ISO 1516:2002

Overview

ISO 1516:2002 - "Determination of flash/no flash - Closed cup equilibrium method" specifies a standardized test to determine whether paints, varnishes, paint binders, solvents, petroleum and related liquids produce sufficient flammable vapour at a selected equilibrium temperature to ignite when exposed to a standard external flame. This is a pass/no‑pass test (flash/no flash), not a measurement of the exact flash point. The method covers test temperatures from −30 °C to 110 °C depending on the closed‑cup apparatus used and warns that solvent mixtures containing halogenated hydrocarbons can give anomalous results.

Key topics and technical requirements

• Test principle: A test portion is equilibrated in a closed cup in a thermostatted bath; after at least 10 minutes at the selected temperature, a small ignition flame is introduced and the presence or absence of ignition is recorded.
• Apparatus:
  • Closed cup and lid with sliding opening and ignition device; flame diameter 3–4 mm.
  • Thermostated bath capable of maintaining temperature to ±0.5 °C.
  • Test cup thermometer and bath thermometer with required accuracy.
  • Barometer accurate to 0.1 kPa for pressure recording and temperature correction.
• Temperature ranges by apparatus (typical):
  • Pensky‑Martens (ISO 2719): 10 to 110 °C
  • Abel (ISO 13736): −30 to 80 °C
  • ASTM D56 (Tag): up to 93 °C
  • DIN Abel‑Pensky: −30 to 65 °C
• Procedure details:
  • Equilibration for a minimum period (typically ≥10 min) before ignition trial.
  • Ignition operation must be performed within 2–3 seconds (open, position flame, remove, close).
  • Barometric correction for test temperature: T_corrected = T_selected − 0.25 × (101.3 − p) (valid approximately between 98.0 and 104.7 kPa).
• Quality and verification: Annual apparatus verification using certified reference materials (CRM) per ISO 1523; more frequent checks recommended with secondary working standards.

Applications and users

ISO 1516:2002 is used for:

• Regulatory and safety assessments for storage, handling and transport of flammable paints, solvents and petroleum products.
• Quality control and incoming inspection in coatings, chemical and petrochemical manufacturing.
• Preparation of safety data sheets (SDS) and risk assessments where pass/no‑pass behaviour at storage temperatures is required. Primary users: test laboratories, manufacturers of paints/solvents/fuels, regulatory agencies, safety officers and compliance teams.

Related standards

• ISO 1523 - Determination of flash point (closed cup equilibrium method; apparatus verification)
• ISO 3680 - Alternative closed‑cup equilibrium method (for water‑borne paints)
• ISO 2719, ISO 13736, ASTM D56 - Other closed‑cup and tag test methods
• ISO 15528, ISO 3170, ISO 3171, ISO 1513 - Sampling and sample preparation standards

Keywords: ISO 1516:2002, flash/no flash, closed cup equilibrium method, flash point, paints, varnishes, solvents, petroleum, thermostated bath, apparatus verification, barometric correction.