Radiant Heat Resistance Testing
topic
Radiant heat resistance testing per ISO 6942 exposes fabric specimens to defined radiant heat flux levels from 10 to 40 kilowatts per square metre, measuring transmitted heat flux and time to the threshold heat dose causing second-degree burn using a copper calorimeter, with EN 469 requiring minimum heat transmission index values at both 10 and 40 kilowatts per square metre that characterise protection across the range of radiant thermal environments encountered in structural firefighting.
Role
Characterises the radiant heat protection of outer shell fabrics and composite systems across the range of radiant flux levels encountered in structural firefighting from moderate room fire exposure to near-flashover radiation, with separate performance requirements at different flux levels recognising that fabric behaviour under high-intensity short-duration exposure differs from response to low-intensity prolonged radiation.