Reaction to fire tests for building products – non-combustibility test

Test Methods & Equipment: Complies with ISO 1182 and ASTM E136.

Applications: This apparatus determines the non-combustibility performance, under specific conditions, of homogenous products and substantial components of non-homogeneous building products. This test is part of the requirements of the European construction products regulation classification of reaction to fire performance for wall lining and roofing products and floor coverings.

Example Standards:

• ISO 1182
• ASTM E136
• ASTM E2652

Measures the heat of combustion of materials.

Test Methods & Equipment: Conducted as per ISO 1716.

Applications: The bomb calorimeter is used for measuring the heat of combustion or calorific value of a material. With this apparatus a test specimen of specified mass is burned under standardized conditions. The heat of combustion determined under these conditions is calculated on the basis of the measured temperature rise while taking account of heat loss.

Example Standards:

• ISO 1716

Reaction to fire tests for building products excluding floorings exposed to thermal attack by a single burning item, the SBI.

Test Methods & Equipment: Complies with EN 13823 for testing wall and ceiling coverings.

Applications: The specimen is mounted on a trolley that is positioned in a frame beneath an exhaust system. The reaction of the specimen to the burner is monitored instrumentally and visually. Heat and smoke release rates are calculated, and physical characteristics are assessed by observation. The parameters that are quantified in this test and used within the classification criteria are;

• Total Heat Release (THR),
• Fire Growth Rate Index (FIGRA)
• Smoke Growth Rate index (SMOGRA)
• Total Smoke Production (TSP)

Test Standard:

• EN 13823

Reaction to fire tests for building products –Horizontal surface spread of flame for floor coverings.

Test Methods & Equipment: Complies with ISO 9239-1 and ASTM E648.

Applications: This test method evaluates the critical radiant flux below which flames no longer spread over the horizontal surface of a specimen. Ideal for carpet and floor covering testing.
Example Standards:

• ASTM E648
• ISO 9239-1
• NFPA 253
• ASTM E970

Reaction to fire for tests – Ignitability of building products subjected to direct impingement of flame.

Test Methods & Equipment: Meets EN ISO 11925-2 requirements.

Applications: The test is required as part of the European construction products regulation classification of reaction to fire performance for wall and roofing products and floor coverings. “The Single Flame Source Test” (Ignitability Apparatus) is built in accordance with EN ISO 11925-2.

Example Standards:

• EN ISO 11925-2

Standard Test Method for Surface Burning Characteristics of Building Materials.

Test Methods & Equipment: Follows ASTM E84 and UL 723 standards.

Applications: Steiner Tunnel is used in accordance with fire-test-response standard for the comparative surface burning behavior of building materials is applicable to exposed surfaces such as walls and ceilings. The test is conducted with the specimen in the ceiling position with the surface to be evaluated exposed face down to the ignition source. The material, product, or assembly shall be capable of being mounted in the test position during the test. Thus, the specimen shall either be self-supporting by its own structural quality, held in place by added supports along the test surface, or secured from the back side.

Measures:

• Flame Spread Index (FSI)
• Smoke Developed Index (SDI)

Example Standards:

• ASTM E84
• UL 723

Large Scale Oxygen Consumption Calorimetry

Test Methods & Equipment: Conducted in accordance with ISO 9705.

Applications: The method evaluates the fire characteristics of a surface product in a room fire scenario. The main field of application is for building products that, for some reason, cannot be tested in small scale, for example thermoplastic materials, joint systems and large irregular shaped materials. Other products can also be evaluated, for example pipe insulation and upholstered furniture.

The Room Corner test simulates a fire that starts under well-ventilated conditions, in a corner of a room with a single open doorway. The method is intended to evaluate the contribution to fire growth provided by a surface product using a specified ignition source. The test provides data for a specified ignition source for the early stages of a fire from ignition up to flashover. The standards listed above require specific measurement techniques inside and outside the room.

Example Standards:

• ISO 9705

Reaction-to-fire tests — Heat release, smoke production and mass loss rate — Part 1: Heat release rate (cone calorimeter method) and smoke production rate (dynamic measurement)

Test Methods & Equipment: Conducted in accordance with ISO 5660-1.

Application: Cone Calorimeter is the most significant bench scale instrument in the field of fire testing because it measures the important and real properties of the material being tested under a variety of preset fire conditions. These measurements can be used directly by researchers, or they can be used as data for input into correlation or mathematical models, used to predict fire development.

Directly measured properties include:

• Heat release rate
• Time to ignition
• Mass loss rate
• Smoke production rate
• Effective heat of combustion
• Rates of release of combustion
• gas (e.g. carbon oxides)

Test Standards:

• ISO 5660-1
• ASTM E1354

Measures of gas emissions during combustion, including CO2, CO, NO, and other toxic gases such as NO2, SO2, HCI, HF, Phenol, Acrolein, etc.

Test Methods & Equipment: Integrated with various fire testing setups such as Cone Calorimeter, Smoke Density Chamber or SBI.

Applications: FTIR is an advanced gas analyzer used for continuous measurement of combustion gases.

Plastics — Determination of ignition temperature using a hot-air furnace

Test Methods & Equipment: Conducted as per ISO 871 and ASTM D1929 standards.

Application: This is a test method for determining the Flash-Ignition Temperature (FIT) and Spontaneous-Ignition Temperature (SIT) of plastics using a hot-air furnace. It is one of a number of methods in use for evaluating the reaction of plastics to the effects of ignition sources.

Test Standards:

• ISO 871
• ASTM D1929

Standard Test Method for Surface Flammability of Materials Using a Radiant Heat Energy Source

Test Methods & Equipment: Complies with ASTM E162 and ASTM D3675.

Applications: The Radiant Panel Flame Spread Apparatus measures the surface flammability of building products (ASTM E162) and cellular plastics (ASTM D3675) by using a gas fired radiant heat panel. It is intended to measure and describe the properties of materials, products, or assemblies in response to heat and flame under controlled laboratory conditions and the results of this test may be used as elements of a fire risk assessment that takes into account all of the factors that are pertinent to an assessment of the fire hazard of a particular end use.

Test Standards:

• ASTM E162
• ASTM D3675

Standard test method for measuring the minimum oxygen concentration to support candle like combustion of plastics (oxygen index)

Test Methods & Equipment: Tests follow ISO 4589-2, ISO 4589-3 and ASTM D2863 standards.

Applications: The Oxygen Index (OI) measures the minimum percentage of oxygen in a test atmosphere that is required to marginally support combustion. The OI is an economical and precise quality control test of combustible materials. Its ease of use together with high levels of precision has made this technique a primary characterizing and quality control tool to the plastic and electric cable industries and it has been specified by several military and transport groups.

Test Standards:

• ISO 4589-2
• ISO 4589-3
• ASTM D2863