ASTM_E_2342_-_E_2342M_-_10_2015e1.pdf

Designation:E2342/E2342M10(Reapproved 2015)1Standard Test Method forDurability Testing of Duct Sealants1This standard is issued under the fixed designation E2342/E2342M;the number immediately following the designation indicates the yearof original adoption or,in the case of revision,the year of last revision.A number in parentheses indicates the year of last reapproval.A superscript epsilon()indicates an editorial change since the last revision or reapproval.1NOTEUnits statement was inserted in 1.4 and units information was corrected editorially in February 2015.INTRODUCTIONDuct leakage has been identified as a major source of energy loss in residential buildings.Most ductleakage occurs at the connections to registers,plenums,or branches in the duct system.At each ofthese connections a method of sealing the duct system is required.Typical sealing methods includetapes or mastics applied around the joints in the system.Field examinations of duct systems havetypically shown that these seals tend to fail over extended periods of time.The proposed method evaluates the durability of duct sealants by blowing heated air into testsections,combined with a pressure difference between the test sections and their surroundings.Thetemperatures and pressures were chosen to expose the test sections to typical conditions that are foundin residential duct systems.The duct leakage site geometry represents a leakage site commonly foundin duct systems.The test sections are constructed from standard duct fittings.1.Scope1.1 This test method describes an accelerated aging test forevaluating the durability of duct sealants by exposure totemperatures and static pressures characteristic of residentialduct systems.1.2 This test method is intended to produce a relativemeasure of the durability of duct sealants.This standard doesnot measure durability under specific conditions of weather andbuilding operation that might be experienced by an individualbuilding and duct system.Instead it evaluates the sealantmethod under fixed conditions that do not include the manifoldeffects of installation practice.1.3 This test method only addresses sealants not mechanicalstrength of the connections.1.4 The values stated in either SI units or inch-pound unitsare to be regarded separately as standard.The values stated ineach system may not be exact equivalents;therefore,eachsystem shall be used independently of the other.Combiningvalues from the two systems may result in non-conformancewith the standard.1.5 This standard does not purport to address all of thesafety concerns,if any,associated with its use.It is theresponsibility of the user of this standard to establish appro-priate safety and health practices and determine the applica-bility of regulatory limitations prior to use.For specific hazardstatements see Section 7.2.Referenced Documents2.1 ASTM Standards:2E631 Terminology of Building Constructions3.Terminology3.1 Terminology E631 defines much of the terminologyused in this test method.3.2 Definitions of Terms Specific to This Standard:3.2.1 air-leakage ratethe volume of air movement perunit time across the duct wall.3.2.2 duct sealanta method or material,or both,forsealing leaks in forced air thermal distribution duct systems.3.2.3 durabilitythe capability of maintaining the service-ability of a product,component,or assembly over a specifiedtime.4.Summary of Test Method4.1 To evaluate sealant durability this test method uses astandardized joint configuration with controlled temperature1This test method is under the jurisdiction of ASTM Committee E06 onPerformance of Buildings and is the direct responsibility of Subcommittee E06.41on Air Leakage and Ventilation Performance.Current edition approved Jan.1,2015.Published February 2015.Originallyapproved in 2003.Last previous edition approved in 2010 as E2342 10.DOI:10.1520/E2342_E2342M-10R15E01.2For referenced ASTM standards,visit the ASTM website,www.astm.org,orcontact ASTM Customer Service at serviceastm.org.For Annual Book of ASTMStandards volume information,refer to the standards Document Summary page onthe ASTM website.Copyright ASTM International,100 Barr Harbor Drive,PO Box C700,West Conshohocken,PA 19428-2959.United States1 and pressure differences.These temperatures and pressures arechosen to represent conditions found in residential duct sys-tems.The test apparatus applies temperature and pressureconditions and measures how well the sealant performs overtime.5.Significance and Use5.1 Residential duct systems are often field designed andassembled.There are many joints,often of dissimilar materialsthat require both mechanical connection and air sealing.Without this sealing,duct systems would be extremely leakyand hence inefficient.While some duct sealants are rated ontheir properties at the time of manufacture or during storage,none of these ratings adequately addresses the in-servicelifetime.This test method has been developed to address thisdurability issue.5.2 This standard applies to p