United States Department of Transportation
i
Electrical Insulation Fire Characteristics: Volume II. Toxicity
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1978-12-01
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[PDF-2.67 MB]
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Abstract:The purpose of this research was to determine the relative inhalation toxicity of the thermal degradation products or gaseous pyrolysis of selected types of electrical wiring insulations. The specific materials to be evaluated were supplied by the Boeing Commercial Airplane Company and were selected from a much larger population on the basis of prior testing of properties other than toxicity. The contract work-statement required that toxicity be evaluated utilizing the basic principles of a system designed at the Civil Aeromedical Institute (CAMI) that was used for an earlier study of aircraft interior materials. The relative toxicities of the combustion products of 14 electrical wiring insulations were evaluated using animal incapacitation as a measure of toxicity. One gram insulation samples were pyrolyzed in a quartz combustion tube connected in-line with a 12.6-L-exposure chamber by an air re-circulation assembly to form a closed exposure system. Each material was pyrolyzed under three thermal degradation conditions and the time-to-incapacitation for the shortest time condition was used to rank the materials in order of their relative potential toxicity. A rank order for all 14 materials is presented on the basis of potential toxicity for equal weights of insulation and relative ranking by toxicity for equal lengths of conductor is presented for those materials supplied on conductors of equal gauge. Techniques are suggested for converting measured toxicity of an insulation on wire of one size to the equivalent toxicity of the same insulation on wire of a different size. The report presents cautions and limitations on the discipline of combustion toxicology and presents suggestions for future research.
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