ASTM E1623-00
(Test Method)Standard Test Method for Determination of Fire and Thermal Parameters of Materials, Products, and Systems Using an Intermediate Scale Calorimeter (ICAL)
Standard Test Method for Determination of Fire and Thermal Parameters of Materials, Products, and Systems Using an Intermediate Scale Calorimeter (ICAL)
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 Φ flame spread parameter (see Test Method E 1321). 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.
1.5 The heat release rate is determined by the principle of oxygen consumption calorimetry, via measurement of the oxygen consumption as determined by the oxygen concentration and flow rate in the exhaust product stream (exhaust duct). The procedure is specified in 11.1. Smoke development is quantified by measuring the obscuration of light by the combustion product stream (exhaust duct).
1.6 Specimens are exposed to a constant heating flux in the range of 0 to 50 kW/m2 in a vertical orientation. Hot wires are used to ignite the combustible vapors from the specimen during the ignition and heat release tests. The assessment of the parameters associated with flame spread requires the use of line burners instead of hot wire ignitors.
1.6.1 Heat release measurements at low heat flux levels ( 10 kW/m2) require special considerations as described in Section A1.1.6.
1.7 This test method has been developed for evaluations, design, or research and development of materials, products, or assemblies, for mathematical fire modeling, or for research and development. The specimen shall be tested in thicknesses and configurations representative of actual end product or system uses.
1.8 Limitations of the test method are listed in Section .
1.9 The values stated in SI units are to be regarded as the standard.
1.10 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.
1.11 Fire testing of products and materials is inherently hazardous, and adequate safeguards for personnel and property shall be employed in conducting these tests. This test method may involve hazardous materials, operations, and equipment. Specific information about hazard is given in Section 7.
1.12 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.
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Designation: E 1623 – 00 An American National Standard
Standard Test Method for
Determination of Fire and Thermal Parameters of Materials,
Products, and Systems Using an Intermediate Scale
Calorimeter (ICAL)
This standard is issued under the fixed designation E 1623; 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 (e) indicates an editorial change since the last revision or reapproval.
1. Scope 1.7 This test method has been developed for material,
product, or assembly evaluations, mathematical modeling,
1.1 This fire-test-response standard covers measuring the
design purposes, or research and development. The specimen
response of materials, products, and assemblies exposed to
shall be tested in thicknesses and configurations representative
controlled levels of radiant heating with or without an external
of actual end product or system uses.
ignitor.
1.8 Limitations of the test method are listed in Section 12.
1.2 This test method is used to determine the ignitability,
1.9 The values stated in SI units are to be regarded as the
heat release rates, mass loss rates, and visible smoke develop-
standard.
ment of materials, products, and assemblies under well venti-
1.10 This standard is used to measure and describe the
lated conditions.
response of materials, products, or assemblies to heat and
1.3 This test method is also used to determine many of the
flame under controlled conditions, but does not by itself
parameters or values needed in computer fire models. Ex-
incorporate all factors required for fire hazard or fire risk
amples of these values include effective heat of combustion,
assessment of the materials, products, or assemblies under
surface temperature, ignition temperature, gas concentrations,
actual fire conditions.
and emissivity.
1.11 This standard does not purport to address all of the
1.4 This test method was also designed to provide informa-
safety concerns, if any, associated with its use. It is the
tion about other fire parameters such as thermal conductivity,
responsibility of the user of this standard to establish appro-
specific heat, radiative and convective heat transfer coeffi-
priate safety and health practices and determine the applica-
cients, flame radiation factor, air entrainment rates, flame
bility of regulatory limitations prior to use. For specific hazard
temperatures, minimum surface temperatures for upward and
statements, see Section 7.
downward flame spread, heat of gasification, nondimensional
heat of gasification (1) and the F flame spread parameter (see
2. Referenced Documents
Test Method E 1321). While early studies indicate that it is
2.1 ASTM Standards:
appropriate to use this test method to determine these param-
D 2016 Test Methods for Moisture Content of Wood
eters, insufficient testing and research has been done to justify
D 3286 Test Method for Gross Calorific Value of Coal and
inclusion of testing and calculational procedures at this time.
Coke by the Isoperibol Bomb Calorimeter
1.5 The heat release rate is determined by measurement of
E 84 Test Method for Surface Burning Characteristics of
the oxygen consumption as determined by the oxygen concen-
Building Materials
tration and flow in the exhaust product stream as specified in
E 176 Terminology of Fire Standards
11.1. Smoke development is quantified by measuring the
E 177 Practice for Use of the Terms Precision and Bias in
obscuration of light by the combustion product stream.
ASTM Test Methods
1.6 Specimens are exposed to heating fluxes ranging from 0
2 E 662 Test Method for Specific Optical Density of Smoke
to 50 kW/m (heat release measurements at the low flux levels
Generated by Solid Materials
are limited by the exhaust hood size) in a vertical orientation.
