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1.1 This fire-test-response standard provides a means of measuring mass loss and ignitability, for screening purposes, from essentially planar materials, products, or assemblies (including surface finishes), exposed to controlled levels of radiant heating, with or without an external ignitor. This test method is intended for screening purposes only.

1.2 The principal fire-test-response characteristics obtained from this test method are those associated with mass loss from the specimens tested, as a function of time. Time to sustained flaming is also determined. Heat release is, optionally, determined using thermopile measurements detailed in Annex A2.

1.3 The relationship between mass loss and heat release depends on the material, product, or assembly tested, and no universal formula exists for calculation of heat release using mass loss measurements (see also additional limitations in 5.7).

1.4 The fire-test-response characteristics obtained from this test method are also obtainable with the apparatus used in Test Method E1354 (the cone calorimeter) or in an applications standards of that equipment (see also 5.4). The referenced test methods permit measurements of added fire-test-response characteristics.

1.5 The fire-test-response characteristics obtained by this test method are specific to the specimen tested, in the form and thickness tested, and are not an inherent property of the material, product, or assembly.

1.6 This fire-test-response method does not provide information on the fire performance of the test specimens under fire conditions other than those conditions specified in this test method. For additional limitations of this test method, see 5.7.

1.7 Use the SI system of units in referee decisions; see IEEE/ASTM SI-10. The units given in parentheses are for information only.

1.8 This standard is used to measure and describe the response of materials, products, or assemblies to heat and flame under controlled conditions, but does not by itself incorporate all factors required for fire hazard or fire risk assessment of the materials, products, or assemblies under actual fire conditions.

1.9 Fire testing is inherently hazardous. Adequate safeguards for personnel and property shall be employed in conducting these tests. See also Section 7.

1.10 This standard does not purport to address all of the safety concerns, if any, associated with its use. It is the responsibility of the user of this standard to establish appropriate safety, health, and environmental practices and determine the applicability of regulatory limitations prior to use.

1.11 This international standard was developed in accordance with internationally recognized principles on standardization established in the Decision on Principles for the Development of International Standards, Guides and Recommendations issued by the World Trade Organization Technical Barriers to Trade (TBT) Committee.

5.1 This test method provides a means for screening materials, products, or assemblies, for the mass loss, and ignitability they exhibit under specified heat flux exposure conditions. As an option, the test method is also suitable for screening for the heat released, by using a thermopile method (See Annex A2).

5.2 Values determined by this test are specific to the specimen in the form and thickness tested and are not inherent fundamental properties of the material, product, or assembly tested. Thus, closely repeatable or reproducible experimental results are not to be expected from this test method when tests are conducted for a given material, product, or assembly, while introducing variations in properties such as specimen thickness or density.

5.3 No incident irradiance is specified in this test method. The instrument is capable of generating irradiances ranging up to 100 kW/m². The choice of irradiance is a function of the application of the material, product, or assembly to be tested, and of the fire scenario the user is investigating. However, the method is not suitable for incident irradiances below 10 kW/m³ (see 5.7.3).

5.4 The method used for optionally measuring heat release, a thermopile, is not as accurate as the conventional oxygen consumption calorimetry method, used in the cone calorimeter, Test Method E1354, in its applications standards, such as Test Method E1474 and E1740, or in intermediate scale or a large scale calorimetry test methods, such as Test Methods E1623, E1537, E1590 or D5537 (see also Annex A2). On the other hand the thermopile method of assessing heat release has been used extensively because of its simplicity, including Test Method E906/E906M, and other applications discussed in Guide E603.6

5.5 Testing of composites and dimensionally unstable materials requires special procedures (see 8.4 and 8.5).

5.6 Testing in the vertical orientation is feasible with the test method, but not recommended, as it has been shown to have the potential to lead to serious measurement errors on time to ignition.

5.7 Limitations 

5.8 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 method 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.