Overview
The Smoke Density Chamber is used to measure propensity of building materials to generate smoke when exposed to a heat source. The smoke propensity is quantified by measuring the obscuration of a light beam traveling through the smoke generated within the chamber. The obscuration measurements provide some insight into visibility reduction due to smoke; however, this information is configuration dependent and may change with orientation, ventilation, and incident heat flux. ASTM E662 is not currently used for regulation or fire rating purposes.
Setup
The Smoke Density Chamber setup consists of a compartment with a light source on one end, a photosensor opposite the light source, and a burner to ignite the sample material. As the material is ignited by the burner, smoke fills the room, obscuring the light emitted by the light source. The obscuration is measured by the photosensor.
Analysis
Smoke obscuration data for Hardboard (3.175 mm thick) under flaming and smoldering conditions. Measured values compare favorably with those in the literature [Smoldering: (Ds)max = 600, Flaming: (Ds)max = 67, 3rd Edition SFPE Handbook].
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