EN 196-11: Cement heat of hydration

The burning rate of horizontally mounted materials designed to be used in vehicles and buses must be tested with the UN/ECE R118 annex 6 test before they can be approved for use. Measurlabs offers this and the other R118 tests with accreditation. In the test method, the exposed side of the test specimen is burned from underneath and the burning rate is measured and expressed in mm/min.

A dilatometer is used to determine the linear thermal expansion of a material as a function of temperature. The temperature range of the measurement is generally between 25 °C and 1,600 °C. There is also an option to perform the test in a cryogenic atmosphere, which ranges from -175 °C to 300 °C. The typical heating rate is 3 °C/min. As a result of the measurement, you will get the coefficient of thermal expansion (CTE) and the absolute change in sample length, both as a function of temperature. The testing can be performed in various atmospheres, including air, argon, CO₂, N₂, and O₂. Please contact us to get a quote. The price will depend on the testing conditions, so please specify them as precisely as possible.

The melting behavior of fusible materials used in certain motor vehicles must be determined according to Annex 7 of UN/ECE Regulation 118. In the test, it is monitored whether the specimen ignites, creates flaming droplets, and if these droplets ignite cotton wool placed under the specimen. For the material to pass the test, there must be no formation of flaming drops that ignite the cotton wool. Measurlabs can offer accredited test reports for the UN/ECE R118 Annex 7 test, as well as the Annex 6 and Annex 8 tests. Non-isotropic materials must be tested from both sides, which means that double the number of samples is required.

ISO 5659-2 outlines the procedure for measuring the optical density of smoke produced by a material placed in a closed test cabinet and exposed to thermal radiation. The standard was originally developed for plastics, but it can be applied to a range of other products and materials. In the test, representative specimens of the material are mounted horizontally in a test chamber, and their upper surface is exposed to a specified level of thermal irradiance (usually 25 kW/m2 or 50 kW/m2), with or without a pilot flame. The resulting smoke is collected, and its optical density is measured using a photometric method. Some of the key parameters measured include the maximum specific optical density (Ds,max), the specific optical densities at specified times (Ds(1,5), Ds(4), Ds(10)), and the cumulative specific optical densities during the first 4 minutes of the test (VOF4). A toxicity measurement can also be included to measure toxic gas emissions. Its results are reported as the conventional index of toxicity (CITG). The ISO 5659-2 smoke production test is often required as part of the EN 45545-2 fire safety evaluation of railway materials.

ICP-MS elemental analysis for geological samples (rocks, ore, mining samples) with aqua regia digestion. The analysis includes the following elements: Ag, Al, As, Au, B, Ba, Be, Bi, Ca, Cd, Ce, Co, Cr, Cs, Cu, Fe, Ga, Ge, Hf, Hg, In, K, La, Li, Mg, Mn, Mo, Na, Nb, Ni, P, Pb, Pd, Pt, Rb, Re, S, Sb, Sc, Se, Sn, Sr, Ta, Te, Th, Ti, Tl, U, V, W, Y, Zn and Zr. The following rare earth elements (REE) are also included: Dy, Er, Eu, Gd, Ho, Lu, Nd, Pr, Sm, Tb, Tm, and Yb. Gold determinations by this method are semi-quantitative due to the small sample weight used. The price does not include pretreatment, such as crushing or sieving. Shipping included up to 5 kg total weight, extra cost for larger shipments.

This method is used to determine the gross heat of combustion of solid building products at constant volume in a bomb calorimeter. Results are reported in J/kg. If the product is non-homogeneous, meaning that it consists of multiple materials, each material must be tested separately. The result can be used to classify construction products into classes A1, A1fl, A1L, A2, A2fl, and A2L according to the fire classification standard EN 13501-1.

Fire testing according to EN ISO 9239-1 is used to evaluate the ability of flooring to withstand flames and radiant heat. Flame spread, smoke generation, and the lowest radiant heat to sustain burning are measured. The method is primarily used to classify floor coverings according to the European EN 13501-1 fire classification system. Depending on the results, floorings can be categorized as A2fl, Bfl, Cfl, or Dfl. A smoke production classification of s1 or s2 is also provided. Another use case is assessing the burning behavior of floor composites and interior horizontal surfaces used in rail vehicles according to the EN 45545-2 standard. The testing procedure is the following: 1) The test specimen is placed in a horizontal position below a gas-fired radiant panel inclined at 30°, where it is exposed to a defined heat flux. 2) A pilot flame is applied to the hotter end of the specimen. 3) Following ignition, any flame front that develops is noted, and a record is made of the progression of the flame front horizontally along the length of the specimen, measuring the time it takes for the fire to spread to defined distances. 4) Smoke production is recorded as light transmission in the exhaust stack. One specimen is tested in one direction (e.g. production direction) and another in the direction perpendicular to the first specimen. The test that yields the worst results is repeated twice in that direction.

The ISO 4589-2 oxygen index test is used to evaluate the fire behavior of certain railway materials according to the EN 45545-2 standard. It is required to meet requirements R22, R23, and R24, which apply to products such as insulators, seals, pipes, and hoses. The oxygen index (OI) is the minimum volume-based percentage of oxygen in an oxygen-nitrogen mixture required to support the combustion of the sample under specified conditions. For a material to meet EN 45545-2 requirements, the OI must be at least 28% (hazard classes HL1 and HL2) or at least 32% (HL3). Testing is performed on 20 replicate samples, with the required specimen size depending on the material: 80−150 mm x 10 mm x 4 mm for mould-made materials, such as plastics, 80−150 mm x 10 mm x 10 mm for porous materials, such as foams, 140 mm x 52 mm x d, where d < 10.5 mm, for flexible films, sheets, and fabrics.

ICP-MS elemental analysis for geological samples (rocks, ore, mining samples) with Four Acid digestion. The analysis includes the following elements: Ag, Al, As, Ba, Be, Bi, Ca, Cd, Ce, Co, Cr, Cs, Cu, Fe, Ga, Ge, Ge, Hf, In, K, La, Li, Mg, Mn, Mo, Na, Nb, Ni, P, Pb, Rb, Re, S, Sb, Sc, Se, Sn, Sr, Ta, Te, Th, Ti, Tl, U, V, W, Y, Zn and Zr The following rare earth elements (REE) are also included: Dy, Er, Eu, Gd, Ho, Lu, Nd, Pr, Sm, Tb, Tm, and Yb Lead (Pb) isotope analysis is available for an extra cost (20 €) The price does not include pretreatment, such as crushing or sieving. Additional logistics costs are billed if the sample weighs more than 5 kg.

Differential Scanning Calorimetry (DSC) is used to determine transition temperatures and enthalpy changes of solid and liquid samples under controlled temperature changes. The analysis can be used to determine the melting, crystallization, and glass transition temperatures and their enthalpies, the material's amorphic and crystalline behavior, hardening and specific heat, material compatibility, and the effect of additives. The temperature range for the measurement is -170 °C to 600 °C, available atmospheres are N₂ and O₂. Please disclose the desired temperature program upon ordering: heating rate(s) (K/min), isotherms, and temperature ranges (min/max). If you have any doubts about these parameters, we are more than happy to help.