A Comparison of Gas and Electric Radiant Panels for Measuring the Flammability of Loose-Fill Cellulose Insulation

Abstract

Currently, there are two principal types of radiant panel apparatus available for fire related testing of cellulose insulation. One of these is the Flooring Radiant Panel (gas-fired radiant panel). It is an expensive piece of equipment and requires high operational and maintenance costs The second type of radiant panel available is the Veri-Flux "100" (electric radiant panel), which is also known as the small scale radiant panel. It is currently being used as a quality control instrument in the cellulose insulation industry.Previously, there has been very little data published comparing the relative performance of the two instruments. This paper analyzes the performance of 53 samples of insulation when tested by these instruments The analysis attempts to establish whether or not a direct comparison between the two instruments is viable. The results of this study will be useful to the ASTM task group, which is presently investigating the replacement of the larger gas-fired panel with the electric, small scale panel.