1. Construction Materials and Components

• EN 13501-1 (EU): Standard for classification of reaction to fire performance of construction products. Materials are classified into A1 (non-combustible), A2 (limited combustibility, low smoke production), B, C, D, E and F via combustion tests. Smoke production (S1-S3) and burning droplets/particles (d0-d2) are also assessed;

• ASTM E84 (USA): "Standard Test Method for Surface Burning Characteristics of Building Materials". A tunnel furnace test determines the Flame Spread Index (FSI) and Smoke-Made Index (SMI) for classification of wall, ceiling and similar materials (Class A, B, C);

• GB/T 8624 (China): Classification for burning behaviour of building materials, adopting EN 13501 with equivalent technical framework. Grades include A (non-combustible), B1 (hardly combustible), B2 (combustible) and B3 (easily combustible);

• ISO 5660-1: Standard for heat release rate testing. A cone calorimeter measures critical parameters including heat release rate and smoke generation during material combustion, widely adopted for scientific research and product development.

2. Textiles and Furniture

• GB 17927 (China): Test method for burning behaviour of upholstered furniture. Evaluates combustion response of sofas, mattresses and similar items when ignited by cigarettes or small flame sources;

• EN 1021-1/2 (EU): Combustion test for upholstered furniture materials, covering two ignition scenarios: cigarette ignition and small flame ignition;

• ASTM D6413 (USA): Vertical flame test for textiles, assessing flame spread, afterflame and afterglow duration of fabrics upon ignition;

• 16 CFR 1610 (USA): Flammability standard for apparel textiles. Graded as Class 1 (safest, mandatory requirement for children’s garments), Class 2 and Class 3 according to burning speed.

3. Electronics and Plastics

• UL 94 (USA): Flammability classification test for plastic materials. Vertical / horizontal combustion tests define grades including V0, V1, V2, HB, 5VA and 5VB (V0 requires short burning time and no ignitable drips);

• IEC 60695 (International Electrotechnical Commission): Fire hazard testing for electrical and electronic equipment, including glow-wire test and needle-flame test to assess material resistance to ignition;

• EN 60332 (EU): Vertical flame propagation test for electric cables, evaluating whether flame spreads along the cable length after ignition.

4. Transportation Vehicles

• FMVSS 302 (USA): Flammability test for automotive interior materials. It specifies the maximum burning rate ≤100 mm/min (from ignition point to the 102 mm marking);

• ISO 3795: International standard for horizontal combustion testing of automotive interior materials, technically similar to FMVSS 302;

• EN 45545 (EU): Fire protection standard for materials used on railway vehicles. Differentiated requirements on combustion behaviour, smoke generation and toxicity are defined based on vehicle types (high-speed trains, metro, etc.) and material installation positions (interior trims, structural components).

(Taking UL 94 Vertical Burning Test for Plastics as an example)

Specimen Preparation: Cut 5 specimens in accordance with the standard (typically 127mm × 12.7mm × material thickness), then conduct conditioning for 48 hours at a temperature of 23℃±2℃ and relative humidity of 50%±5%;

Test Setup: Mount the specimen vertically; place cotton batting 300mm below the specimen to assess whether burning drips cause ignition;

Ignition and Observation: Apply a flame (20mm in height) to the bottom of the specimen for 10 seconds, remove the flame and record the afterflame time. If the specimen extinguishes, re-apply the flame for another 10 seconds, and record the second afterflame time as well as the afterglow time;

Rating Criteria:

V-0: Total afterflame time for two ignitions ≤ 10 seconds, no ignition of cotton batting, no flame spread reaching the top end of the specimen;

V-1: Total afterflame time for two ignitions ≤ 30 seconds, other requirements same as V-0;

V-2: Ignition of cotton batting by drips is permitted; other requirements same as V-1.