Flammability Test Method

Abstract

Providing safe and highly accurate flammability testing methods. [Solution] A flammability test method using a flammability test apparatus having a test specimen support means for supporting a test specimen, and a first thermocouple and a second thermocouple arranged sequentially along the combustion direction of the test specimen on the test specimen support means, An ignition step of igniting the test specimen, A measurement start step in which the measurement of the combustion time is started when the temperature measured by the first thermocouple exceeds a predetermined temperature, A measurement termination step in which the measurement of the combustion time is terminated when the temperature measured by the second thermocouple exceeds the predetermined temperature, The flammability test method is characterized by including a combustion rate calculation step, which calculates the combustion rate of the test specimen from the combustion time obtained by the measurement and the distance between the first thermocouple and the second thermocouple.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present disclosure relates to a flammability test method.

Background Art

[0002] In the conventional flammability test method, an operator analog-measures, using a measuring instrument such as a stopwatch, the time taken for the flame of a test piece installed in a flammability test apparatus to pass through any two points (a measurement start point and a measurement end point) in the flammability test apparatus.

[0003] Also, as a flammability test method using digital tools, Patent Document 1 below is disclosed. That is, Patent Document 1 discloses a flammability test apparatus that drives a carrier to travel by an ultraviolet detection signal that senses and transmits the combustion state of a test piece, and automatically measures the combustion rate of the test piece based on the travel speed of the carrier calculated by a calculator.

Prior Art Documents

Patent Documents

[0004]

Patent Document 1

Summary of the Invention

Problems to be Solved by the Invention

[0005] In the above conventional flammability test method, there is a risk that the measurement results are likely to vary among operators. This is presumably due to the measurement method by the operator's visual observation. Also, concerns such as eye fatigue of the operator due to visual measurement are also present, and there is room for improvement in terms of the safety of the operator.

[0006] Also, in the flammability test apparatus described in Patent Document 1 above, in addition to the above problems, there is also a concern about the risk of high equipment costs.

Means for Solving the Problems

[0007] A flammability test method according to one embodiment, for solving the above problems, is: A flammability test method using a flammability test apparatus having a test specimen support means for supporting a test specimen, and a first thermocouple and a second thermocouple arranged sequentially along the combustion direction of the test specimen on the test specimen support means, The ignition process involves igniting the test specimen, A measurement start step in which the measurement of the combustion time is started when the temperature measured by the first thermocouple exceeds a predetermined temperature, A measurement termination step in which the measurement of combustion time is terminated when the temperature measured by the second thermocouple exceeds a predetermined temperature, The method includes a combustion rate calculation step, which calculates the combustion rate of a test specimen from the combustion time obtained by measurement and the distance between the first thermocouple and the second thermocouple. [Effects of the Invention]

[0008] According to the present invention, a safe and highly accurate flammability testing method can be provided. [Brief explanation of the drawing]

[0009] [Figure 1] This is a schematic diagram showing an example of the process by which a test specimen burns in a flammability test apparatus according to the present invention. [Figure 2] This graph shows the burning time measured using conventional flammability testing methods. [Figure 3] This graph shows the burning time measured by the flammability test method of the present invention. [Modes for carrying out the invention]

[0010] (Flammability Test Method) The present invention provides a flammability test method using a flammability test apparatus having a test specimen support means for supporting a test specimen, and a first thermocouple and a second thermocouple arranged sequentially along the combustion direction of the test specimen on the test specimen support means, the method comprising: an ignition step of igniting the test specimen; a measurement start step of starting to measure the combustion time when the temperature measured by the first thermocouple exceeds a predetermined temperature; a measurement end step of ending the measurement of the combustion time when the temperature measured by the second thermocouple exceeds a predetermined temperature; and a combustion rate calculation step of calculating the combustion rate of the test specimen from the combustion time obtained by measurement and the distance between the first thermocouple and the second thermocouple, and may include other steps as necessary.

[0011] Furthermore, the flammability test apparatus may include analytical means and other means as needed.

[0012] Here, the flammability test apparatus according to the present invention will be specifically described with reference to Figure 1. Figure 1 is a schematic diagram showing an example of the process by which a test specimen burns in the flammability test apparatus according to the present invention. Specifically, Figure 1(a) shows the state of the flammability test apparatus 100 before ignition of the test specimen 2, Figure 1(b) shows the state of the flammability test apparatus 100 after a certain period of time has elapsed since ignition of the test specimen 2, and Figure 1(c) shows the state of the flammability test apparatus 100 after even more time has elapsed since ignition of the test specimen 2.

[0013] The flammability test apparatus 100 shown in Figure 1 comprises a test specimen support means 1, a first thermocouple 31 and a second thermocouple 32 arranged sequentially along the combustion direction of the test specimen 2 on the test specimen support means 1, and an analysis means 4.

