Abstract
Studies have been conducted so far on the mode of the surface flame-spread concerning the organic building materials in Madison-type tunnel furnace to characterize the flame-spread index for the classification of organic building materials into combustible and fire-retardant ones. Following facts has been observed empirically that the velocity of the transfer of the gravity of temperature peak on the test-samples has been approximately the same with the flame-spread velocity. Theoretical analysis has been pursued in terms of energy-equation on the basis of this fact by replacing flame-spread phenomena into temperature vs. time relation at given points on test-sample. Temperature-distribution in the furnace during the test runs has been concluded to be the most significant factor which affects the flame-spread and smoke-density evolved has been referred to as the function of surface temperature on the test-samples. Secondly, heat of combustion of samples or their activation-energies for the thermal decomposition, thermal conductivities and their densities are expected to be the important factors on the basis of the above equation.
