ISO 10093:2020

INTERNATIONAL ISO
STANDARD 10093
Third edition
2020-12
Plastics — Fire tests — Standard
ignition sources
Plastiques — Essais au feu — Sources d'allumage normalisées
Reference number
©
ISO 2020
© ISO 2020
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ii © ISO 2020 – All rights reserved

Contents Page
Foreword .v
Introduction .vi
1 Scope . 1
2 Normative references . 1
3 Terms and definitions . 3
4 Ignition processes . 6
5 Characteristics of ignition sources . 7
6 General principles . 7
6.1 Flaming ignition sources . 7
6.1.1 Diffusion flame ignition sources . 7
6.1.2 Premixed flame sources . . 7
6.1.3 Issues associated with flaming ignition sources . 7
6.2 Non-flaming and flaming ignition sources . 8
7 Smouldering (cigarette) ignition sources . 9
7.1 Traditional cigarettes . 9
7.2 Non-reduced ignition propensity cigarettes .10
8 Non-flaming electrical ignition sources .10
8.1 Glow-wire ignition .10
8.2 Hot-wire ignition .11
9 Radiant ignition sources .13
9.1 Conical radiant ignition sources .13
9.1.1 General.13
9.1.2 Cone calorimeter ignition source .13
9.1.3 Smoke chamber conical heater .16
9.1.4 Ignition source from periodic flaming ignition test . .19
9.2 Other radiant ignition sources .20
9.2.1 Glowbars ignition source .20
9.2.2 Lateral ignition and flame spread test (LIFT) radiant panel heater. .21
9.2.3 Setchkin ignition .22
10 Infrared heating system .23
11 Diffusion flame ignition .24
11.1 Needle flame ignition .24
11.2 Burning match .25
11.3 Burners generating 50 W or 500 W flames .27
12 Premixed burners .29
12.1 Premixed burner for 1 kW flame .29
12.2 Burners for vertical cable tray tests.30
12.2.1 Venturi burners for 20 kW vertical cable tray tests .30
12.2.2 Burner for vertical riser cable tests .32
12.3 Burner for large scale horizontal tests .32
12.4 Burners for room corner tests .33
12.4.1 Burner for ISO 9705-1.33
12.4.2 Alternate burner for room corner test .34
12.5 Burners for individual product heat release tests .35
12.5.1 Burner for single fuel package calorimeter .35
12.5.2 Square tube propane burner .35
12.5.3 T-shaped propane burner .35
12.5.4 Dual T-shaped propane burner .36
13 Other ignition sources .37
13.1 Wood cribs .37
13.2 Paper bags .37
iv © ISO 2020 – All rights reserved

Foreword
ISO (the International Organization for Standardization) is a worldwide federation of national standards
bodies (ISO member bodies). The work of preparing International Standards is normally carried out
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ISO collaborates closely with the International Electrotechnical Commission (IEC) on all matters of
electrotechnical standardization.
The procedures used to develop this document and those intended for its further maintenance are
described in the ISO/IEC Directives, Part 1. In particular, the different approval criteria needed for the
different types of ISO documents should be noted. This document was drafted in accordance with the
editorial rules of the ISO/IEC Directives, Part 2 (see www .iso .org/ directives).
Attention is drawn to the possibility that some of the elements of this document may be the subject of
patent rights. ISO shall not be held responsible for identifying any or all such patent rights. Details of
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iso/ foreword .html.
This document was prepared by Technical Committee ISO/TC 61, Plastics, Subcommittee SC 4, Burning
behaviour.
This third edition cancels and replaces the second edition (ISO/TR 10093:2018), which has been
technically revised.
The main changes compared to the previous edition are as follows:
— mandatory information have been added throughout the document;
— referenced standards have been deleted from the bibliography and moved to the normative
references clause (see Clause 2).
Any feedback or questions on this document should be directed to the user’s national standards body. A
complete listing of these bodies can be found at www .iso .org/ members .html.
Introduction
Fires are caused by a wide range of possible ignition sources. Statistical analysis of fires has identified
the major primary and secondary sources, especially for fires in buildings. The most frequent sources
of fires have been found to be as follows:
a) cooking appliances;
b) space-heating appliances;
c) electric wiring, connectors and terminations;
d) other electrical appliances (such as washing machines, bedwarmers, televisions, water heaters);
e) cigarettes;
f) matches and smokers' gas lighters;
g) blow-lamps, blow-torches and welding torches;
h) rubbish burning; and
i) candles.
This list covers the major primary ignition sources for accidental fires. Other sources can be involved
in fires raised maliciously. Research into causes of fires has shown that primary ignition sources
(e.g. glowing cigarettes or dropped flaming matches) can set fire to waste paper, which then acts as a
secondary ignition source of greater intensity.
When analysing and evaluating the various ignition sources for applications involving plastics
materials, it is important to answer the following questions on the basis of detailed fire statistics.
1) What is the significance of the individual ignition sources in various fire risk situations?
2) What proportion is attributable to secondary ignition sources?
3) Where does particular attention have to be paid to secondary ignition sources?
4) To what extent are different ignition sources responsible for fatal fire accidents?
The laboratory ignition sources described in this document are intended to simulate actual ignition
sources that have been shown to be the cause of real fires involving plastics. Laboratory ignition
sources are preferred over actual ignition sources due to thei
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