Significance and Use

This test method is used primarily to determine the heat release rate of materials, products, and assemblies. Other parameters are the effective heat of combustion, mass loss rate, the time to ignition, smoke and gas production, emissivity, and surface temperature. Examples of test specimens are assemblies of materials or products that are tested in their end-use thickness. Therefore, the test method is suitable for assessing the heat release rate of a wall assembly.

Representative joints and other characteristics of an assembly shall be included in a specimen when these details are part of normal design.

This test method is applicable to end-use products not having an ideally planar external surface. The radiant flux field shall be adjusted to be that which is desired at the average distance of the surface from the radiant panel.

In this procedure, the specimens are subjected to one or more specific sets of laboratory test conditions. If different test conditions are substituted or the end-use conditions are changed, it is not always possible by or from this test to predict changes in the fire-test-response characteristics measured. Therefore, the results are valid only for the fire test exposure conditions described in this procedure.

Test Limitations :

The test results have limited validity if: (a) the specimen melts sufficiently to overflow the drip tray, or (b) explosive spalling occurs.

Exercise caution in interpreting results of specimens that sag, deform, or delaminate during a test. Report observations of such behavior.

1. Scope

1.1 This fire-test-response standard assesses the response of materials, products, and assemblies to controlled levels of radiant heat exposure with or without an external ignitor.

1.2 The fire-test-response characteristics determined by this test method include the ignitability, heat release rates, mass loss rates, visible smoke development, and gas release of materials, products, and assemblies under well ventilated conditions.

1.3 This test method is also suitable for determining many of the parameters or values needed as input for computer fire models. Examples of these values include effective heat of combustion, surface temperature, ignition temperature, and emissivity.

1.4 This test method is also intended to provide information about other fire parameters such as thermal conductivity, specific heat, radiative and convective heat transfer coefficients, flame radiation factor, air entrainment rates, flame temperatures, minimum surface temperatures for upward and downward flame spread, heat of gasification, nondimensional heat of gasification (1) and the ? flame spread parameter (see Test Method E1321 ). While some studies have indicated that this test method is suitable for determining these fire parameters, insufficient testing and research have been done to justify inclusion of the corresponding testing and calculating procedures.

2. Referenced Documents (purchase separately) The documents listed below are referenced within the subject standard but are not provided as part of the standard.

ASTM Standards

D5865 Test Method for Gross Calorific Value of Coal and Coke

E84 Test Method for Surface Burning Characteristics of Building Materials

E176 Terminology of Fire Standards

E662 Test Method for Specific Optical Density of Smoke Generated by Solid Materials

E691 Practice for Conducting an Interlaboratory Study to Determine the Precision of a Test Method

E800 Guide for Measurement of Gases Present or Generated During Fires

E906 Test Method for Heat and Visible Smoke Release Rates for Materials and Products Using a Thermopile Method

E1321 Test Method for Determining Material Ignition and Flame Spread Properties

E1354 Test Method for Heat and Visible Smoke Release Rates for Materials and Products Using an Oxygen Consumption Calorimeter

ASTM Proposal

P147 Proposed Method for Room Fire Tests of Wall and Ceiling Materials and Assemblies Discontinued; see 1983 Annual Book of ASTM Standards , Vol 04.07.

ISO Standards

Keywords

effective specific heat; effective thermal conductivity; emissivity; heat release rate; ignitability; intermediate scale calorimeter; mass loss rate; oxygen consumption method; smoke release rate; surface temperature; Effective heat of combustion; Effective specific heat; Combustion; Effective thermal conductivity; Emissivity; Equations; Exhaust system design; Fire testing--building materials; Heat release; Ignition--building materials; Infrared pyrometer; Intermediate scale calorimeter (ICAL); Mass loss testing; Oxygen consumption; Radiant heat panels; Smoke release rate; Surface temperature; Thermal conductance/conductivity; Time to ignition (t ig ) ;

ICS Code

ICS Number Code 13.220.50 (Fire-resistance of building materials and elements); 91.100.01 (Construction materials)

DOI: 10.1520/E1623-11

ASTM International is a member of CrossRef.

ASTM E1623