Designation: D3014 −25
Standard Test Method for
Flame Height, Time of Burning, and Loss of Mass of Rigid
Thermoset Cellular Plastics in a Vertical Position
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This standard is issued under the fixed designation D3014; the number immediately following the designation indicates the year of
original adoption or, in the case of revision, the year of last revision. A number in parentheses indicates the year of last reapproval. A
superscript epsilon (´) indicates an editorial change since the last revision or reapproval.
1. Scope*
1.1 This is a fire-test-response standard. This test method
covers a small-scale laboratory screening procedure for com-
paring relative extent and time of burning and loss of mass of
rigid thermoset cellular plastics. This test method is to be used
solely to establish relative burning characteristics.
1.1.1 This test method shall not be used for materials that
drip or melt under the test conditions.
1.2 During the course of combustion, gases or vapors, or
both, are evolved which are potentially hazardous to personnel.
Adequate precautions shall be taken to protect the operator.
1.3 This standard does not purport to address all of the
safety concerns, if any, associated with its use. It is the
responsibility of the user of this standard to establish appro-
priate safety, health, and environmental practices and deter-
mine the applicability of regulatory limitations prior to use. A
specific precautionary statement is given in 1.2.
1.4 This standard is used to measure and describe the
response of materials, products, or assemblies to heat and
flame under controlled conditions, but does not by itself
incorporate all factors required for fire hazard or fire risk
assessment of materials, products, or assemblies under actual
fire conditions.
1.5 Fire testing is inherently hazardous. Adequate safe-
guards for personnel and property shall be employed in
conducting these tests.
NOTE 1—There is no known ISO equivalent to this standard.
1.6 This international standard was developed in accor-
dance with internationally recognized principles on standard-
ization established in the Decision on Principles for the
Development of International Standards, Guides and Recom-
mendations issued by the World Trade Organization Technical
Barriers to Trade (TBT) Committee.
2. Referenced Documents
2.1 ASTM Standards:
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D883 Terminology Relating to Plastics
D1622 Test Method for Apparent Density of Rigid Cellular
Plastics
D5025 Specification for Laboratory Burner Used for Small-
Scale Burning Tests on Plastic Materials
E176 Terminology of Fire Standards
E456 Terminology Relating to Quality and Statistics
E691 Practice for Conducting an Interlaboratory Study to
Determine the Precision of a Test Method
E2935 Practice for Evaluating Equivalence of Two Testing
Processes
2.2 ISO Standard:
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ISO 13943 Fire Safety—Vocabulary
3. Terminology
3.1 Definitions—For definitions of terms relating to plastics,
the definitions in this test method are in accordance with
Terminology D883. For terms relating to fire, the definitions in
this test method are in accordance with Terminology E176 and
ISO 13943. In case of conflict, the definitions given in Termi-
nology E176 shall prevail. For terms relating to precision and
bias and associated issues, the terms used in this test method
are in accordance with the definitions in Terminology E456.
4. Summary of Test Method
4.1 The specimen is mounted by positioning the specimen
in a vertical chimney with a glass front and ignited with a
bunsen burner for 10 s. The height and duration of flame and
the mass percent retained by the specimen are recorded.
5. Significance and Use
5.1 Tests made on rigid cellular materials in accordance
with the conditions described by this test method can be of
considerable value in comparing their burning characteristics.
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This test method is under the jurisdiction of ASTM Committee D20 on Plastics
and is the direct responsibility of Subcommittee D20.30 on Thermal Properties
Current edition approved Feb. 1, 2025. Published February 2025. Originally
approved in 1973. Last previous edition approved in 2019 as D3014 - 19a. DOI:
10.1520/D3014-25.
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For referenced ASTM standards, visit the ASTM website, www.astm.org, or
contact ASTM Customer Service at www.astm.org/contact. For Annual Book of
ASTM Standards volume information, refer to the standard’s Document Summary
page on the ASTM website.
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Available from American National Standards Institute (ANSI), 25 W. 43rd St.,
4th Floor, New York, NY 10036, http://www.ansi.org.
*A Summary of Changes section appears at the end of this standard
Copyright © ASTM International, 100 Barr Harbor Drive, PO Box C700, West Conshohocken, PA 19428-2959. United States
This international standard was developed in accordance with internationally recognized principles on standardization established in the Decision on Principles for the
Development of International Standards, Guides and Recommendations issued by the World Trade Organization Technical Barriers to Trade (TBT) Committee.
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