E 691 Practice for Conducting an Interlaboratory Study to
Hot wires are used as the ignition source when the parameters
Determine the Precision of a Test Method
other than those connected to flame spread are being deter-
E 800 Guide for Measurement of Gases Present or Gener-
mined.
ated During Fires
This test method is under the jurisdiction of ASTM Committee E-5 on Fire
Standards and is the direct responsibility of Subcommittee E05.21 on Smoke and
Combustion Products. Discontinued; see 1988 Annual Book of ASTM Standards, Vol 04.09. Replaced
Current edition approved Oct. 10, 2000. Published January 2001. Originally by D 4442 and D 4444.
published as E 1623–94. Last previous edition E 1623–99. Annual Book of ASTM Standards, Vol 05.05.
2 5
The boldface numbers given in parentheses refer to the list of references at the Annual Book of ASTM Standards, Vol 04.07.
end of this standard. Annual Book of ASTM Standards, Vol 14.02.
Copyright © ASTM, 100 Barr Harbor Drive, West Conshohocken, PA 19428-2959, United States.
E 1623
E 906 Test Method for Heat and Visible Smoke Release 4. Summary of Test Method
Rates for Materials and Products
4.1 This is a test method designed to measure the rate of
E 1321 Test Method for Determining Material Ignition and
heat release from a specimen 1 m in a vertical orientation. The
Flame Spread Properties
specimen is exposed to a uniform heat flux from a gas fired
E 1354 Test Method for Heat and Visible Smoke Release
radiant panel up to 50 kW/m and ignited instantly. Heat
Rates for Materials and Products Using an Oxygen Con-
release measured by this test method is based on the observa-
sumption Calorimeter
tion that, generally, the net heat of combustion is directly
2.2 ASTM Proposal:
related to the amount of oxygen required for combustion (2, 3).
P147 Proposed Method for Room Fire Tests of Wall and
The primary measurements of oxygen concentrations and
Ceiling Materials and Assemblies
exhaust flow are made as specified by Huggett (3). Burning
2.3 ISO Standards:
may be either with or without a pilot ignition applied at the top
ISO 5657-1986(E) Fire Tests—Reaction to Fire—
and bottom of the specimen.
Ignitability of Building Materials
4.2 Additional measurements include the mass-loss rate of
ISO 5660-1 Fire Tests—Reaction to Fire—Rate of Heat
the specimen, surface temperature, the time to sustained
Release from Building Products
flaming and the specimen’s interior temperatures. The appara-
ISO 5725 Precision of Test Methods—Determination of
tus can be used to develop data relative to the other parameters
Repeatability and Reproducibility for a Standard Test
discussed in 1.2 and 1.3.
Method by Inter-Laboratory Tests
5. Significance and Use
ISO 9705 Full Scale Room Test for Surface Products
5.1 This test method is used primarily to determine the heat
3. Terminology
release rate of materials, products, and assemblies. Other
parameters are the effective heat of combustion, mass loss rate,
3.1 Definitions:
3.1.1 For definitions of terms used in this test method, refer the time to ignition, smoke and gas production, emissivity, and
surface temperature. These properties are determined on a
to Terminology E 176.
3.2 Definitions of Terms Specific to This Standard: specimen that may be an assembly of materials or products that
are tested in their end-use thickness. Therefore, the heat release
3.2.1 effective heat of combustion—the measured heat re-
lease divided by the mass loss for a specific time period. rate of a wall assembly, for instance, can be determined.
5.2 Representative joints and other characteristics of an
3.2.2 emissivity—the ratio of the power per unit area radi-
assembly shall be included in a specimen when these details
ated from a material’s surface to that radiated from a black
are part of normal design.
body at the same temperature.
5.3 This test method is applicable to end-use products not
3.2.3 heat release rate—the heat evolved from the speci-
men, per unit of time and area. having an ideally planar external surface. The radiant flux field
shall be adjusted to be that which is desired at the average
3.2.4 heating flux—the incident flux imposed externally
from the heater on the specimen at the initiation of the test. distance of the surface from the radiant panel.
5.4 In this procedure, the specimens are subjected to one or
3.2.4.1 Discussion—the specimen, once ignited, is also
heated by its own flame. more specific sets of laboratory conditions. If different test
conditions are substituted or the end use conditions are
3.2.5 ignitability—the propensity to ignition, as measured
by the time to sustained flaming, in seconds, at a specified changed, it may not be possible by or from this test to predict
changes in the fire test response characteristics measured.
heating flux.
3.2.6 net heat of combustion—the oxygen bomb (see Test Therefore, the results are valid only for the fire test exposure
conditions described in this procedure.
Method D 3286) value for the heat of combustion, corrected
for gaseous state of product water. 5.5 Test Limitations:
5.5.1 The test results have limited validity if the specimen
3.2.7 orientation—the plane in which the exposed face of
the specimen is located during testing, either vertical or melts sufficiently to overflow the drip tray, or explosive
spalling occurs.
horizontal facing up.
