Lab UL723 ASTM E84 Building Materials Surface Burning
Characteristics Testing Equipment
Application:
This method is applicable to determine surface burning
characteristics of building materials and flame propagation rate of
exposed surfaces such as walls and ceilings (including solid
plastics), at the same time measure smoke density.
This test method applies to the exposed surface which includes
ceiling or walls, provided that the materials or the whole
assembly, with its own structural quality or the aspect in which is
tested and intended to use is able to support itself in position or
being supported during the period of test. The method is used to
determine the corresponding burning behavior of the material by
observing the flame spread along the test specimen. Reports are
made for the flame spread and smoke density developed and it is not
necessarily a relationship between the two measurements.
Standard:
ASTM E84: standard test method for surface burning characteristics
of building materials
UL723: test for surface burning characteristics of building
materials
Parameters:
1. Power: AC380V±10%
2. Max Power: 5KW
3. Test tunnel furnace: length 7.62M, open end cross section 0.45M
* 0.3M, firebrick max temperature 2500℃
4. The test chamber is made of 16 isometric observation windows,
and one fire observation window, which is a double-layer
high-temperature quartz glass, SUS304 stainless steel frame.
5. Adopt water seal structure, the two sides of sample cover plate
are broken into the tank during test, in order to sealing
performance is better.
6. Air inlet is adjustable shutter, which could control air flow
inside furnace more accurately.
7. Thermocouple: K-type, diameter 3mm, 3 sets, Omega USA imported,
high precision, long service life, measuring range: ≤1300 ℃
8. Exhaust port: which is from rectangle to round, diameter 406mm
9. Smoke density measurement: install position is distance tunnel
furnace 4.9~12.2M.
10. Gas burner installation: the burner shall be spaced 305mm from
the fire end of the test chamber, and 190mm below the under surface
of the test sample.
11. The light source: two gas burners, around nozzle distance
203mm, energy output 5.3Mj/min.
12. Ignition system: high voltage electronic ignition.
13. Component material and function:
①. Test furnace size: L9456*W1067*H1400, not including flue.
②. Furnace base is made of 100*50 channel steel welded together,
surface spray treatment
③. Flue: double-layer flue, the center filled with high temperature
asbestos, inner layer SUS304 stainless steel plate, outer layer
galvanized sheet with T1.2
④. Sample plate: calcium silicate cement board, high temperature
resistant to 1300℃
⑤. Sample cover: T2.0 SUS304 stainless steel
⑥. Control box: adopts T1.2 cold plate, CNC machine tool is formed,
arc shape beautiful, surface is white paint.
14. Gas and gas flow control system:
①. Gas: gas (purity 99%), by your own.
②. Gas control system, includes flow meter, U type pressure gauge,
pressure gauge, pressure regulating valve.
③. Flow meter: domestic brand, range 2~20L/min, accuracy 2%.
④. U type pressure gauge: original from USA, water column 0~36
inches, analysis degree 0.1 inch.
⑤. Pressure gauge: 0~200Kpa(0~30psi), resolution 5Kpa.
⑥. Pressure regulating valve: 0~10kg/min continuously adjustable.
15. Smoke density measurement system:
①. Light source: imported quartz halogen lamp.
②. Nominal power: 100W.
③. Nominal voltage: 12V.
④. Nominal light return amount: 2000~3000Lm.
⑤. Receiver: spectral response matches light meter of international
lighting commissioner (CIE).
⑥. Installation: install at one end of the pipe with length 150,
the other end is a dustproof window, inner wall of pipe is glossy
black and anti-reflection.
⑦. Light transmittance 0% means no light passing, 100% means
without shade, all pass through.
Features:
1. Measure flame propagation speed is based on the time of flame
through the window to estimate after lit sample, get flame
propagation speed curve, which method is to draw the distance and
time flame propagation through window. The equipment should be
calibrated firstly when do test, and then do two preliminary tests.
The first preliminary test is to detect red oak specimen,
artificially set its flame propagation and smoke generation as
100(this method also measures material’s smoke generation). The
second preliminary test is to detect asbestos cement specimen, set
its above two values as 0. Then determine specimen smoke and flame
propagation velocity curve, calculate flam spread index (FSI), the
method is: if this total area is less than or equal to 29.7m·min,
that is FSI=0.515AT; if the total area is greater than 29.7m·min,
that is FSI=4900/(195-AT).
2. The flame propagation rate of various unprocessed wood is 60 to
230, the smoke generated is also measured during combustion, and
its rank is divided in the same range.
3. The FSI value of the material measured with tunnel method is
between 0 and 200, the smaller the FSI value is, the less the fire
risk is. The high buildings and corridor, should use FSI<25
material, 25<FSI<100 material only could be used for fire
requirement not very strict, while FSI>100 material don’t meet
the requirement of flame retardant.
4. Class A is 0-25, Class B is 26-75, Class C is 76-200, the sample
that smoke index less than 450and flame spread rate curve, then
calculate flame spread index(FSI) of the sample, the method is: if
this total area is less than or equal to 29.7m·min, that is
FSI=0.515AT; if the total area is greater than 29.7m·min, that is
FSI=4900/(195-AT).
Procedure:
1. Six pcs samples, placed under 12mm thick calcium silicate
cement.
2. Observe data:
A. Measure the time on flame arrived at each observation point
B. Measure the flame spread distance on the first 1.5 minute
C. Measure the flame spread distance during all the test (10
minutes)
D. Measure the flame spread max distance and time
3. Judgment method:
Classification | Flame spread at 1.5 min (mm) | Final flame spread (mm) |
Class 1 | 165 (+25) | 165 (+25) |
Class 2 | 215 (+25) | 455 (+25) |
Class 3 | 265 (+25) | 710 (+25) |
Class 4 | Exceeding Class 3 limits |
BS Class 1 judge standard:
①. During six pcs samples, the sample that biggest “1.5 minutes
flame spread value” and “last flame spread value”, shall not exceed
the max allowance (that is the sum of internal and external value)
②. The “1.5 minutes flame spread value” and “last flame spread
value” of another five pcs samples should not exceed standard value
(that is the external value)
Part 6: Fire propagation
①. Test method: measure temperature change (heating) by
thermocouple sensor through sealing space when burning sample.
②. Observe data: the temperature is measured every 30 seconds
within 0-3 minutes ignition; the temperature is measured every 1
minute within 4-10 minutes ignition; the temperature is measured
every 2 minute within 12-20 minutes ignition, and only measure 3
times.
③. Judgment method:
S1 = S2 = S3 =
S = S1 + S2+ S3
t----- time, in minutes, 0 when ignition
--sample temperature, in ℃, on time t
---standard temperature, in ℃, on time t
BS Class 0 judgment standard: Class 1 material total index S is not
more than 12; the first sub-index is not more than 6, which could
be determined as Class 0.
Environmental conditions:
1. Ground level, well ventilated, non-flammable, explosive,
corrosive gases and dust.
2. There is no strong source of electromagnetic radiation nearby.
3. Leave adequate space around the equipment for maintenance.
4. Temperature: 5 ℃ ~ 30 ℃.
5. Pressure: 86 ~ 106kpa.
6. AC3800V / 50HZ.
7. Fluctuation range: 380V ± 10%.
8. Frequency fluctuation range allowed: 50Hz ± 1%.
9. The user is required to configure the device with the
appropriate capacity of air and power switches at the installation
site, and the equipment must independently and exclusively use this
switch.
10. If the equipment is not working, the ambient temperature should
be maintained within 0 ~ 45 ℃