ISO 11907-1:2019

Overview

ISO 11907-1:2019 - "Plastics - Smoke generation - Determination of the corrosivity of fire effluents - Part 1: General concepts and applicability" defines the concepts, terminology and scope for assessing smoke corrosivity from burning plastics. The standard clarifies the differences between smoke corrosivity, smoke acidity and smoke toxicity, presents a scenario‑based approach for evaluating corrosive fire effluents, and describes the categories of laboratory test methods and their applicability, including post‑exposure conditions. ISO 11907-1:2019 is the guidance/overview part of the ISO 11907 series and supports laboratory assessment of corrosive effects from combustion products.

Key Topics

• Definitions and terminology: clear definitions for smoke corrosivity, smoke acidity (pH of smoke condensate/particles), corrosion, corrosion damage and corrosion targets; references ISO 13943 vocabulary.
• Scenario‑based approach: emphasizes that corrosivity is a systemic parameter influenced by fire growth, ventilation, dispersion, pyrolysis/combustion conditions, exposure time, condensation and deposition. Laboratory tests should be interpreted within fire scenarios.
• Test method categories: overview of static and dynamic decomposition methods used at laboratory scale. ISO 11907-4 is identified as a dynamic test for measuring metal‑loss corrosion; other historical parts have been withdrawn.
• Applicability and limitations: guidance that standardized laboratory methods measure material response under controlled conditions and should not be used alone to characterize full fire hazard in real fires.
• Post‑exposure considerations: descriptions of post‑exposure conditions and how they affect measured corrosion outcomes (e.g., condensation, cleaning, environmental conditions).
• Relation to acidity and halogen measurements: explains that acidity (pH/conductivity) and halogen content measurements (IEC 60754‑1/2 approaches) do not fully predict corrosivity.

Applications

ISO 11907-1:2019 is useful for:

• Fire safety engineers applying scenario‑based fire models and interpreting lab corrosivity data.
• Materials and plastics manufacturers evaluating how product formulations influence post‑fire equipment damage.
• Test laboratories designing and reporting corrosivity tests (in conjunction with ISO 11907‑4).
• Electronics, cable and building system designers concerned with non‑thermal damage from smoke deposits on metallic contacts and circuits.
• Regulators and standards developers seeking consistent terminology and test applicability guidance.

Related Standards

• ISO 11907 series (see ISO 11907-4 for dynamic test procedure)
• ISO 13943 (Fire safety - Vocabulary)
• IEC 60754‑1 / IEC 60754‑2 (halogen content and acidity test methods)
• ISO 19701 (analytical techniques for combustion effluents)

Keywords: ISO 11907-1:2019, smoke corrosivity, smoke acidity, fire effluents, plastics, corrosion testing, ISO 11907-4, fire safety, laboratory test methods.