The materials used in this test were brought up from Halifax and turned over to John GARSTANG this afternoon for the test (they were left with him for future tests).  After the test, the two seat covers were also turned over to him.  The molten aluminium came from frame material, green on all sides.  It was melted in crucibles as shown in the video in an oven to a temperature set at 1000 deg C.  Difficulty was encountered in getting the aluminium to drip out of the crucible.  Indeed, it even seemed to have problems melting at this temperature as the paint seemed to bind it together.  The carpet was dry, having been taken from one of the ‘J’ hangar boxes and shipped up in a plastic bag.  There were no signs of condensation, and the carpet did not smell of rot as some of the other carpets do at the hangar.  The ceiling tile was placed right side up and allowed no penetration at all of the molten aluminium, although it did mark the surface as shown in the video. 

            John GARSTANG ran the test with Tim LANG dropping the aluminium.  I photographed and videotaped the tests.  Also present was Jim FOOT of TSB, Larry FOGG of Boeing, Kendall GEORGE of Hollingsead Int. Inc, and Doug ANDERBURG of Santa Barbara Aerospace.  It was held in the basement lab at TSB.  Gus SIDLA remained at CANMET with Dr. BROWN.

            It would appear that during the fire, no molten material could have penetrated any of the intact in-place ceiling tiles.  John GARSTANG advised that he had conducted a quick burn test at the hangar on the weekend of 99-09-04/06 by trying and failing to burn ceiling tiles with an oxygen/acetylene torch at over 2000 deg C.  Now it can be shown that molten aluminium will not penetrate the tile surface or cause them to burn.  However, once the molten aluminium contacts the carpet, it will certainly melt though and perhaps even cause a further fire.  We now have to closely examine and photograph those aircraft carpets that have the holes to record if they have melted edges and if there is any evidence of burning.  I would like to have these test carpet samples to macro photo the holes so that we can compare the two.  If the aircraft carpets do indeed have molten holes (which they appear to have), then the ceiling tiles must have been displaced to allow the material to fall to the carpet.  Perhaps the crew did this, or perhaps the tiles fell due to a breakdown in their supporting structure that normally holds them in place.  That supporting structure is made of aluminium alloys.