Appendix 4 – Guidelines for the Specimen of the FTP
Code, Parts 2 and 5, and the Type Approval of Those Products (Range
of Approval and Restriction in Use)
1 Scope
This appendix provides recommended guidelines for the selection
and preparation of the specimen for surface materials for parts 2 and 5 of this Code, including the
selection of substrates or backing materials. This appendix also provides
the guidelines for the conditions of type approval for such surface
materials.
2 Basic Principles for Selection of the Test Specimen
2.1 Basic principle
The test specimen to be used for the test shall be selected
as representative of the characteristics of the product in actual
operating conditions in ships. It means that the product which would
be expected to have the worst result should be selected. Specimen
selection should be concerned with thickness, colour, organic content,
substrate of the product, and its combination of a product.
2.2 Specimen thickness
Materials and composites of normal thickness 50 mm or less
should be tested using their full thickness, attaching them, by means
of an adhesive if appropriate, to the substrate. For materials and
composites of normal thickness greater than 50 mm, the required specimens
should be obtained by cutting away the unexposed face to reduce the
thickness to between 47 mm and 50 mm (part 5, appendix 1, paragraph
7.2.2).
2.3 Substrate
Substrate of surface material and floor coverings: Materials
and composites materials shall be tested using their full thickness,
attaching them to the substrate to which they will be attached in
practice when using an adhesive, if appropriate. The test specimen
shall reflect actual application on ships (part 5, appendix 1, paragraph
7.3.1).
2.4 Composites
Assembly should be as specified in paragraph 7.2 (Dimensions)
of appendix 1. However, where thin materials or composites are used
in the fabrication of an assembly, the presence of an air gap and/or
the nature of any underlying construction may significantly affect
the flammability characteristics of the exposed surface. The influence
of the underlying layers should be recognized and care taken to ensure
that the test result obtained on any assembly is relevant to its use
in practice (part 5, appendix 1, paragraph 7.4.1).
2.5 Test for floor covering
2.5.1 Where a floor covering is required to be
low flame-spread, all layers shall comply with part 5. If the floor
covering has a multilayer construction, the Administration may require
the tests to be conducted for each layer or for combinations of some
layers of the floor coverings. Each separate layer, or a combination
of layers (i.e. the test and approval are applicable only to this
combination) of the floor covering shall comply with this part (part
5, paragraph 4.2.3).
2.5.2 Therefore, multilayered floor coverings,
such that each layer complies with part 5 (criteria for floor covering),
are accepted; or a test of composite condition may be done. This makes
it possible to interchange the layers as long as each material used
complies with part 5.
2.6 Colour variation and organic contents of the
specimen
Usually the influence of the colour and organic content
of the specimen have a significant effect on the result of a fire
test. The organic content of the specimen is a key factor of the combustion
characteristic of the product. The specimen should be selected to
have the maximum organic content within the product variation. The
colour of the specimen is also a key of it, because the dark colour
of specimen that absorbs the radiant heat would extensively affect
its flammability. Therefore the test results of the dark colour specimen
and the bright colour specimen would be different. In general, at
least, the maximum organic content and the dark colour specimen within
the product variation should be selected if the product has colour
variation.
2.7 Exemption of the test in accordance with part
2
Surface materials and primary deck coverings with both the
total heat release (Qt) of not more than 0.2 MJ and the
peak heat release rate (Qp) of not more than 1.0 kW (both
values determined in accordance with part 5 of annex 1) are considered
to comply with the requirements of part
2 without further testing (see paragraph 2.2 of annex 2).
3 Range of Type Approval of Surface Materials
3.1 According to the basic principles for selection
of the test specimen described in paragraph 2, the range of type approval
would be considered according to its specimen selection including
its substrate or backing material.
3.2 Table 1 shows the relationships of the specimen
substrate and the range of type approval of surface materials.
| Table 1 – Specimen substrate and the type approval of surface
materials (Range of approval and restriction in use)
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| In the following
table:
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| First column:
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product to be tested.
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| Second column:
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substrate.
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| Third column:
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range of approval and restriction
in use.
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Products
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Test substrate
|
Limitation of product application for ships
|
| Paints and surface
veneer
|
Steel (e.g., 1
mm)
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1 Products can be applied to any
metallic base of similar or thicker substrates (metallic bases such as
Steel, Stainless steel or Aluminium alloy).
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| 2 It is not approved to apply to
non-metallic non-combustible materials.
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| 3 Limitation, as appropriate, to
ensure that the product is covered by the test specimen (such as
thickness, adhesive, organic content, density, range of colours).
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| 4 When the products would be
applied to the floor covering or primary deck covering that have been
approved, no limitation of the base materials would be required.
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| Standard calcium
silicate board, described as a dummy specimen, specified in paragraph 3.5
of appendix 1
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1 Products can be applied to any
non-combustible substrate.
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| 2 Limitation, as appropriate, to
ensure that the product is covered by the test specimen (such as
thickness, adhesive, organic content, density, range of colours).
|
| Surface
veneer
|
No substrate used at
the test (The product has enough thickness for testing without
substrate)
|
1 Products may be applied to any
metallic base and non-combustible base, if the product would not need any
adhesive or combustible material layer.
|
| 2 Limitation, as appropriate, to
ensure that the product is covered by the test specimen (such as
thickness, density, material composition, adhesive and application rate,
and range of colours).
|
| 3 When the products are to be
applied to bulkheads or ceilings by using adhesive, a combination test
with adhesive should be required.
