Flame spread behavior of electric cables: Round-robin characterization of the IEC/EN 60332-1 tests

摘要

In the field of "reaction to fire," the flame test is one of the easiest experiments available to assess the flammability of insulated wires or cables. The equipment and the method are completely described in the IEC/EN 60332-1 Parts 1 and 2 Standards. However, a round-robin study involving seven labs has highlighted a wide dispersion of the results. This may lead to a possible false performance conclusion on the product tested. To avoid this stumbling block, this article points out the necessity to know the test reliability in the product development frame, the quality survey, or homologation.