ASTM E1623-16
Standard Test Method for Determination of Fire and Thermal Parameters of Materials, Products, and Systems Using an Intermediate Scale Calorimeter (ICAL)

Standard No.

ASTM E1623-16

Release Date

2016

Published By

American Society for Testing and Materials (ASTM)

Status

Be replaced

Replace By

ASTM E1623-22

Latest

ASTM E1623-22a

Scope

5.1 This test method is used primarily to determine the heat release rate of materials, products, and assemblies. Other parameters are the effective heat of combustion, mass loss rate, the time to ignition, smoke and gas production, emissivity, and surface temperature. Examples of test specimens are assemblies of materials or products that are tested in their end-use thickness. Therefore, the test method is suitable for assessing the heat release rate of a wall assembly.

5.2 Representative joints and other characteristics of an assembly shall be included in a specimen when these details are part of normal design.

5.3 This test method is applicable to end-use products not having an ideally planar external surface. The heat flux shall be adjusted to be that which is desired at the average distance of the surface from the radiant panel.

5.4 In this procedure, the specimens are subjected to one or more specific sets of laboratory test conditions. If different test conditions are substituted or the end-use conditions are changed, it is not always possible by or from this test to predict changes in the fire-test-response characteristics measured. Therefore, the results are valid only for the fire test exposure conditions described in this procedure.

5.5 Test Limitations: 

5.5.1 The test results have limited validity if: (a) the specimen melts sufficiently to overflow the drip tray, or (b) explosive spalling occurs.

5.5.2 Exercise caution in interpreting results of specimens that sag, deform, or delaminate during a test. Report observations of such behavior.

1.1 This fire-test-response standard assesses the response of materials, products, and assemblies to controlled levels of radiant heat exposure with or without an external ignitor.

1.2 The fire-test-response characteristics determined by this test method include the ignitability, heat release rates, mass loss rates, visible smoke development, and gas release of materials, products, and assemblies under well ventilated conditions.

1.3 This test method is also suitable for determining many of the parameters or values needed as input for computer fire models. Examples of these values include effective heat of combustion, surface temperature, ignition temperature, and emissivity.

1.4 This test method is also intended to provide information about other fire parameters such as thermal conductivity, specific heat, radiative and convective heat transfer coefficients, flame radiation factor, air entrainment rates, flame temperatures, minimum surface temperatures for upward and downward flame spread, heat of gasification, nondimensional heat of gasification (1)2 and the x03a......

ASTM E1623-16 Referenced Document

• ASTM D5865 Standard Test Method for Gross Calorific Value of Coal and Coke
• ASTM E1321 Standard Test Method for Determining Material Ignition and Flame Spread Properties
• ASTM E1354 Standard Test Method for Heat and Visible Smoke Release Rates for Materials and Products Using an Oxygen Consumption Calorimeter
• ASTM E176 Standard Terminology of Fire Standards
• ASTM E603 Standard Guide for Room Fire Experiments
• ASTM E662 Standard Test Method for Specific Optical Density of Smoke Generated by Solid Materials
• ASTM E691 Standard Practice for Conducting an Interlaboratory Study to Determine the Precision of a Test Method
• ASTM E800 Standard Guide for Measurement of Gases Present or Generated During Fires
• ASTM E84 Standard Test Method for Surface Burning Characteristics of Building Materials
• ASTM E906 Standard Test Method for Heat and Visible Smoke Release Rates for Materials and Products
• ISO 5660-1 Reaction-to-fire tests — Heat release, smoke production and mass loss rate — Part 1: Heat release rate (cone calorimeter method) and smoke production rate (dynamic measurement) AMENDMENT 1
• ISO 5725 Precision of test methods; Determination of repeatability and reproducibility for a standard test method by inter-laboratory tests
• ISO 9705 Fire tests; full-scale room test for surface products; technical corrigendum 1

ASTM E1623-16 history

• 2022 ASTM E1623-22a Standard Test Method for Determination of Fire and Thermal Parameters of Materials, Products, and Systems Using an Intermediate Scale Calorimeter (ICAL)
• 2022 ASTM E1623-22 Standard Test Method for Determination of Fire and Thermal Parameters of Materials, Products, and Systems Using an Intermediate Scale Calorimeter (ICAL)
• 2016 ASTM E1623-16 Standard Test Method for Determination of Fire and Thermal Parameters of Materials, Products, and Systems Using an Intermediate Scale Calorimeter (ICAL)
• 2014 ASTM E1623-14 Standard Test Method for Determination of Fire and Thermal Parameters of Materials, Products, and Systems Using an Intermediate Scale Calorimeter (ICAL)
• 2011 ASTM E1623-11 Standard Test Method for Determination of Fire and Thermal Parameters of Materials, Products, and Systems Using an Intermediate Scale Calorimeter (ICAL)
• 2009 ASTM E1623-09 Standard Test Method for Determination of Fire and Thermal Parameters of Materials, Products, and Systems Using an Intermediate Scale Calorimeter (ICAL)
• 2004 ASTM E1623-04 Standard Test Method for Determination of Fire and Thermal Parameters of Materials, Products, and Systems Using an Intermediate Scale Calorimeter (ICAL)
• 2003 ASTM E1623-03a Standard Test Method for Determination of Fire and Thermal Parameters of Materials, Products, and Systems Using an Intermediate Scale Calorimeter (ICAL)
• 2003 ASTM E1623-03 Standard Test Method for Determination of Fire and Thermal Parameters of Materials, Products, and Systems Using an Intermediate Scale Calorimeter (ICAL)
• 2002 ASTM E1623-02b Standard Test Method for Determination of Fire and Thermal Parameters of Materials, Products, and Systems Using an Intermediate Scale Calorimeter (ICAL)
• 2002 ASTM E1623-02a Standard Test Method for Determination of Fire and Thermal Parameters of Materials, Products, and Systems Using an Intermediate Scale Calorimeter (ICAL)
• 2002 ASTM E1623-02 Standard Test Method for Determination of Fire and Thermal Parameters of Materials, Products, and Systems Using an Intermediate Scale Calorimeter (ICAL)
• 2001 ASTM E1623-01e1 Standard Test Method for Determination of Fire and Thermal Parameters of Materials, Products, and Systems Using an Intermediate Scale Calorimeter (ICAL)
• 2001 ASTM E1623-01 Standard Test Method for Determination of Fire and Thermal Parameters of Materials, Products, and Systems Using an Intermediate Scale Calorimeter (ICAL)
• 2000 ASTM E1623-00 Standard Test Method for Determination of Fire and Thermal Parameters of Materials, Products, and Systems Using an Intermediate Scale Calorimeter (ICAL)