CORROSIVITY TEST METHODS FOR POLYMERIC MATERIALS .1. RADIANT FURNACE TEST METHOD

This is the first in a series of papers published by the Polyolefins F ire Performance Council, a unit of the Society of the Plastics Industr y, Inc., to investigate corrosivity test methods. In this paper, 25 po lymeric materials were evaluated for smoke corrosion using the propose d ASTM E05.21.70 test standard. These commercially available polymeric materials cover a broad range of compositions used for wire and cable insulation and jacketing. The samples were decomposed in the proposed ASTM apparatus and a copper probe was subsequently exposed to the com bustion gases. The corrosive potential, as defined by metal loss in an gstroms, was determined for each material. The data demonstrate that t he ASTM E05.21.70 test protocol does differentiate corrosive potential s of polymeric materials. Some refinement in this test method is warra nted to better develop it as a standard for measuring corrosivity. Fur ther work is under way to evaluate other test methods as standardized corrosivity methods. This future work will focus on the proposed CNET ISO IC61/SC4/WG2 test, the DIN 57472 acid gas test, and the cone calor imeter (DyGST) corrosivity test under review by ASTM D09.21.04.