Overview
ISO 12127-1:2015 - Clothing for protection against heat and flame - Determination of contact heat transmission - Part 1: Contact heat produced by heating cylinder - defines a laboratory test method to measure how much heat is transmitted through protective clothing or constituent materials when they contact a hot surface. The standard is applicable to protective garments and hand protectors intended to protect against direct contact temperatures between 100 °C and 500 °C. It quantifies the time until a calorimeter beneath the specimen registers a defined temperature rise (the threshold time), enabling comparison and performance evaluation of materials for PPE and heat-resistant clothing.
Key topics and technical requirements
- Test principle: A heated metal cylinder (heating cylinder) at a controlled surface temperature contacts a specimen mounted on a calorimeter; the calorimeter temperature is recorded and the threshold time determined.
- Contact temperature range: 100 °C to 500 °C.
- Heating cylinder: polished contact surface, diameter (25.2 ± 0.05) mm, central boring for a temperature sensor; enclosed in heat‑resistant insulation.
- Calorimeter: black anodized pure aluminium disc, ~25 mm diameter, specified mass (~6.63 g) and mounting; temperature sensor affixed.
- Contact mechanics: contact force (49 ± 0.5) N; rate of contact (5.0 ± 0.5) mm/s.
- Specimens & conditioning: at least three circular specimens (80 mm diameter); conditioned ≥24 h at (20 ± 2) °C and (65 ± 5)% RH.
- Measurements & accuracy: calorimeter temperature measured to ±0.1 °C; threshold time is the time until the calorimeter temperature increases by 10 °C above starting value (reported to 0.1 s).
- Test environment: ambient (20 ± 5) °C, relative humidity between 15% and 80%.
- Reporting: test report must reference ISO 12127-1 and include supplier/product details, contact temperatures, threshold time(s), observed specimen changes, date and any deviations from the method.
- Best practices: includes guidance for cleaning the heating cylinder between tests.
Applications
- Performance evaluation and selection of heat‑resistant fabrics, linings and glove materials.
- Product development and quality control for industrial protective clothing and firefighting apparel.
- Laboratory testing for PPE certification, comparative material assessments, and workplace risk mitigation where hot-surface contact hazard exists.
Who uses this standard
- PPE manufacturers and material suppliers
- Independent testing laboratories and conformity assessment bodies
- Safety engineers, product designers, and procurement specialists
- Regulatory authorities and certification programs assessing contact heat resistance
Related standards
- ISO 12127-2 (Contact heat produced by dropping small cylinders) - forms part of the ISO 12127 series on clothing for protection against heat and flame.
- Annexes in the document reference conformity with EU requirements (e.g., Directive 89/686/EEC in the draft), supporting use in regulatory and certification contexts.
Keywords: ISO 12127-1:2015, contact heat transmission, heating cylinder test, protective clothing standard, PPE testing, contact temperature, threshold time.
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