Using a New Kerosene Flame Bench Test to Analyze at Small Scales the Fire Reaction of Fiber-Reinforced Polymer Matrix Composites

A new bench test was built in order to analyze at small scales, typically with sample size of a dozen of centimeters, the behavior of composites under a kerosene flame. Compared to standard tests, the small dimension size of the samples makes it possible to install more measurements allowing scrutinizing in more details the fire reaction of composites, and analyses can be done on a larger number of products. During the thermal stress, the test bench allows to monitor mass loss and the temperature at the back face. As for examples, the tests for two carbon fiber-reinforced polymer matrix composites, a thermosetting-based (epoxy 8552) and a thermoplastic-based (polyphenylene sulfide), will be shown, and the results are discussed.