Brenntests

Brenntests, or burn tests, are standardized evaluations of how a material behaves when exposed to flame. They are used to assess flammability and fire spread characteristics and to support safety classifications in industries such as construction, textiles, automotive, and consumer products.

Methodology and scope include exposing a material specimen of defined size to a flame under specified conditions, then observing ignition time, flame propagation, burning duration after flame removal, dripping of molten or burning material, smoke production, and any afterglow. Tests can be conducted in vertical or horizontal orientations and may yield qualitative results or semi-quantitative ratings. In some contexts they form part of a broader fire-performance assessment.

Results from Brenntests are often used to classify materials according to regional or product standards. Examples of classification systems and standards include EN ISO 11925-2 (vertical flame spread in Europe), EN 13501-1 (fire classification of building materials), UL 94 (flame tests for plastics in the United States), and NFPA 701 (flammability of textiles in the United States). In addition to basic burn tests, more advanced methods such as cone calorimetry measure parameters like heat release rate, mass loss, and smoke production to provide a more detailed fire-risk profile.

Safety and limitations: Brenntests require trained personnel and appropriate safety measures, including suitable containment, ventilation, and fire suppression equipment. Results depend on sample preparation, testing conditions, and specimen geometry, and they may not fully predict real-world fire performance, which depends on many interacting factors.

See also: Fire testing, Flammability, Fire safety engineering.