The oxygen index test has been one of the basic materials’ fire tests since the 1960s, with a large number of applications being described, but it is mainly limited nowadays to the ranking of materials and production control without relating results to behavior in real fires. The test exists in a large number of versions, but only one is internationally standardized as ISO 4589-2. Nevertheless, determination of test uncertainty is not simple, as the result is a combination of qualitative and quantitative measurements. This article highlights the main verifications needed to ensure the accuracy (trueness and repeatability) of test results and proposes a method to calculate and estimate test uncertainty.
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