SPREAD OF FLAME APPARATUS ISO 5658/IMO/LIFT Spread of Flame Apparatus


ISO 5658 - IMO Resolution A.653 (16) - ASTM E 1317 ASTM E 1321


The Spread of Flame Apparatus is an important test for comparing the performance of essentially flat materials, composites or assemblies,which are used primarily as the exposed surfaces of walls. Comparative test data is generated from measurement of the lateral spread of flame along the surface of a specimen of a product vertically orientated. The specimen is subject to radiated heat in the presence of a pilot flame.


ISO 5658 and ASTM E 1321 allow wider use of the test beyond marine applications.The major differences between ISO 5658 and the IMO test are that ISO 5658 is limited in scope to testing the spread of flame over vertical specimens and does not include the stack for estimating heat release rate.


The FTT Spread of Flame Apparatus uses a gas-fired radiant heat panel with pilot flame ignition to ignite a test specimen. Following ignition, any flame front which develops is noted and a record is made of the progression of the flame front horizontally along the length of the specimen in terms of the time it takes to travel to various distances.The results are expressed in terms of the flame spread distance/time history, the critical heat flux at extinguishment, the average heat for sustained burning and the flame front speed.


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