BS476-6 Building Materials Flammability Testing Equipment 530J/S 1kPa
BS 476 part 6 specifies a method of test where the result is expressed as a fire propagation index, providing a comparative measure of the contribution to the growth of fire made by an essentially flat material, composite or assembly. This equipment is primarily intended for the assessment of the performance of internal wall and ceiling linings.
During testing, the specimen is exposed to a tubular torch with a heat release of 530J/S. After 2 minutes and 45 seconds, two electric heaters are adjusted to 1800 watts total. Five minutes after test initiation, power is reduced to 1500 watts and maintained until test completion, with a total test duration of 20 minutes.
The apparatus assesses flame propagation properties by continuously recording chimney temperature and room temperature difference using thermocouples. Results are compared with calibration curves based on asbestos-cement slab density measurements. Temperature differences are recorded at 30-second intervals for the first 3 minutes, 1-minute intervals for minutes 4-10, and 2-minute intervals for minutes 11-20. Flame spread indices for these three periods are calculated according to standard formulas.
The final index (I) represents the sum of the three period flame spread indices. Higher I values indicate lower material flame retardancy, with grade 0 materials having I ≤ 12.
BS 476 Part 6 A1: 2009
GB/T 17658-1999
- Stainless steel support frame and Calcium silicate board combustion chamber
- Three sample holders for different specimen thicknesses
- Low reflective black finished mild steel Chimney and Cowl assembly with thermocouple mounting points
- Compliant stainless steel gas burner
- Two K type mineral insulated thermocouples with ceramic insulators
- Two pencil type heaters with 1000w installed in combustion chamber
- Control gas instrumentation including electronic gas on/off valve, flow regulating valve, flow meter and manometer
- Intelligent single phase power controller with feedback loop for accurate control of electric heating elements
- DAQ automatically records mV output from thermocouples throughout test duration
- Automatically adjusts output power according to test time
| Specification | Details |
|---|---|
| Electrical | 230 volts Nominal 10 Amps |
| Ambient Temperature | Operating 10°C to 35°C |
| Gas Supplies | Standard test gas G112, as specified in BS 4947 |
| Flow | Gas flow for burner adjustable from 0 to 5 nl/min |
| Pressure | 1kPa |
Get in Touch
Have questions about our products or want to discuss a custom order? Our team is ready to help you.