Overview
EN ISO 1716:2018 - "Reaction to fire tests for products - Determination of the gross heat of combustion (calorific value)" - specifies a standardized method to determine the gross heat of combustion (QPCS) of products at constant volume using a bomb calorimeter. This edition (ISO 1716:2018) is intended primarily for solid products used in construction and related industries. Annex A covers calculation of the net heat of combustion (QPCI) when required, and Annex B gives information on the precision of the method.
Key topics and technical requirements
- Scope and applicability
- Method for measuring gross heat of combustion (calorific value) of solid products in a bomb calorimeter.
- Note on liquids: testing can follow analogous conditions (e.g., ASTM D240) as referenced.
- Test principle
- Determination of calorific value at constant volume using calorimetric techniques.
- Test apparatus and reagents
- Requirements for bomb calorimeter equipment, calibration materials and instruments (see clauses on apparatus and reagents).
- Specimen preparation
- Sampling, conditioning, grinding, and specimen types suitable for solid materials; surface density and mass determination procedures.
- Calibration and procedure
- Water equivalent determination, conditions for recalibration and the standard test procedure including crucible and “cigarette” methods.
- Calculation and reporting
- Expression of results, corrections for manual and isothermal calorimeters (Annex C), and calculation steps for gross and net heat of combustion.
- Quality and precision
- Precision data and guidance provided in Annex B.
- Safety
- Warnings about hazards (toxic gases, potential explosions) and requirement for risk assessment and written safety instructions.
Applications and who uses this standard
EN ISO 1716:2018 is used by:
- Test laboratories performing reaction-to-fire characterization and calorimetry.
- Manufacturers of building materials and components to evaluate combustibility and calorific value.
- Product designers and R&D teams for material selection and fire performance optimization.
- Certification bodies and regulators requiring standardized calorific value data for reaction-to-fire classification and building code compliance.
- Consultants and safety engineers assessing fire load and hazards in buildings and products.
Practical uses include generating reliable calorific data for product labeling, feeding inputs into fire models, and supporting compliance with reaction-to-fire test suites.
Related standards
- ISO 554 (conditioning atmospheres)
- EN 13238 (conditioning procedures for reaction-to-fire tests)
- References for liquids: ASTM D240, IEC 61039, ISO 1928 (equipment guidance)
Keywords: EN ISO 1716:2018, gross heat of combustion, calorific value, bomb calorimeter, reaction to fire tests, solid products, net heat of combustion, fire safety testing.