4 Pyrotechnics - Rocket Parachute Flares, Hand Flares and Buoyant Smoke Signals

 A minimum of three specimens of each type of pyrotechnic should be subjected to each individual test. All three specimens should pass each individual test.

 Three specimens of each type of pyrotechnic should be subjected to:

• .1 temperature cycling as prescribed in 1.2.1. After the test each specimen should show no sign of damage such as shrinking, cracking, swelling, dissolution or change of mechanical qualities and then function at ambient temperature^footnote;

• .2 a temperature of -30°C for at least 48 hours and then function effectively immediately upon removal from the cold chamber^footnote;

• .3 a temperature of +65°C for at least 48 hours and then function effectively immediately upon removal from the hot chamber^footnote;

• .4 a temperature of +65°C and 90 per cent relative humidity for at least 96 hours, followed by ten days at 20°C to 25°C at 65 per cent relative humidity and then function effectively.

 Nine specimens of each type of pyrotechnic should function effectively after being subjected to the following tests (three specimens to each test):

• .1 immersed horizontally for 24 h under 1 m of water;

• .2 immersed in the ready-to-fire condition for 5 min under 10 cm of water;

• .3 subjected to a salt spray (5% natrium chloride solution) at a temperature of +35 ±3°C for at least 100 h.

 Three specimens of each type of pyrotechnic should:

• .1 be dropped in turn end-on and horizontally from a height of 2 m on to a steel plate about 6 mm thick cemented on to a concrete floor. It should remain in a safe condition after this test and should subsequently be operated and function effectively; and

• .2 be activated in accordance with the manufacturer's operating instructions by an operator wearing an insulated buoyant immersion suit or the gloves taken from an insulated buoyant immersion suit, to establish that it can be operated effectively without injury to the operator, or any person in close proximity, during firing or burning.

 It should be established by visual inspection that each type of pyrotechnic:

• .1 is indelibly marked with clear and precise instructions on how it should be operated and that the danger end can be identified by day or night;

• .2 can, if hand operated, be operated from the bottom (safe end) or that it contains an operational safety delay of 2 s;

• .3 has, in the case of a rocket parachute flare and hand flare, an integral means of ignition;

• .4 has a simple means of ignition which requires the minimum of preparation and can be readily operated in adverse conditions without external aid and with wet, cold or gloved hands;

• .5 does not depend on adhesive tapes or plastic envelopes for its water-resistant properties; and

• .6 can be indelibly marked with means for determining its age.

  4.6.1 Three rockets should be fired vertically. After firing it should be established by means of accurate measuring instruments that the parachute flare is ejected at a height of not less than 300 m. The height at which the flare burns out and the burning period should also be measured. It should be established from these measurements that the rate of descent is not more than 5 m/s and the burning period is not less than 40 s.

  4.6.2 Laboratory testing of the flare material should establish that it will burn uniformly with an average luminous intensity of not less than 30,000 cd and that the colour of the flame is a vivid red with CIE co-ordinates x = 0.61 to 0.69 and y = 0.3 to 0.39, or computed from these co-ordinates: a wavelength of 608 ± 11 nm.^footnote

  4.6.3 Three rockets should function efficiently when tested by firing at an angle of 45° to the horizontal.

  4.6.4 If the rocket is hand-held when operated, it should be demonstrated that its recoil is minimal.

  4.7.1 Three flares should be activated and should burn for a period of not less than 1 min. After burning for 30 s, each flare should be immersed under 100 mm of water for a period of 10 s and should continue burning for at least a further 20 s.

  4.7.2 Laboratory testing of the flare material should establish that it will burn with an average luminous intensity of at least 15,000 cd and that the colour of the flame is vivid red with CIE co-ordinates x = 0.61 to 0.69 and y = 0.3 to 0.39, or computed from these co-ordinates: a wavelength of 608 ± 11 nm.^footnote

  4.7.3 Three flares should be activated 1.2 m above a test pan 1 m square containing 2 1 of heptane floating on a layer of water. The test should be conducted at an ambient temperature of +20°C to +25°C. The flare should be allowed to burn completely and the heptane should not be ignited by the flare or material from the flare.

  4.8.1 Nine buoyant smoke signals should be subjected to temperature cycling as prescribed in 1.2.1. After at least ten complete temperature cycles, three smoke signals should be taken from a stowage temperature of -30°C, be activated and should then operate in seawater at a temperature of -1°C. The next three smoke signals should be taken from a stowage temperature +65°C, be activated and should then operate in seawater at a temperature of +30°C. The last three smoke signals should be taken from ordinary room conditions and activated. After emitting smoke for 1 min, they should be fully submerged for a period of not less than 10 s and should continue emitting smoke during and after submersion and demonstrate a total period of smoke emission of not less than 3 min.

  4.8.2 Three smoke signals should function in water covered by a 2 mm layer of heptane without igniting the heptane.

  4.8.3 The smoke density and colour of the smoke signal should be determined by laboratory testing conducted at a water temperature of +20°C to +25°C as follows:

• .1 The smoke should be drawn through an apparatus consisting of a 190 mm diameter duct with a fan capable of producing an entrance air flow of 18.4 m³/min. By means of a light source with at least 10 cd on one side of the tunnel and a photoelectric cell on the other side the density of the passing smoke should be recorded. If the photocell picks up the total emitted light from the light source, then the smoke density is zero percent which means that no smoke is passing through the tunnel. The smoke density is then considered to be 100% when the photocell is not able to pick up any light of the light source through the passing smoke in the tunnel. From the amount of light which the photocell is able to pick up the smoke density should be calculated. Before each measurement, the light intensity of the 100% value should be checked. Each measurement should be recorded. Smoke density should be at least 70% throughout the minimum emission time.

• .2 The colour of the orange smoke should be evaluated by means of visual comparison, in daylight, to a colour comparison chart containing the range of acceptable orange colours. The colour comparison chart should have a gloss or matte finish, and consist of a series of at least five orange colour chips, covering the range from reddish orange (Munsell notation 8.75 R 6/14) to yellowish orange (Munsell notation 5 YR MAX) in gradual steps of hue, chroma, and lightness. The colour chips should be secured adjacent to one another, in order of progression from reddish orange to yellowish orange, and extend on at least one side to the edge of the chart. Each colour chip should be at least 50 mm x 100 mm in size.

  Note A typical acceptable progression would be 8.75 R 6/14; 10 R 6/14; 1.25 YR 6/14; 3.75 YR MAX; 5 YR MAX.

  Note ASTM D1535-97 specifies a method to convert between Munsell notation and CIE co-ordinates.

  4.8.4 A smoke signal should be tested in waves at least 300 mm high. The signal should function effectively for not less than 3 min.