Comparison of simulated wet bench fires with small- and intermediate-scale fire tests

Fire hazard studies of clean room facilities indicated that significant losses due to fire may occur in the semiconductor industry. The present study reports the results of full-scale wet bench fire tests conducted (1) to assess the fire hazards of existing wet bench materials not meeting the listing requirement of NFPA 318, (2) to assess the impact on wet bench fires of engineered materials with improved flammability characteristics, and (3) to compare the observed fire behavior with the results of simpler small- and intermediate-scale fire tests using the same materials. The full-scale wet bench fires were observed to be consistent in terms of chemical heat release rate, fire propagation, and smoke generation with the results of the small- and intermediate-scale test results. The simpler fire tests are incorporated in FM Approvals 4910 certification for materials to be used in semiconductor fabrication facilities. The small-scale test protocol is also standardized in NFPA 287. Copyright © 2008 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.