ASTM E1354 – Cone Calorimeter
VTEC — Your ASTM E1354 Test Lab
Since 1982, VTEC Laboratories has been providing cost-effective commercial testing services like ASTM E1354. Also, because we’re an ISO 17020, 17025 and 17065 accredited test lab, you can count on our expertise and test results to meet the highest standards of the industry. And though we’re an industry leader in testing, we’re also a customer-driven business that respects your deadlines and will do everything in our power to always deliver outstanding service.
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What is ASTM E1354 Cone Calorimeter Testing?
When the safety of life and property depend on knowing how certain materials respond to heat and ambient fires in the presence of oxygen, the “Standard Test Method for Heat and Visible Smoke Release Rates for Materials and Products Using an Oxygen Consumption Calorimeter” — commonly known as ASTM E1354 — is a highly useful test to conduct.
ASTM E1354 examines the relationship between the total heat produced during the combustion process and the oxygen needed for that combustion to occur. You can calculate this relationship based on the fact that about 13,100 kilojoules of heat are produced for every one kilogram of oxygen burned. Of course, taking precise measurements of factors such as oxygen concentration, weight loss of the test piece and time standards related to smoke production relies on using a fully qualified ASTM E1354 test lab like VTEC Laboratories that has been conducting high-quality commercial testing for well over three decades.
Benefits of ASTM E1354 Testing
The methodology of this test is useful for determining the heat produced and contributed to a surrounding fire by the test specimen. Moreover, it’s also able to calculate the heat needed for combustion, the loss of weight of the test specimen, the time elapsed for flaming to occur and the amount of smoke produced.
The vast amount of data collected during ASTM E1354 means it’s a valuable test for the evaluation of materials, design considerations and modeling purposes, as well as for research and development of new materials. The result is that material researchers, manufacturers and developers can better predict fire characteristics using materials that can be benchmarked against other materials previously tested.
ASTM E1354 and the Cone Calorimeter
At VTEC, our highly trained staff only uses state-of-the-art testing equipment. It’s why you can always trust the results of the tests you order from us. In the case of ASTM E1354, our equipment consists of a cone calorimeter, which is made up of a conical heater, a test piece holder and a gaseous exhaust measurement system, as well as an ignition system and a data collection apparatus capable of collecting everything from specimen mass loss to exhaust oxygen levels.
The standard test exposes the test specimen to radiant heat — either with a source of ignition or without it. Since radiant heat is a major contributing factor to real-world fires, the cone calorimeter can measure the increase in heat, noting specifically when the peak rate of heat release — or PRHR — is reached, as well as the time necessary to reach it. Both of these measurements are highly useful in the prediction of a material's likelihood to impact the growth rate of an ambient fire.
Recommended Tests to Pair with ASTM E1354:
- ASTM E162 - Surface Flammability Test
- ASTM E662 - Smoke Density Test
- BSS 7239 - Toxicity Test
- ASTM E648 - Critical Radiant Flux Test
- SMP-800C - Toxic Gas Generation Test
Learn More About VTEC Services
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Learn more about our services by contacting us online or calling us at (718) 542-8248.