5. Appendix: Methods for characterizing the fire behavior of polymers

5.1 The calorimeter cone

The cone calorimeter (figure 26 ) is the main test used at laboratory scale to assess the fire behavior of polymers on an intermediate scale. It is a standardized test (ISO 5660), developed by Babraukas at the US National Bureau of Standards in the early 1980s. The test measures the heat released by a material during combustion, applying Huggett's principle. Knowing the oxygen mass consumption, measured by an oxygen analyzer, enables the heat rate (HRR) to be calculated as a function of time.