Cellular Horizontal Burning Tester
Cellular Horizontal Burning Tester – ToronFT™ BT-CH
ToronFT™ BT-CH Cellular Horizontal Burning Tester is a precision laboratory instrument specifically designed for evaluating the horizontal combustion performance of small samples of cellular (foam) plastics with a density less than 250 kg/m³, measured in accordance with ISO 845-1985 under small flames under laboratory conditions. Cellular plastics — including polyurethane foam, polystyrene foam, and polyethylene foam — are widely used in furniture, building insulation, packaging, and automotive components, and their horizontal burning performance is a critical fire safety parameter for product certification and regulatory compliance.
The ToronFT™ BT-CH meets ISO 9772 test standards and features a 0.5 m combustion box, a natural gas burner with calorific value of 37 MJ/m³, a calibrated light meter (illumination ≤20 lx), and a precision stainless steel sample support net — providing a complete, standards-compliant cellular plastic horizontal burning tester platform.
Cellular Horizontal Burning Tester – ToronFT™ BT-CH Applications
The ToronFT™ BT-CH is applicable for cellular plastic horizontal burning performance testing of:
- Flexible and rigid polyurethane (PU) foam materials for furniture, bedding, and automotive interior applications requiring horizontal burning classification
- Expanded polystyrene (EPS) and extruded polystyrene (XPS) cellular plastics for building insulation and packaging requiring burning tester qualification
- Polyethylene (PE) and polypropylene (PP) foam cellular materials for packaging, sports equipment, and construction applications
- Melamine foam and other specialty cellular plastics requiring horizontal burning performance data for product certification
- Composite foam products and laminated cellular plastic materials for furniture, transportation, and industrial applications
- Research and development of new flame-retardant cellular plastic formulations — using horizontal burning rate data to verify fire safety improvement
Standards
The ToronFT™ BT-CH is designed to comply with the following international standards for cellular plastic horizontal burning testing:
- ISO 9772: Cellular plastics: Determination of horizontal burning characteristics of small specimens subjected to a small flame
- ASTM D4986: Standard Test Method for Horizontal Burning Characteristics of Cellular Polymeric Materials
- UL 94 HB: Standard for Tests for Flammability of Plastic Materials (Horizontal Burning for Cellular Materials)
- ISO 10093:1998 — Plastics: Fire tests — Standard ignition sources
Cellular Horizontal Burning Tester – ToronFT™ BT-CH Key Features
- Dedicated cellular plastic horizontal burning tester compliant with ISO 9772 — providing a purpose-built platform for small-flame horizontal burning performance testing of foam and cellular plastic materials with density <250 kg/m³
- Applicable to both horizontal and vertical cellular plastic burning tests — maximizing instrument versatility and allowing comparison of burning behavior in both orientations
- Combustion box volume of 0.5 m provides the standardized enclosure required for ISO 9772 and ASTM D4986 cellular plastic burning tests
- Natural gas burner with calorific value of 37 MJ/m³ delivers a stable, reproducible small flame for consistent cellular plastic horizontal burning test ignition conditions
- Integrated light meter confirms illumination inside the combustion box is ≤20 lx — meeting the low-light test environment requirement of ISO 9772 for accurate flame and afterglow observation during cellular plastic burning tests
- Gas flow rate controlled at 965 mL/min ensures standardized combustion energy delivery to the cellular plastic specimen for reproducible horizontal burning test results
- ISO 10093:1998-compliant combustion blowtorch provides the precise small flame geometry and energy specified for cellular plastic burning tester ignition
- Precision ø0.8 mm stainless steel wire sample support net (215 mm long × 75 mm wide × 13 mm high, 6.4 mm mesh spacing) supports cellular foam specimens in the required horizontal orientation with minimal thermal interference
- 300 mm steel ruler with 1.0 mm minimum scale division installed adjacent to the specimen support net enables accurate burn length measurement throughout the horizontal burning test
- Complies with ISO 9772, ASTM D4986, and UL 94 HB, providing cellular plastic burning tester results recognized by certification bodies in North America and internationally
Theory and Method
Cellular plastic horizontal burning testing evaluates the rate of flame propagation across the surface of a horizontally positioned foam specimen when exposed to a small standardized flame under controlled laboratory lighting conditions. The horizontal orientation promotes surface flame spread along the cellular plastic specimen, and the low illumination condition (≤20 lx in the combustion box) ensures that any faint afterglow or slow-burning behavior can be visually detected and recorded.
