ISO 9038:2025

This document specifies a procedure, at temperatures up to 100 °C, to determine whether a liquid product, that would be classified as “flammable” by virtue of its flash point, sustains combustion at the temperature(s) specified, for example, in regulations.

NOTE            Many national and international regulations classify liquids as presenting a flammable hazard based on their flash point, as determined by a recognized method. Some of these regulations allow a derogation if the substance cannot “sustain combustion” at some specified temperature(s).

The procedure is applicable to paints (including water-borne paints), varnishes, paint binders, solvents, petroleum or related products and adhesives, that have a flash point. It is not applicable to painted surfaces in respect of assessing their potential fire hazards.

This test method is applicable, in addition to test methods for flash point, for assessing the fire hazard of a product.