ASTM E3020-16

Standard Practice for Ignition Sources

SIGNIFICANCE AND USE
5.1 A variety of standard test methods, specifications, and regulations have been issued by a number of different standards developing organizations and regulatory authorities that contain ignition sources used to assess fire-test-response characteristics associated with flaming and non-flaming ignition. This practice describes such ignition sources and provides information on the standard method in which they are described.  
5.2 The ignition source to be chosen for any specific use needs to be relevant to the fire hazard associated with the intended application. Neither the scope of the standard containing the ignition source nor any other aspect of the standard has any bearing on the use of the ignition source for another application.  
5.3 This practice is not expected to be a fully comprehensive list of ignition sources. If additional ignition sources are identified they can be added to the practice.  
5.4 This practice does not describe test specimen preparation or detailed testing procedures for the materials or products.  
5.5 This practice does not address limitations associated with the ignition sources described in this practice.  
5.6 This practice does not necessarily address the latest edition of any standard referenced.
SCOPE
1.1 This practice describes a series of ignition sources that have been used and that are potentially applicable to assessing fire-test-response characteristics resulting from the ignition of materials, products, or assemblies.  
1.2 This practice does not identify which of the ignition sources described is applicable to any specific use since that is a function of the associated fire hazard (see also 5.2).  
1.3 This practice is not necessarily comprehensive and it is possible that other applicable ignition sources exist (see also 5.3).  
1.4 This practice describes both flaming and non-flaming ignition sources, since the outcome of a non-flaming ignition can be the eventual flaming ignition of these materials or products (see also 4.2).  
1.5 This practice does not provide pass/fail criteria that can be used as a regulatory tool.  
1.6 This fire standard cannot be used to provide quantitative measures.  
1.7 Fire testing is inherently hazardous. Adequate safeguards for personnel and property shall be employed in conducting these tests.  
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 This practice contains notes and footnotes which provide explanatory material. These notes and footnotes (excluding those in tables and figures) shall not be considered requirements of the standard.  
1.10 The values stated in SI units are to be regarded as standard in referee decisions. No other units of measurement are included in this standard. See IEEE/ASTM SI 10 for further details.  
1.11 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 and health practices and determine the applicability of regulatory limitations prior to use.

General Information

• Status: Historical
• Publication Date: 31-May-2016
• ICS: 13.220.40 - Ignitability and burning behaviour of materials and products
• Technical Committee: E05 - Fire Standards
• Drafting Committee: E05.33 - Fire Safety Engineering

Relations

• Replaces: ASTM E3020-15 - Standard Practice for Ignition Sources
• Effective Date: 01-Jun-2016
• Referred By: ASTM F1870-22 - Standard Guide for Selection of Fire Test Methods for the Assessment of Upholstered Furnishings in Detention and Correctional Facilities
• Effective Date: 01-Jun-2016
• Referred By: ASTM D3874-20 - Standard Test Method for Ignition of Materials by Hot Wire Sources
• Effective Date: 01-Jun-2016
• Referred By: ASTM D5537-23a - Standard Test Method for Heat Release, Flame Spread, Smoke Obscuration, and Mass Loss Testing of Insulating Materials Contained in Electrical or Optical Fiber Cables When Burning in a Vertical Cable Tray Configuration
• Effective Date: 01-Jun-2016

Standards Content (Sample)

