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CORESTA Congress, Quebec, 2014, Smoke Science/Product Technology Groups, ST 05

Comparison of Full Length Burn testing according to ISO 12863 and the proposed alternative by NIST Laboratories, USA

MAYR M.
Papierfabrik Wattens GmbH & Co. KG / delfortgroup AG, Wattens, Austria

NIST Laboratories USA proposed to use a thin stainless steel substrate plus one layer of filter paper instead of the 10 layers, as defined in ASTM E.2187-09 and ISO 12863 for measuring the percentage of Full Length Burn on Lower Ignition Propensity (LIP) / Fire Standard Compliant (FSC) cigarettes. Some previous studies, performed by NIST showed an interchangeability of the two test methods. However it has been mentioned that LIP/FSC cigarettes have been used, that gave a reading for Full Length Burn of close to 0%. It was described that these results are comparable to the standard procedure mentioned in ISO 12863 / ASTM E.2187-09. The objective for performing this study was to compare LIP/FSC cigarettes, showing different pass rates with the two test methods, first according to ISO 12863 and secondly with the alternative set-up as proposed by NIST. Samples have been chosen with a Full Length Burn rate below and above 25%. The study design also included an evaluation of the impact on the variation of the results when performing the test on the metal sheet. The observations from our study were that LIP cigarettes which failed the test under ISO 12863 will pass the test when performing according to the proposed alternative. There were no significant differences when comparing the results of LIP cigarettes which passed ISO 12863 with 0% Full Length Burn and the proposed NIST alternative. A further topic in our study was to test if the results of the proposal from NIST were more comparable to ISO 12863 when increasing the layers of filter papers on the metal sheet. We called it “progressive testing”. It is described in ISO 12863 – Annex C (normative) C3. – Procedure for selection of substrate assemblies for testing. In conclusion it means that cigarettes which will not pass the test today will pass the test when analysed with the metal sheet plus one layer of filter paper. Results with the metal sheet plus one layer of filter paper are misleading, with the risk of non-conformity products on the market having Full Length Burn above 25%.