Measurement of thermophysical properties of fire‐resistive and reactive materials. Urgent problems and solutions

Summary The ASTM Standard Test Method E2584 ‘Standard Practice for Thermal Conductivity of Materials Using a Thermal Capacitance (Slug) Calorimeter’ was developed by National Institute of Standards and Technology to measure thermal conductivity of fire‐resistive and reactive materials during monotonic heating and cooling. The heating regime adopted in ASTM E2584 is very reasonable because change of materials' composition and structure during a fire can depend on kinetic factors and thermal story of the materials. The main problem in experimental measurements of thermophysical properties is the impossibility of using standard steady‐state methods during time‐dependent processes in materials accompanied by latent heat effect. Using standard transient methods, such as hot wire or laser flash methods, is also incorrect, because the transient measurement heat process can be started only after steady‐state temperature field is established in the sample, that is, at the time when the involved physical or chemical processes could be finished. The objectives of this paper are to review and to analyze scientific problems to be taken into account in the revised version of ASTM E2584 Standard. Examples of experimental results are presented for measurement of thermophysical properties during chemical and physical processes in solid materials, powders, metals, and ceramic materials; building materials during fire; and so on. Copyright © 2016 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.