Tirrill Burner

The Tirrill Burner is the bench burner specified for ASTM D3713, the small-flame ignition test for solid plastics. Where a Bunsen burner mixes air at a single collar, the Tirrill design adds a needle valve at the base, so gas flow and air are adjusted independently. That second control is what makes the flame reproducible enough for a standardised test rather than merely hot.

Four configurations cover the usual bench situations, and they differ along two axes:

Gas type

Cylinder (liquid propane) or natural gas. The orifice is sized at the factory for one or the other and the two are not interchangeable — order to match the supply at the bench, not the one in the next room.

Pilot flame

The pilot models (H6240C, H6240N) hold a small standing flame when the main valve is closed, so the burner relights instantly and a technician is not striking a lighter over an open gas stream during a timed test sequence. The models without a pilot (H6241C, H6241N) are simpler and cheaper where relighting cadence does not matter.

All four carry the ASTM D3713 designation. If the burner is for general heating rather than standardised flammability testing, a plain Bunsen burner will do the same job for less.