What is a 12-second vertical flammability test?

 

In the 12-second vertical flammability test, the sample is suspended in a vertical combustion chamber with the lower end of the sample placed on a burner. The burner ignites the lower end of the sample, and then records parameters such as the burning time of the sample, flame height, flame propagation speed and smoke production. The test time is 12 seconds, and the parameters recorded during the test are compared with the indicators specified in the standard to evaluate the combustion performance of the sample.

 

The 12-second vertical flammability test is usually stipulated by the standards formulated by the standardization organizations of various countries and regions. For example, the American National Standards Institute (ANSI) and the International Organization for Standardization (ISO) have developed similar testing standards, ANSI/UL 723 and ISO 1210, respectively.

 

The advantage of this test method is that it is simple and easy to implement, and the test time is short, and a large number of samples can be tested in a short period of time. It is one of the common methods for evaluating the combustion characteristics of materials such as building materials, electronic equipment and automotive interiors. However, the disadvantage of the 12-second vertical flammability test is that it can only evaluate the vertical combustion performance of the material, and cannot evaluate the horizontal combustion performance, so it needs to be combined with other test methods for a comprehensive evaluation of the combustion performance.