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| Floor covering and
primary deck coverings
|
Thick steel (3
mm)
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1 Limitation by the specimen colour
and organic contents that was tested.
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| 2 May be applied over
any low flame-spread floor covering, steel, or non-combustible
material.
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| Combination test
(combination of layers)
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1 Limitation, as
appropriate, to ensure that the product is covered by the test specimen
(such as thickness, density, material composition, adhesive and
application rate, and range of colours).
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| 2 The approval of the
products may only apply to this combination.
|
| (If the floor covering
has a multilayer construction, the Administration may require the tests
to be conducted for each layer or for combinations of some layers of the
floor coverings.)
|
4 Preparation of Test Specimen For Parts 2 and
5
According to the relationships of the specimen substrate
and the range of type approval of surface materials described in paragraph
3, the choice of specimen including substrate should be considered
carefully. This section specifies how to make the test specimen for
parts 2 and 5 of this Code.
4.1 Test specimen
The test specimen shall be selected as representative of
the product. It means that the product which would be expected to
have the worst result should be selected.
4.2 Application in ships
The specimen should be tested using the thickness specified
in paragraph 2.2. The substrate should be selected taking into consideration
the substrates to which they will be attached in ships.
4.3 Exposed surface at the test
Each different exposed surface of the product should be
tested (part 5, appendix 1, paragraph 7.1.2). This means each side
of the product that may be exposed; it does not refer to colour.
4.4 Specimen size
4.4.1 For part 5: width 150 mm to 155 mm, length
795 mm to 800 mm (part 5, appendix 1, paragraph 7.2.1).
4.5 Specimen thickness
4.5.1 The specimens should be tested using their
full thickness (part 5, appendix 1, paragraph 7.2.2).
4.5.2 For part 5: maximum 50 mm (part 5, appendix
1, paragraph 7.2.2).
4.5.4 If the product thickness is greater than
in paragraphs 4.5.2 and 4.5.3 above, the specimens should be obtained
by cutting away the unexposed face to reduce to the above maximum
thickness.
4.6 Colour variation of the paints or surface materials
If the product has some colour variation, the specimen should
be carefully selected as representative of the product, in accordance
with the following.
Carefully select the product with the maximum organic content
when applied by maximum thickness shown in paragraph 4.5 above, considered
the maximum organic content of the product, when the product would
be applied by this maximum thickness
4.6.2
Colour of the specimen
Black or a dark colour should be selected
4.6.3
Order of priority regarding
specimen colour and organic content
When the product of the darkest colour is different from
the product with the maximum organic content, the Administration or
the testing laboratory may decide on the specimen. If the amount of
organic content between a black or dark specimen and a white or brightly-coloured
specimen are similar (difference is within 5%), the black or dark
specimen should be chosen. Otherwise, the specimen with the maximum
organic content should be selected.
4.6.4
Information on colour variation
and its organic content
Applicants or manufacturers who request the type approval
should submit information on the colour variation and its organic
content to the Administration or testing laboratories. The Administration
or testing laboratories may order/advise the applicant on the selection
of the test specimens where necessary.
4.6.5
Attention regarding the type
approval issued
When approving, if the specimen tested can be considered
as a representative specimen (i.e. dark in colour with maximum organic
content), all the colour variations of the product may also be approved.
If the particular condition of the product was tested, type approval
is only available to the same or a similar conditioned product as
tested.
4.7 Substrate
The substrate of the specimen should be selected as they
are attached in actual ships. The test with metallic substrate is
thought to be different from the test with non-combustible substrate
(part 5, paragraph 1.3 and part 5, appendix 1, paragraph 7.3).
4.8 Thickness of the substrate
The minimum thickness of the substrate that would be used
in actual application should be selected as the test specimen, because
the product should be approved for application to a similar or higher
thickness of the substrate that was tested provided that the substrate
has a density of 400 kg/m3 or greater (part 5, paragraph
1.3 and part 5, appendix 1, paragraph 7.3).
4.9 Substrate of floor coverings
4.9.1 Primary deck coverings and floor coverings
should be applied to a steel plate thickness of 3 ± 0.3 mm.
4.9.2 Primary deck coverings, classified as not
readily ignitable in accordance with part 5 of annex 1, are considered
to comply with the requirements for floor coverings (annex 2, paragraph 5.2).
4.10 Composite materials (for bulkheads and ceilings)
4.10.1 Assembly should be as specified in paragraph
7.2 of appendix 1 to part 5 (Dimensions). However, where thin materials
or composites are used in the fabrication of an assembly, the presence
of an air gap and/or the nature of any underlying construction may
significantly affect the flammability characteristics of the exposed
surface. The influence of the underlying layers should be recognized
and care taken to ensure that the test result obtained on any assembly
is relevant to its use in practice
4.10.2 When the product that has a multilayer
construction would be applied to bulkheads and ceilings, the surface
flammability test of the combination of each layer should be required
to confirm the influence of these underlying constructions (part 5,
appendix 1, paragraph 7.4.1).
4.11 Test of adhesives described in part 3 of annex
1 to this Code
The calcium silicate board described as a dummy specimen,
specified in paragraph 3.5 of appendix 1 to part 5, should be used
as a standard substrate for adhesives.
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