[0014] <Means for supporting the test specimen> The test specimen support means 1 is not particularly limited as long as it can support the test specimen 2, and can be appropriately selected according to the purpose. For example, as shown in Figure 1, the test specimen 2 may be sandwiched between the test specimen support means 1.

[0015] <First thermocouple, and second thermocouple> As the first thermocouple 31 and the second thermocouple 32 arranged in order along the combustion direction of the test piece 2, there is no particular limitation as long as they can detect temperature fluctuations caused by the flame of the test piece 2, and they can be appropriately selected according to the purpose.

[0016] The "first thermocouple 31 and the second thermocouple 32 arranged in order along the combustion direction of the test piece 2" in this specification means, for example, in the combustion direction of the test piece 2, among the two thermocouples, the thermocouple that first exceeds a predetermined temperature due to the flame of the test piece 2 is taken as the first thermocouple 31, and among the two thermocouples, the thermocouple that later exceeds a predetermined temperature due to the flame of the test piece 2 is taken as the second thermocouple 32. In FIG. 1, since it is a mode of ignition from the left end of the test piece ② in FIG. 1, the thermocouple on the left side in FIG. 1 is taken as the first thermocouple 31, and the thermocouple on the right side in FIG. 1 is taken as the second thermocouple 32.

[0017] <Analysis means> As the analysis means 4, there is no particular limitation as long as it can calculate the combustion rate of the test piece from the combustion time obtained by measurement and the distance between the first thermocouple and the second thermocouple, and it can be appropriately selected according to the purpose. For example, it may be provided with a data logger that stores measurement information in CSV data, a calculation device that performs calculation processing of the combustion time, and the like.

[0018] Here, the mechanism of the combustion test method of the present invention will be described with reference to FIG. 1. First, FIG. 1(a) shows the state of the combustion test apparatus 100 before the test piece 2 is ignited.

[0019] Next, as the ignition process, the left end of the test piece 2 in FIG. 1 is ignited. As the ignition method, there is no particular limitation as long as it is a method by which the test piece 2 burns, and it can be appropriately selected according to the purpose.

[0020] Figure 1(b) shows the state of the flammability test apparatus 100 after a certain period of time has elapsed since the ignition of the test specimen 2. At this time, when the flame of the test specimen 2 moves in the combustion direction (the direction of the arrow in Figure 1(b)), the temperature around the first thermocouple 31 rises due to the flame of the test specimen 2. When the temperature measured by the first thermocouple 31 exceeds a predetermined temperature, the measurement of the combustion time starts. This is defined as the measurement start step.

[0021] Figure 1(c) shows the state of the flammability test apparatus 100 after further time has elapsed since the ignition of the test specimen 2. When the flame of the test specimen 2 further moves in the combustion direction (the direction of the arrow in Figure 1(c)), the temperature around the second thermocouple 32 rises due to the flame of the test specimen 2. When the temperature measured by the second thermocouple 32 exceeds a predetermined temperature, the measurement of the combustion time ends. This is defined as the measurement end step.

[0022] The "predetermined temperature" in this specification is not particularly limited and can be appropriately set according to the purpose, but it is preferable that the predetermined temperature in the measurement start step is the same as the predetermined temperature in the measurement end step.

[0023] The analysis means 4 calculates the combustion rate of the test specimen from the combustion time obtained by the measurement start step and the measurement end step, and the distance between the first thermocouple 31 and the second thermocouple 32 set in advance. This is defined as the combustion rate calculation step.

[0024] Figure 2 is a graph showing the combustion time measured by a conventional flammability test method which is analog measurement. Figure 3 is a graph showing the combustion time measured by the flammability test method of the present invention which is digital measurement. In any of the experimental systems, three operators A to C each performed the measurement five times, and the standard time of the combustion rate was set to 900 seconds.

[0025] In the conventional flammability test method shown in Figure 2, the burning time is measured visually, resulting in a variation of approximately ±5 seconds in the measurement results. On the other hand, in the flammability test method of the present invention shown in Figure 3, since digital measurement is performed using a thermocouple, it can be seen that the variation in the measurement results can be suppressed to approximately ±2 seconds.

[0026] Although preferred embodiments of the present invention have been described in detail above, the present invention is not limited to these embodiments, and various modifications or changes are possible within the scope of the gist of the present invention as described in the claims.

Claims

[Claim 1] A flammability test method using a flammability test apparatus having a test specimen support means for supporting a test specimen, and a first thermocouple and a second thermocouple arranged sequentially along the combustion direction of the test specimen on the test specimen support means, An ignition step of igniting the test specimen, A measurement start step in which the measurement of the combustion time is started when the temperature measured by the first thermocouple exceeds a predetermined temperature, A measurement termination step in which the measurement of the combustion time is terminated when the temperature measured by the second thermocouple exceeds the predetermined temperature, A method for testing flammability, characterized by comprising a combustion rate calculation step of calculating the combustion rate of the test specimen from the combustion time obtained by the measurement and the distance between the first thermocouple and the second thermocouple.

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