Standard Test Method for Flame Height, Time of Burning, and Loss of Mass of Rigid Thermoset Cellular Plastics in a Vertical Position

SCOPE
1.1 This is a fire-test-response standard. This test method covers a small-scale laboratory screening procedure for comparing relative extent and time of burning and loss of mass of rigid thermoset cellular plastics. This test method should be used solely to establish relative burning characteristics and should not be considered or used as a fire-hazard classification.  
1.1.1 This test method should not be used for materials that drip or melt under the test conditions.  
1.2 During the course of combustion, gases or vapors, or both, are evolved which may be hazardous to personnel. Adequate precautions should be taken to protect the operator.  
1.3 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. A specific precautionary statement is given in 1.2.  
1.4 This standard should be used to measure and describe the response of materials, products, or assemblies to heat and flame under controlled laboratory conditions and should not be used to describe or appraise the fire hazard or fire risk of materials, products, or assemblies under actual fire conditions. However, results of this test may be used as elements of a fire-hazard assessment or a fire-risk assessment which takes into account all of the factors which are pertinent to an assessment of the fire hazard or fire risk of a particular end use.  Note 1-There is no similar or equivalent ISO standard.

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Status
Historical
Publication Date
09-Jul-1999
Technical Committee
Drafting Committee
Current Stage
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ASTM D3014-99 - Standard Test Method for Flame Height, Time of Burning, and Loss of Mass of Rigid Thermoset Cellular Plastics in a Vertical Position
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NOTICE: This standard has either been superseded and replaced by a new version or withdrawn.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: D 3014 – 99
Standard Test Method for
Flame Height, Time of Burning, and Loss of Mass of Rigid
Thermoset Cellular Plastics in a Vertical Position
This standard is issued under the fixed designation D 3014; 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.
This standard has been approved for use by agencies of the Department of Defense.
1. Scope * D 1622 Test Method for Apparent Density of Rigid Cellular
Plastics
1.1 This is a fire-test-response standard. This test method
D 5025 Specification for Laboratory Burner Used for
covers a small-scale laboratory screening procedure for com-
Small-Scale Burning Tests on Plastic Materials
paring relative extent and time of burning and loss of mass of
E 176 Terminology Relating to Fire Standards
rigid thermoset cellular plastics. This test method should be
E 691 Practice for Conducting an Interlaboratory Study to
used solely to establish relative burning characteristics and
Determine the Precision of a Test Method
should not be considered or used as a fire-hazard classification.
1.1.1 This test method should not be used for materials that
3. Terminology
drip or melt under the test conditions.
3.1 Definitions—For terms relating to plastics, the defini-
1.2 During the course of combustion, gases or vapors, or
tions in this test method are in accordance with Terminology
both, are evolved which may be hazardous to personnel.
D 883. For terms relating to fire, the definitions in this test
Adequate precautions should be taken to protect the operator.
method are in accordance with Terminology E 176.
1.3 This standard does not purport to address all of the
safety concerns, if any, associated with its use. It is the
4. Summary of Test Method
responsibility of the user of this standard to establish appro-
4.1 The specimen is mounted in a vertical chimney with a
priate safety and health practices and determine the applica-
glass front and ignited with a bunsen burner for 10 s. The
bility of regulatory limitations prior to use. A specific precau-
height and duration of flame and the mass percent retained by
tionary statement is given in 1.2.
the specimen are recorded.
1.4 This standard should be used to measure and describe
the response of materials, products, or assemblies to heat and
5. Significance and Use
flame under controlled laboratory conditions and should not be
5.1 Tests made on rigid cellular materials in accordance
used to describe or appraise the fire hazard or fire risk of
with the conditions described by this test method can be of
materials, products, or assemblies under actual fire conditions.
considerable value in comparing their burning characteristics.
However, results of this test may be used as elements of a
The height and duration of flame and the mass percent retained