In the ToronFT™ BT-CH, the cellular foam specimen is placed on the stainless steel sample support net (ø0.8 mm wire, 6.4 mm mesh spacing, net length 215 mm, width 75 mm, height 13 mm) with a 300 mm steel ruler installed adjacent at a minimum scale of 1.0 mm for accurate burn length measurement. The natural gas combustion blowtorch — fully ISO 10093:1998 compliant — applies the standardized small flame to the cellular plastic specimen. Gas flow is controlled at 965 mL/min. The light meter verifies that the illumination inside the combustion box is ≤20 lx, maintaining the low-light conditions required by ISO 9772. Both horizontal and vertical cellular plastic burning tests can be performed on this instrument.
Cellular Horizontal Burning Tester – ToronFT™ BT-CH Technical Specifications
| Component / Parameter | Specification Details |
|---|---|
| General Information | |
| Product Name | Cellular Horizontal Burning Tester — ToronFT™ BT-CH |
| Model | ToronFT™ BT-CH |
| Compliance Standards | ISO 9772; ASTM D4986; UL 94 HB; ISO 10093:1998 |
| Test Orientations | Horizontal and vertical burning |
| Applicable Material Density | <250 kg/m³ (per ISO 845-1985) |
| Test Chamber & Construction | |
| Chamber Volume | 0.5 m³ |
| Construction Material | CNC machined, arc-shaped; high-quality SUS304 stainless steel or painted material (rust and corrosion-resistant) |
| Observation Window | Front-mounted tempered glass, sealable during testing |
| Exhaust System | Top-mounted exhaust system discharges gases outdoors; stops operating during active testing |
| Chamber Illumination | ≤20 lx (verified by built-in illuminometer) |
| Combustion Torch System | |
| Torch Standard Compliance | Fully compliant with ISO 10093:1998 (Self-made torch) |
| Nozzle Specifications | Inner Diameter: Φ9.5 mm; Cylinder Length: 100 mm (Without Tail End) |
| Wings Specifications | Internal Length: 48 mm; Internal Width: 1.3 mm |
| Flame Height & Scale | Blue flame core height: 25–30 mm (adjustable); Blue flame scale minimum graduation: 1.0 mm |
| Gas Control System | |
| Gas Source | Natural gas (Calorific value: 37 MJ/m³) |
| Gas Flow Rate | Adjustable from 10 to 1000 mL/min (Standard test flow: 965 mL/min) |
| Pressure Measurement | U-tube manometer (50 mm water column height) |
| Sample Support & Handling | |
| Standard Sample Size | Length: 150 mm; Width: 50 mm; Thickness: 5 mm < thickness ≤ 13 mm (or per specific test standards) |
| Sample Support Net | ø0.8 mm stainless steel wire; Mesh spacing: 6.4 mm per side |
| Support Net Dimensions | 215 mm × 75 mm × 13 mm (L × W × H) |
| Sample Holder | Two iron frames with adjustable clamps; positioned 175 mm above the chamber bottom |
| Measurement Tool | Included 300 mm steel ruler (minimum scale division: 1.0 mm) |
| Control & Automation | |
| Automatic Control System | Microcomputer control: Automatic ignition, timing, and real-time temperature display |
| Timer | Range: 0–99.99 seconds (adjustable); Accuracy: ≤1s |
| Operating Conditions | |
| Environmental Requirements | Temperature: Room temperature to 40°C; Humidity: ≤75% |
| Voltage | AC 220V ±10V (110V is also available) |
For more information, pricing, or to request a quotation, please contact ToronFT. Specifications are subject to change without prior notice.