NOTICE: This standard has either been superseded and replaced by a new version or withdrawn.
Contact ASTM International (www.astm.org) for the latest information
Designation: E3020 − 16
StandardPractice for
1
Ignition Sources
This standard is issued under the fixed designation E3020; the number immediately following the designation indicates the year of
original adoption or, in the case of revision, the year of last revision.Anumber in parentheses indicates the year of last reapproval.A
superscript epsilon (´) indicates an editorial change since the last revision or reapproval.
1. Scope 1.11 This standard does not purport to address all of the
safety concerns, if any, associated with its use. It is the
1.1 This practice describes a series of ignition sources that
responsibility of the user of this standard to establish appro-
have been used and that are potentially applicable to assessing
priate safety and health practices and determine the applica-
fire-test-response characteristics resulting from the ignition of
bility of regulatory limitations prior to use.
materials, products, or assemblies.
1.2 This practice does not identify which of the ignition
2. Referenced Documents
sources described is applicable to any specific use since that is
2
2.1 ASTM Standards:
a function of the associated fire hazard (see also 5.2).
D635Test Method for Rate of Burning and/or Extent and
1.3 This practice is not necessarily comprehensive and it is
Time of Burning of Plastics in a Horizontal Position
possible that other applicable ignition sources exist (see also
D1929Test Method for Determining Ignition Temperature
5.3).
of Plastics
D3675Test Method for Surface Flammability of Flexible
1.4 This practice describes both flaming and non-flaming
Cellular Materials Using a Radiant Heat Energy Source
ignition sources, since the outcome of a non-flaming ignition
D3874Test Method for Ignition of Materials by Hot Wire
can be the eventual flaming ignition of these materials or
Sources
products (see also 4.2).
D5025Specification for Laboratory Burner Used for Small-
1.5 This practice does not provide pass/fail criteria that can
Scale Burning Tests on Plastic Materials
be used as a regulatory tool.
D5207Practice for Confirmation of 20–mm (50–W) and
1.6 Thisfirestandardcannotbeusedtoprovidequantitative
125–mm (500–W) Test Flames for Small-Scale Burning
measures.
Tests on Plastic Materials
D5424Test Method for Smoke Obscuration of Insulating
1.7 Fire testing is inherently hazardous. Adequate safe-
Materials Contained in Electrical or Optical Fiber Cables
guards for personnel and property shall be employed in
When Burning in a Vertical Cable Tray Configuration
conducting these tests.
D5537TestMethodforHeatRelease,FlameSpread,Smoke
1.8 This standard is used to measure and describe the
Obscuration, and Mass Loss Testing of Insulating Mate-
responseofmaterials,products,orassembliestoheatandflame
rialsContainedinElectricalorOpticalFiberCablesWhen
under controlled conditions, but does not by itself incorporate
Burning in a Vertical Cable Tray Configuration
allfactorsrequiredforfirehazardorfireriskassessmentofthe
D6194Test Method for Glow-Wire Ignition of Materials
materials, products, or assemblies under actual fire conditions.
E84Test Method for Surface Burning Characteristics of
1.9 This practice contains notes and footnotes which pro-
Building Materials
vide explanatory material. These notes and footnotes (exclud-
E136Test Method for Behavior of Materials in a Vertical
ing those in tables and figures) shall not be considered
Tube Furnace at 750°C
requirements of the standard.
E162Test Method for Surface Flammability of Materials
Using a Radiant Heat Energy Source
1.10 The values stated in SI units are to be regarded as
E176Terminology of Fire Standards
standard in referee decisions. No other units of measurement
E648Test Method for Critical Radiant Flux of Floor-
areincludedinthisstandard.SeeIEEE/ASTMSI10forfurther
Covering Systems Using a Radiant Heat Energy Source
details.
E662Test Method for Specific Optical Density of Smoke
1
This practice is under the jurisdiction of ASTM Committee E05 on Fire
Standards and is the direct responsibility of Subcommittee E05.33 on Fire Safety
2
Engineering. For referenced ASTM standards, visit the ASTM website, www.astm.org, or
Current edition approved June 1, 2016. Published August 2016. Originally contact ASTM Customer Service at [e-mail]. For Annual Book of ASTM
approved in 2015. Last previous edition approved in 2015 as E3020-15. DOI: Standards volume information, refer to the standard’s Document Summary page on
10.1520/E3020–16. the ASTM website.
Copyright © ASTM International, 100 Barr Harbor Drive, PO Box C700, West Conshohocken, PA 19428-2959. United States
1

---------------------- Page: 1 ----------------------
E3020 − 16
Generated by Solid Materials ISO 8191-2Furniture—Assessment of the Ignitability of
E906/E906MTest Method for Heat and Visible Smoke Upholstered Furniture—Part 2: Ignition Source: Matc
...

