RPP- Radiant Protective Performance (RPP) is a textile testing method designed to evaluate radiant heat resistance.  According to ASTM Standard F1939, three 4 x 10 in. samples are exposed to 8.4 watts/cm2 (2.0 cal/cm2) for no longer than 60 seconds.  Heat energy comes from five 500W infrared quartz heater tubes, and a copper disk calorimeter measures heat transferred through the fabric.

TPP- Thermal Protective Performance (TPP) is a method of testing a textiles resistance to overall thermal energy.  Detailed in NFPA Standard 1971 and ISO   TC 17492, TPP testing relies on two heat sources; convective heat from two meker propane burners, and a bank of quartz infrared heater tubes.  The entire assembly is calibrated to output 8.4 watts/cm2 (2.0 cal/cm2).  Heat transmitted through the sample is measured by a copper disk calorimeter.  Data is analyzed via labview, and several variables are tracked; among them heat, heat flux, and human tissue tolerance (exposure levels required to cause second degree burns).

Dynamic Radiant/Convective Flow Apparatus - The Dynamic Radiant/Convective Flow Apparatus is a combined convective and radiative thermal load analyzer for testing textile resistance to thermal energy transfer.  A wind tunnel capable of supplying 32 m/s of airflow at 100 °C uses a bypass for initial heat-up and tests convective heat transfer on textiles in a parallel and perpendicular flow orientation.  In the parallel flow orientation, radiant heat flux can be added to the total heat transfer analysis.  A 500 W short wave IR heater provides up to 25 kW/m2 of radiant energy to the sample support system.  The sample support system consists of a porous ceramic medium known as lava plate as the sample backing with three heat flux gauges and three thermocouples.  The lava plate allows for simulation of human skin perspiration.  This plate is seated on a water cooled aluminum plate, between two fabric lock rollers that provide a range of sample pressures against the lava plate and sensors.  A load cell placed below the aluminum cooling plate measures the compression from the fabric.  Variations on air speed, air temperature, incident radiative energy, sample orientation to flow, and sample compression provide a broad range of testing capabilities with this apparatus.