fire-hazard assessment or a fire-risk assessment which takes
by the specimen are recorded.
into account all of the factors which are pertinent to an
5.2 This test method has been applied to flexible cellular
assessment of the fire hazard or fire risk of a particular end use.
materials and other plastics, but no detailed studies have been
NOTE 1—There is no similar or equivalent ISO standard.
conducted to determine its general applicability to these
materials.
2. Referenced Documents
5.3 In this procedure, the specimens are subjected to one or
2.1 ASTM Standards:
more specific sets of laboratory test conditions. If different test
D 883 Terminology Relating to Plastics
conditions are substituted or the end-use conditions are
changed, it may not be possible by or from this test to predict
changes in the fire-test-response characteristics measured. The
This test method is under the jurisdiction of ASTM Committee D-20 on Plastics
and is the direct responsibility of Subcommittee D20.30 on Thermal Properties
(Section D20.30.03). Annual Book of ASTM Standards, Vol 08.02.
Current editon approved July 10, 1999. Published September 1999. Originally Annual Book of ASTM Standards, Vol 08.03.
published as D 3014 – 73. Last previous edition D 3014 – 94.
Annual Book of ASTM Standards, Vol 04.07.
Annual Book of ASTM Standards, Vol 08.01. Annual Book of ASTM Standards, Vol 14.02.
*A Summary of Changes section appears at the end of this standard.
Copyright © ASTM International, 100 Barr Harbor Drive, PO Box C700, West Conshohocken, PA 19428-2959, United States.
D 3014
results are therefore valid only for the fire-test-exposure
conditions described in this procedure.
6. Apparatus
6.1 Test Chimney, conforming to the dimensions in Fig. 1,
Fig. 2, and Fig. 3. The body of the chimney may be either
galvanized or stainless steel. In it is fastened an insert made of
0.025-mm aluminum foil. The insert is held in place by a
stainless steel channel that carries three pins to support the
FIG. 2 Critical Dimensions of Specimen Support
specimen. A heat-resistant glass panel forms the front wall of
the chimney. A scale, in millimetres, graduated at 10-mm
intervals shall be provided at one side of the glass panel for
determining flame height (see Fig. 1 and Fig. 4). The scale shall
begin 51 mm above the bottom of the chimney.
6.2 Timer, capable of measuring to the nearest 0.1 s for
determining the duration of burning.
6.3 Burner—A standard gas burner with a 9.5-mm inside
FIG. 3 Test Specimen Impaled on Specimen Support (Side View)
diameter barrel capable of producing a flame with an inner
cone of 960°C is required to ignite the specimens. See
Specification D 5025 for burner construction.
6.4 Balance, capable of weighing to the nearest 0.01 g for
weighing the specimen.
6.5 Test Chamber—A relatively draft-free laboratory hood.
The fan should be off during the test and should be turned on
immediately following the test to remove products of combus-
tion, which in some cases may be toxic.
7. Test Specimens
7.1 Cut six specimens from material of uniform density. The
specimens shall be 254 by 19 by 19 mm and shall be free of
dust, and the cut edges shall be smooth. If any specimen varies
by more than 5 % from the average density of the six (see 9.1),
the sample shall be considered unacceptable for testing by this
test method.
FIG. 4 Burner Position Under Specimen in Chimney (Front View)
8. Conditioning
8.1 Condition the specimens a minimum of 24 h at atmo-
spheric conditions of 23 6 2°C and 50 6 5 % relative
humidity.
8.2 The specimens shall remain in the temperature- and
humidity-controlled atmosphere until immediately before test-
ing.
9. Procedure
9.1 Determine the density of each specimen in accordance
FIG. 1 Critical Dimensions of Chimney with Test Method D 1622.
D 3014
9.2 Weigh and record the mass (M) of each specimen to the
S = mass of the specimen support, g.
nearest 0.01 g.
M = mass of the specimen, g.
9.3 Weigh and record the mass (S ) of the specimen support
S = mass of specimen and specimen support after
1 2
to the nearest 0.01 g. ignition, g.
9.4 Ignite and adjust the burner so that the inner blue cone PMR = percent mass retained by entire specimen.
is 25 to 35 mm high. Further adjust the burner until the
temperature at the top of the inner cone is 960 6 5°C. 11. Calculation
11.1 Calculate the mass percent of the specimen retained
NOTE 2—To obtain 960°C, it will be necessary to use a propane burner
after ignition by the equation:
with propane gas, or a natural-gas burner with natural gas. In order to
minimize the time and frequency required for temperature calibration, it is
PMR 5 @~S 2 S !/M# 3 100 (1)
2 1
necessary to maintain a steady supply of gas. Thermocouples have been
found useful
...

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