ASTM E1623-01e1

NOTICE: This standard has either been superseded and replaced by a new version or discontinued.
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Designation: E 1623 – 01 An American National Standard
Standard Test Method for
Determination of Fire and Thermal Parameters of Materials,
Products, and Systems Using an Intermediate Scale
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Calorimeter (ICAL)
This standard is issued under the fixed designation E 1623; the number immediately following the designation indicates the year of
original adoption or, in the case of revision, the year of last revision. A number in parentheses indicates the year of last reapproval. A
superscript epsilon (e) indicates an editorial change since the last revision or reapproval.
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e NOTE—Editorial corrections were made in 1.4 and 1.6 in June 2001.
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1. Scope range of 0 to 50 kW/m in a vertical orientation. Hot wires are
used to ignite the combustible vapors from the specimen during
1.1 This fire-test-response standard assesses the response of
the ignition and heat release tests. The assessment of the
materials, products, and assemblies to controlled levels of
parameters associated with flame spread requires the use of line
radiant heat exposure with or without an external ignitor.
burners instead of hot wire ignitors.
1.2 The fire-test-response characteristics determined by this
1.6.1 Heat release measurements at low heat flux levels (<
test method include the ignitability, heat release rates, mass
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10 kW/m ) require special considerations as described in
loss rates, visible smoke development, and gas release of
Section A1.1.6.
materials, products, and assemblies under well ventilated
1.7 This test method has been developed for evaluations,
conditions.
design, or research and development of materials, products, or
1.3 This test method is also suitable for determining many
assemblies, for mathematical fire modeling, or for research and
of the parameters or values needed as input for computer fire
development. The specimen shall be tested in thicknesses and
models. Examples of these values include effective heat of
configurations representative of actual end product or system
combustion, surface temperature, ignition temperature, and
uses.
emissivity.
1.8 Limitations of the test method are listed in Section 5.5.
1.4 This test method is also intended to provide information
1.9 The values stated in SI units are to be regarded as the
about other fire parameters such as thermal conductivity,
standard.
specific heat, radiative and convective heat transfer coeffi-
1.10 This standard is used to measure and describe the
cients, flame radiation factor, air entrainment rates, flame
response of materials, products, or assemblies to heat and
temperatures, minimum surface temperatures for upward and
flame under controlled conditions, but does not by itself
downward flame spread, heat of gasification, nondimensional
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incorporate all factors required for fire hazard or fire risk
heat of gasification (1) and the F flame spread parameter (see
assessment of the materials, products, or assemblies under
Test Method E 1321). While some studies have indicated that
actual fire conditions.
this test method is suitable for determining these fire param-
1.11 Fire testing of products and materials is inherently
eters, insufficient testing and research have been done to justify
hazardous, and adequate safeguards for personnel and prop-
inclusion of the corresponding testing and calculating proce-
erty shall be employed in conducting these tests. This test
dures.
method may involve hazardous materials, operations, and
1.5 The heat release rate is determined by the principle of
equipment. Specific information about hazard is given in
oxygen consumption calorimetry, via measurement of the
Section 7.
oxygen consumption as determined by the oxygen concentra-
1.12 This standard does not purport to address all of the
tion and flow rate in the exhaust product stream (exhaust duct).
safety concerns, if any, associated with its use. It is the
The procedure is specified in 11.1. Smoke development is
responsibility of the user of this standard to establish appro-
quantified by measuring the obscuration of light by the
priate safety and health practices and determine the applica-
combustion product stream (exhaust duct).
bility of regulatory limitations prior to use.
1.6 Specimens are exposed to a constant heating flux in the
2. Referenced Documents
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This test method is under the jurisdiction of ASTM Committee E05 on Fire
2.1 ASTM Standards:
Standards and is the direct responsibility of Subcommittee E05.21 on Smoke and
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D 2016 Test Methods for Moisture Content of Wood
Combustion Products.
Current edition approved Jan. 10, 2001. Published April 2001. Originally
published as E 1623 – 94. Last previous edition E 1623 - 00.
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The boldface numbers given in parentheses refer to the list of references at the Discontinued; see 1988 Annual Book of ASTM Standards, Vol 04.09. Replaced
end of this standard. by D 4442 and D 44
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