Cone Calorimeter – Fire test for Heat Release - ISO 5660
The Cone Calorimeter is the most significant bench scale instrument in the field of fire testing.
Heat release is the key measurement required to assess the fire development of materials and products. Traditionally it has been very difficult to measure and more recently full scale testing of items (e.g. furniture) has been possible by burning these articles and measuring the evolved heat using a technique called oxygen depletion calorimetry.
In the early 1980's workers at NIST (formerly NBS), in the USA, decided to produce an improved bench scale heat release test which would overcome the deficiencies of existing small scale heat release tests which relied on the measurement of the outflow enthalpy of enclosed systems. Oxygen depletion calorimetry was identified as the best measurment method. This is based on the empirical observation that heat released by burning materials is directly proportional to the quantity of oxygen used in the combustion process. The instrument was called a Cone Calorimeter. This name was derived from the shape of the truncated conical heater that is used to irradiate the test specimen with fluxes up to 100 kW/m2 in the test.
The cone Calorimeter is applicable to:
> ISO 5660-1, Reaction-to-fire tests -- Heat release, smoke production and mass loss rate -- Part 1: Heat release rate (cone calorimeter method)
> ASTM E 1354, Standard Test Method for Heat and Visible Smoke Release Rates for Materials and Products Using an Oxygen Consumption Calorimeter
> ASTM E 1474, Standard Test Method for Determining the Heat Release Rate of Upholstered Furniture and Mattress Components or Composites Using a Bench Scale Oxygen Consumption Calorimeter
> ASTM E 1740, Standard Test Method for Determining the Heat Release Rate and Other Fire-Test-Response Characteristics of Wall Covering or Ceiling Covering Composites Using a Cone Calorimeter
> ASTM F 1550, Test Method for Determination of Fire-Test-Response Characteristics of Components or Composites of Mattresses or Furniture for Use in Correctional Facilities after Exposure to Vandalism, by Employing a Bench Scale Oxygen Consumption Calorimeter
> ASTM D 6113, Standard Test Method for Using a Cone Calorimeter to Determine Fire-Test-Response Characteristics of Insulating Materials Contained in Electrical or Optical Fiber Cables
> NFPA 264, Standard Method of Test for Heat and Visible Smoke Release Rates for Materials and Products Using an Oxygen Consumption Calorimeter
> CAN/ULC 135: Standard Method of Test for Determination of Degrees of Combustibility of Building Materials Using an Oxygen Consumption Calorimeter (Cone Calorimeter
> BS 476 Part 15: Fire Tests on Building Materials and Structures Part 15: Method of Measuring the Rate of Heat Release of Products