What Is the ASTM D2843 XP2 Smoke Chamber?

The ASTM D2843 XP2 Smoke Chamber is an advanced testing instrument engineered to evaluate the static smoke production and smoke density of building materials, plastics, and solid products during combustion or decomposition. Equipped with dual control modes (touch screen and computer), automated burner positioning, and an M3+FPGA architecture, this system provides precise photoelectric measurement of light transmittance to determine smoke generation characteristics.

What Is the XP2 Smoke Chamber Method?

Often referred to in academic literature and international standards as the Rohm and Haas Method or the XP2 Smoke Chamber Method (named after its original commercial code during development at Rohm and Haas Company, which served as the predecessor to the ASTM D2843 standard equipment), this test method measures the smoke density rating (SDR) and maximum smoke density (MSD) produced when a specimen is exposed to a controlled Bunsen burner flame under static conditions.

Applicable Materials of ASTM D2843 XP2 Smoke Chamber

The ASTM D2843 XP2 Smoke Chamber is widely used across industries to assess the smoke-release and burning properties of:

• Building Materials & Construction Products: Wall linings, panels, and interior architectural finishes.
• Plastics & Polymers: Solid plastic sheets, molded components, and synthetic materials subject to thermal decomposition.
• Solid Materials: Various combustible solid products evaluated for static smoke production and safety compliance.

Main Functions and Modules of ASTM D2843 XP2 Smoke Chamber

• Dual Control Modes & LAN Integration: Operates seamlessly via a 5-inch touch display screen or an external computer, allowing multi-computer online connections and local area network (LAN) sharing.
• Automated Burner & Mechanical Positioning: Features main and auxiliary Bunsen burners (260 mm length, 0.13 mm nozzle diameter) that rotate automatically with high positioning accuracy. Supports automatic timing, ignition, and smoke exhaust.
• Photoelectric Measurement System: Utilizes a 12V bulb light source and a silicon photocell receiver to measure light transmittance continuously from 0% to 100%.
• M3+FPGA High-Reliability Architecture: Features pure hardware FPGA-driven display with “zero” startup time, where M3 handles instruction parsing and FPGA powers the TFT display for optimal speed and reliability.
• Powerful Exhaust & Safety System: Integrated with a powerful exhaust fan to safely discharge waste gas from the combustion chamber after testing, complemented by an adjustable propane gas pressure control (276 kPa working pressure).

Technical Parameters of ASTM D2843 XP2 Smoke Chamber

Working Conditions

1. Ambient temperature: 0 °C–40 °C
2. Relative humidity: ≤ 85%
3. Power supply voltage and power: 220V ± 10%, 50 Hz, 100 W
4. Combustible gas: Propane with a purity of not less than 85% or gas of equivalent purity (provided by the customer)
5. Gas pressure: 0–0.3 MPa (adjustable)
6. Environment and test requirements: Avoid direct strong light or reflection onto the instrument during operation; after the test has been running for 90 min, turn off the gas source and let the instrument cool for 15 min
7. Ambient airflow: No forced airflow during operation
8. Fume hood setup: The instrument should be placed in a fume hood for testing.