3.2.8 oxygen consumption principle—the expression of the 5.5.2 Exercise caution in interpreting results of specimens
that sag, deform, or delaminate during a test. Report observa-
relationship between the mass of oxygen consumed during
tions of such behavior.
combustion and the heat released.
3.2.9 smoke obscuration—reduction of light transmission
6. Apparatus
by smoke, as measured by light attenuation.
6.1 General:
3.2.10 sustained flaming—existence of flame on or over
6.1.1 Where dimensions are stated in the following descrip-
most of the specimen surface for periods of at least 5 s.
tion, they shall be considered mandatory and shall be followed
3.2.10.1 Discussion—Flaming of less than 4 s duration is
within nominal tolerance of 65 mm on the radiant panel and
identified as flashing or transitory flaming.
specimen holder assemblies. An exception to this tolerance is
the placement of the screen in front of the ceramic burner that
shall be 60.5 mm. The tolerances permitted in the exhaust
Discontinued; see 1983 Annual Book of ASTM Standards, Vol 04.07.
system (see Proposal P147) for the proposed room fire test
Available from American National Standards Institute, 11 W. 42nd St., 13th
Floor, New York, NY 10036. method or the ISO 9705 standard are permissible.
E 1623
6.1.2 The apparatus shall consist of the following compo- 6.2.4 Natural gas of net heating value at least 790 kJ/mol
nents: a radiant panel assembly (see Fig. 1) capable of vertical shall be supplied to the unit through a control system provided
orientation only; a specimen holder (see Fig. 2), an infrared with as safety interlock. All gas pipe connections to the burners
pyrometer (optional), an exhaust collection system, weighing must be sealed with a gas pipe compound resistant to liquified
platform, gas meter, and a data acquisition system. A general petroleum gases. A drip leg shall be installed in the gas supply
layout of the whole test assembly is shown in Fig. 3. line going to each heater to minimize the possibility of any
6.2 Radiant Panels: loose scale or dirt within the gas supply line from entering the
6.2.1 The panel consists of a hollow 50 by 50 mm square burner’s control system.
steel tubing (see Fig. 1) that supports three rows of adjustable, 6.2.5 Ignition of the burners shall be accomplished by
ceramic-faced, natural gas burners comprised of three burners individual, automatic spark igniters and pilot flames. The spark
per row. The tubing has typical residential water hose connec- igniters are used to ignite the pilot flames which in turn are
tions provided at the bottom of the tubing to facilitate water used to ignite the burners after pilot flame temperature sensors
cooling. have reached a required value. The pilot remains on until the
6.2.2 The left and right burners in each row are made up of burners are extinguished.
four modules each and the center burners are comprised of one 6.2.6 An opening of at least 25 mm shall be provided at the
module. A module consists of four vertically stacked ceramic vertical centerline between the rows of burners.
elements 12.7 mm deep by 95 mm high by 158 mm wide. The 6.2.7 Radiant Panel Constant Irradiance Controller—The
center burners consist of one module each. The modules are irradiance from the radiant panel assembly shall be capable of
comprised of a plenum space in which the natural gas is being held at a preset level by means of regulating the flow of
injected at a controlled rate by the burner’s control system. natural gas to the burners (see X1.2 for more information). The
Combustion air is aspirated into the plenum space through the flow of the gas is regulated using an automatic flow controller,
gas and air injection port. motorized valve, and a thermocouple located on the surface of
6.2.3 The face of each burner is covered with stainless 330 a ceramic burner. The irradiance is directly proportional to the
floating screen for higher surface temperature and safety. The temperature on the surface of the ceramic burners. Gas flow
screens shall be carefully installed to allow for elongation of shall be continuously measured to calculate the heat released
screens and supporting rods. This will allow the distance from the radiant panel assembly. This value is needed to
between the burners and screens to remain constant when calculate the heat release rate from the specimen.
heated. The optimum distance between the surface of the 6.3 Specimen Holder Assembly Components:
burners and the outer surface of the screen was found to be 20 6.3.1 Specimen Holder—The specimen holder assembly is
mm. The rows of gas burners on the panel shall be separated by shown in Fig. 2 and is capable of holding a specimen up to 152
a distance of 112 mm from each other and shall be attached to mm thick. (A thicker specimen holder is necessary to accomo-
the support tubing at the locations indicated in Fig. 1. date specimens thicker than 152 mm.) The top portion of the
assembly is removable to facilitate specimen insertion. Prior to
starting the test the specimen shall be protected from the
radiant panel heat flux exposure by the water cooled shield (see
A modified RAY-TEC burner unit, RT132, from Sun Technology Corp., 14329
23 Mile Road, Shelby TWP., MI 48315 has been found suitable for this application.
6.4.1). A drip tray, 300 mm wide by 50 mm deep by 914 mm
long, shall be attached to the floor of the specimen holder
directly below the specimen frame to contain limited amo
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