This document is not an ASTM standard and is intended only to provide the user of an ASTM standard an indication of what changes have been made to the previous version. Because
it may not be technically possible to adequately depict all changes accurately, ASTM recommends that users consult prior editions as appropriate. In all cases only the current version
of the standard as published by ASTM is to be considered the official document.
Designation: E3020 − 15 E3020 − 16
Standard Practice for
1
Ignition Sources
This standard is issued under the fixed designation E3020; the number immediately following the designation indicates the year of
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.
1. Scope
1.1 This practice describes a series of ignition sources that have been used and that are potentially applicable to assessing
fire-test-response characteristics resulting from the ignition of materials, products, or assemblies.
1.2 This practice does not identify which of the ignition sources described is applicable to any specific use since that is a
function of the associated fire hazard (see also 5.2).
1.3 This practice is not necessarily comprehensive and it is possible that other applicable ignition sources exist (see also 5.3).
1.4 This practice describes both flaming and non-flaming ignition sources, since the outcome of a non-flaming ignition can be
the eventual flaming ignition of these materials or products (see also 4.2).
1.5 This practice does not provide pass/fail criteria that can be used as a regulatory tool.
1.6 This fire standard cannot be used to provide quantitative measures.
1.7 Fire testing is inherently hazardous. Adequate safeguards for personnel and property shall be employed in conducting these
tests.
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 This practice contains notes and footnotes which provide explanatory material. These notes and footnotes (excluding those
in tables and figures) shall not be considered requirements of the standard.
1.10 The values stated in SI units are to be regarded as standard in referee decisions. No other units of measurement are included
in this standard. See IEEE/ASTM SI 10 for further details.
1.11 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 and health practices and determine the applicability of regulatory
limitations prior to use.
2. Referenced Documents
2
2.1 ASTM Standards:
D635 Test Method for Rate of Burning and/or Extent and Time of Burning of Plastics in a Horizontal Position
D1929 Test Method for Determining Ignition Temperature of Plastics
D3675 Test Method for Surface Flammability of Flexible Cellular Materials Using a Radiant Heat Energy Source
D3874 Test Method for Ignition of Materials by Hot Wire Sources
D5025 Specification for Laboratory Burner Used for Small-Scale Burning Tests on Plastic Materials
D5207 Practice for Confirmation of 20–mm (50–W) and 125–mm (500–W) Test Flames for Small-Scale Burning Tests on
Plastic Materials
D5424 Test Method for Smoke Obscuration of Insulating Materials Contained in Electrical or Optical Fiber Cables When
Burning in a Vertical Cable Tray Configuration
D5537 Test Method for Heat Release, Flame Spread, Smoke Obscuration, and Mass Loss Testing of Insulating Materials
Contained in Electrical or Optical Fiber Cables When Burning in a Vertical Cable Tray Configuration
1
This practice is under the jurisdiction of ASTM Committee E05 on Fire Standards and is the direct responsibility of Subcommittee E05.33 on Fire Safety Engineering.
Current edition approved Aug. 1, 2015June 1, 2016. Published September 2015August 2016. Originally approved in 2015. Last previous edition approved in 2015 as
E3020-15. DOI: 10.1520/E3020–1510.1520/E3020–16.
2
For referenced ASTM standards, visit the ASTM website, www.astm.org, or contact ASTM Customer Service at [e-mail]. For Annual Book of ASTM Standards
volume information, refer to the standard’s Document Summary page on the ASTM website.
Copyright © ASTM International, 100 Barr Harbor Drive, PO Box C700, West Conshohocken, PA 19428-2959. United States
1

---------------------- Page: 1 ----------------------
E3020 − 16
D6194 Test Method for Glow-Wire Ignition of Materials
E84 Test Method for Surface Burning Characteristics of Building Materials
E136 Test Method for Behavior of Materials in a Vertical Tube Furnace at 750°C
E162 Test Method for Surface Flammability of Materials Using a Radiant Heat
...