Citation

Urbas J, Parker WJ, Luebbers GE. Fire Mater. 2004; 28(1): 33-53.

Copyright

(Copyright © 2004, John Wiley and Sons)

DOI

unavailable

PMID

unavailable

Abstract

This paper demonstrates the successful use of an infrared pyrometer, operating in the 8-10 mum wavelength band, to measure the surface temperature of combustible specimens in a heat release calorimeter. The temperature histories of ten different materials were measured in the ICAL (intermediate scale calorimeter). The set of materials comprised four wood products, gypsum board, polyisocyanurate foam, PVC floor tile, PMMA and two non-combustible boards. A small-diameter bare thermocouple was installed on each specimen in order to determine an accurate temperature for comparison. The spectral emissivity and the spectral flux reflected from the surface were measured simultaneously and used to correct the apparent temperature measured by the pyrometer. The spectral emissivity and reflected spectral flux were both constant prior to ignition for all the combustible materials. During the burning phase all the combustible materials had a spectral emissivity very close to unity. The agreement between the temperatures measured with the pyrometer and thermocouple was not affected by the flame. The wood products, the polyisocyanurate foam and the calcium silicate board required no correction for reflected spectral flux over the whole temperature range.