
7 Apparatus and ancillary equipment . 7
8 Test environment . 29
9 Setting-up and calibration procedures . 29
10 Test procedure . 33
11 Expression of results . 36
12 Precision . 37
13 Test report . 37
Annex A (normative) Calibration of heat flux meter . 39
Annex B (informative) Variability in the specific optical density of smoke measured in the
single-chamber test . 40
Annex C (informative) Determination of mass optical density . 42
Annex D (informative) Precision data from tests on intumescent materials . 49
Annex E (informative) Guidance on optical density testing . 51
Annex F (informative) Specific sample preparation . 59
Annex G (informative) Background to standard reference materials . 62
Bibliography . 63

Foreword . vii
Introduction . viii
1 Scope . 1
2 Normative references . 1
3 Terms and definitions . 1
4 Principles of the test . 3
5 Suitability of a material or product for testing . 3
5.1 Material or product geometry . 3
5.2 Surface characteristics . 3
5.3 Asymmetrical products . 4
6 Specimen construction and preparation . 4
6.1 Number of specimens . 4
iii
6.2 Size of specimens . 4
6.3 Specimen preparation . 5
6.4 Conditioning . 5
6.5 Wrapping of specimens . 5
6.6 Dimensionally unstable materials . 6
7 Apparatus and ancillary equipment . 7
7.1 General . 7
7.2 Test chamber . 7
7.2.1 Construction . 7
7.2.2 Chamber pressure control facilities . 8
7.2.3 Chamber wall temperature . 11
7.3 Specimen support and heating arrangements . 12
7.3.1 Radiator cone . 12
7.3.2 Framework for support of the radiator cone, specimen holder and heat flux meter . 12
7.3.3 Radiation shield. 15
7.3.4 Heat flux meter . 15
7.3.5 Specimen holder . 15
7.3.6 Pilot burner . 16
7.4 Gas supply . 16
7.5 Photometric system . 17
7.5.1 General . 17
7.5.2 Light source . 17
7.5.3 Photo detector . 17
7.5.4 Additional equipment . 19
7.6 Chamber leakage . 19
7.7 Cleaning materials . 20
7.8 Ancillary equipment . 20
7.8.1 Balance (optional) . 20
7.8.2 Timing device . 20
7.8.3 Linear measuring devices . 20
7.8.4 Auxiliary heater . 20
7.8.5 Protective equipment . 20
7.8.6 Recorder . 20
7.8.7 Water-circulating device . 20
7.8.8 Oxygen meter (optional) . 20
8 Test environment . 21
9 Setting-up and calibration procedures . 21
9.1 General . 21
9.2 Alignment of photometric system . 21
9.2.1 General . 21
9.2.2 Beam collimation . 21
9.2.3 Beam focusing . 22
9.3 Selection of compensating filter(s) . 22
9.4 Linearity check . 22
9.5 Calibration of range-extension filter . 22
9.6 Chamber leakage rate test . 23
9.7 Burner calibration . 23
9.8 Radiator cone calibration . 23
9.9 Cleaning . 24
9.10 Frequency of checking and calibrating procedure . 24
10 Test procedure
...