ISO 5660-1 ASTM E1354 Cone Calorimeter Equip

1. Application

The cone calorimeter is the optimal test instrument for characterizing material combustion performance. Its test environment simulates real fire combustion conditions of materials, and the acquired test data can accurately evaluate the combustion behavior of materials under fire scenarios.

2. Compliant Standards

ISO 5660, ASTM E1354, GB/T 16172

3. Technical Specifications

Control System: PLC + Windows Platform

Operation Display: 19-inch Capacitive Industrial Touch All-in-One PC

1. Cone Heater Power: 5 kW
2. Weighing System: Range 2 kg, Accuracy 0.01 g; custom range & accuracy available upon customer request
3. Specimen Size: 100 mm × 100 mm × (max 50 mm)
4. Exhaust Flow Rate: (0.024 ± 0.002) m³/s
5. Timing Resolution: 1 s
6. Paramagnetic Oxygen Sensor
• Measuring Range: 0–25% VOL
• Resolution: 0.01% VOL
• Accuracy: ≤ ±1% F.S.
• Linear Error: ≤ ±1%
• T90 Response Time: ≤ 20 s
• Zero Drift: ≤ ±1% F.S.
• Repeatability: ≤ ±1%
• Recovery Time: ≤ 20 s
7. Smoke Density Analysis Unit: Equipped with concave-convex lens, light source and 50% optical filter
8. Infrared Gas Sensors
• CO₂ Sensor: Range 0–10% VOL, Resolution 0.01% VOL, Accuracy ≤ ±1% F.S., Linear Error ≤ ±1%, T90 ≤ 20 s, Zero Drift ≤ ±1% F.S., Repeatability ≤ ±1%
• CO Sensor: Range 0–1% VOL, Resolution 0.01% VOL, Accuracy ≤ ±1% F.S., Linear Error ≤ ±1%, T90 ≤ 20 s, Zero Drift ≤ ±1% F.S., Repeatability ≤ ±1%
9. Heat Flux Meter Range: 0–100 kW/m² (Water-cooled Type)
10. Fully Automatic Ignition System ×1 Set
11. Flame Detector ×1 Set
12. Self-developed Test Software ×1 Set
13. Specimen Ignition Surface Temperature Detection Function
14. Power Supply: AC 380V, 50 Hz, 100 A

4. Product Advantages

The cone calorimeter outputs comprehensive test data as listed below:

1. Total combustion duration (s)
2. Heat Release Rate per unit area (kW/m²); average & peak HRR within 180 s / 300 s after ignition
3. Total Heat Release of specimen (MJ/m²)
4. Initial mass & residual mass of specimen (kg)
5. Average mass loss & average Mass Loss Rate (g/(m²·s)) from ignition to test completion
6. Irradiance (kW/m²) & exhaust flow rate (m³/s)
7. HRR-Time curve
8. CO & CO₂ generation rates
9. High-voltage spark igniter with automatic positioning
10. Modular equipment design; users can select standard or optional modules according to actual application requirements

5. Equipment Composition

1. Main Unit ×1 Set
2. 5 kW Radiant Cone Heater ×1 Set
3. Oxygen Analyzer ×1 Set
4. Infrared CO & CO₂ Analyzer (1 each)
5. Overall Dimension: L × W × H = 1680 × 686 × 1920 mm
6. Total Equipment Weight: Approx. 450 kg

6. Application Fields

6.1 Evaluation of Material Fire Hazard

Combining HRR, peak HRR (pkHRR) and Time To Ignition (TTI), the fire hazard of materials can be quantitatively judged. Higher HRR & pkHRR and shorter TTI indicate greater potential fire risk of the material, and vice versa.

6.2 Analysis of Flame Retardant Mechanisms

Parameters including EHC, HRR and Specific Extinction Area (SEA) can be used to analyze gas-phase and condensed-phase flame retardancy during material pyrolysis:

• Decreased HRR represents improved flame retardancy, which is also verified by lower EHC and higher SEA. Incomplete gas-phase combustion proves the flame retardant functions in gas phase.
• If EHC remains stable while average HRR drops, the Mass Loss Rate (MLR) decreases, indicating condensed-phase flame retardant mechanism.

6.3 Fire Modelling Research

The cone calorimeter was originally developed for fire modelling design. It measures HRR, the most critical parameter representing fire hazard. Meanwhile, auxiliary indicators such as toxic gas yield and smoke generation can be obtained simultaneously for fire simulation research.

Supplementary Terminology Explanation

1. Heat Release Rate (HRR)

HRR refers to the heat release rate per unit area after material ignition under preset incident heat flux, with unit kW/m². It is the core index to characterize fire intensity. The maximum HRR value is defined as peak Heat Release Rate (pkHRR). Larger HRR and pkHRR mean higher total heat output and greater fire risk during material combustion.

1. Time To Ignition (TTI)

TTI (unit: s) is a key index for fire resistance evaluation, representing the time from the start of surface heating to sustained flaming ignition under preset irradiance. It is used to compare the fire resistance performance of different materials.

1. Effective Heat of Combustion (EHC)

EHC is the ratio of instantaneous HRR to instantaneous mass loss rate at time t, unit MJ/kg. It reflects the combustion efficiency of volatile gas in gas-phase flame and provides critical evidence for flame retardant mechanism analysis.

1. Mass Loss Rate (MLR)

MLR (unit: g/s) represents the mass variation rate of the burning specimen over time, which characterizes the pyrolysis and volatilization degree of materials under specific thermal radiation intensity. Calculated via 5-point numerical differentiation.

1. Specific Extinction Area (SEA)
2. Total Heat Release (THR)