What Is Cone Calorimeter Test
Publish Time: 2024-01-09 Origin: Site
What is the Cone Calorimeter Test?
The Invention of Cone Calorimeter
Since its invention in 1982, the Cone Calorimeter has been recognized as a test instrument for the comprehensive assessment of the reaction to fire performance of materials.
It has the advantage of being comprehensive, simple, and accurate compared to traditional methods. It can measure not only the heat release rate but also the smoke density, mass loss, flammability behavior, and other parameters in a test.
In addition, the results obtained from the cone calorimeter test correlate well with large-scale combustion tests and are therefore widely used to evaluate the flammability performance of materials and assess fire development.
Standard Compliance
The Cone Calorimeter is one of the most important fire test instruments for studying the combustion properties of materials and has been used by many countries, regions, and international standards organizations in the fields of construction materials, polymers, composite materials, wood products, and cables.
ISO 5660-1
Reaction-to-fire tests — Heat release, smoke production and mass loss rate — Part 1: Heat release rate (cone calorimeter method) and smoke production rate (dynamic measurement).
ASTM E1354
Standard Test Method for Heat and Visible Smoke Release Rates for Materials and Products Using an Oxygen Consumption Calorimeter.
BS 476 Part 15
Fire tests on building materials and structures — Part 15: Method for measuring the rate of heat release of product.
ULC-S135-04
Standard Test Method for the Determination of Combustibility Parameters of Building Materials Using an Oxygen Consumption Calorimeter (Cone Calorimeter).
The Principle of Cone Calorimeter
Heat Release
The principle of heat release is based on the net heat of combustion is proportional to the amount of oxygen required for combustion, approximately 13.1MJ of heat is released per kilogram of oxygen consumed. Specimens in the test are burned under ambient air conditions while being subjected to an external irradiance within the range of 0 to 100 kW/m2 and measuring the oxygen concentrations and exhaust gas flow rates.
Smoke Release
The principle of smoke measurement is based on the intensity of light that is transmitted through a volume of combustion products is an exponentially decreasing function of distance. Smoke obscuration is measured as the fraction of laser light intensity that is transmitted through the smoke in the exhaust duct. This fraction is used to calculate the extinction coefficient according to Bouguer’s law. Specimens in the test are burned under ambient air conditions while being subjected to an external irradiance within the range of 0 to 100 kW/m2 and measuring smoke obscuration, and exhaust gas flow rate.
Mass Loss
The specimens in the test are burned above the weighing device while being subjected to an external irradiance within the range of 0 to 100 kW/m2 and measuring the mass loss rate.
Reports
Test data can be calculated for the heat release rate per exposed area or per kilogram material lost during the test, total heat release, smoke production rate per exposed area or per kilogram material lost during the test, total smoke production, mass loss rate, and total mass loss.
Time to sustained flaming and extinguished, TTI, in seconds
Heat release rate, HRR, in MJ/kg, kW/m2
Average heat release rate in first 180s and 300s, in kW/m2
Maximum average rate of heat emission, MARHE, in kW/m2.s
Total heat release, THR, in MJ
Mass loss, in g/m2.s
Smoke Produce Rate, SPR, m2/m2
Smoke production, TSP, in m2