6
Testing
Independent laboratory tests have verified that the Xcaper Enterprise Smoke Mask
protects against smoke, particulate matter, carbon monoxide and other hazardous
gases. The Xcaper Enterprise Smoke Mask will last a minimum of 15 minutes.
European Standard EN 403:2004 was used as a basis for testing the Xcaper Enterprise
Smoke Mask and Kit. EN 403:2004 was developed for filtering devices with a hood for
escape from fire. As the Xcaper Enterprise Smoke Mask Kit is not a hooded device and
certain deviations in the testing protocols were necessary. Any instance where a
deviation was required is described below.
Laboratory Testing
The Xcaper Enterprise Smoke Mask has been tested against gases and vapors in
accordance with EN 403:2004. Below are the test results for the Xcaper Enterprise
Smoke Mask as it pertains to the break through levels permitted by EN 403:2004.
Challenge Gas
Concentration
Allowable
Breakthrough
Actual
Breakthrough
Acrolein
100 ppm
0.5 ppm
3.8 ppm
Hydrogen Cyanide
400 ppm
10.0 ppm
9.2 ppm
Hydrogen Chloride
1,000 ppm
5.0 ppm
1.0 ppm
Carbon Monoxide
2,500 ppm
200.0 ppm
115.0 ppm
Laboratory testing performed at RNK Environmental, Inc. Erlanger, KY, USA.
Although the Xcaper Enterprise Smoke Mask does not meet the allowable
breakthrough for Acrolein please note that the U.S. Department of Health and
Human Services has published a study stating that the highest levels of Acrolein
ever measured in a fire was 3.2 ppm versus the test level of 100 ppm. At 10 ppm
of Acrolein the Xcaper Enterprise Smoke Mask has been proven to have an actual
breakthrough level of 0.2 ppm.
EN 403:2004 requires testing against four different concentrations of carbon
monoxide to establish the catalytic characteristics of the materials used. The
Xcaper filter does not contain catalytic materials so it was only tested against one
concentration of carbon monoxide, as shown above, and met the standard for
that test.
EN 403:2004 requires an integrity test to be performed on hooded devices. As the
Xcaper Enterprise Smoke Mask Kit does not include a hood, this test was not
performed.
