17 - Flame retardancy testing and regulation of soft furnishings

Abstract

Over the past three decades, the landscape of soft furnishing-related fires has significantly changed. New fire performance regulations and standards have been mandated to reduce the fire threat of soft furnishings. New materials, constructions, and designs have been used to meet the consumers changing comfort, aesthetic needs, and regulatory requirements. This chapter focuses on soft furnishing flammability regulations and their impact on fire statistics, factors contributing to flammability of soft furnishings, and various fire blocking technologies used to reduce fire threat of soft furnishings. Fire barrier fabrics are expected to play an increasingly important role in complying with existing and proposed soft furnishing flammability regulations. Various fire blocking technologies are discussed in this report with respect to material type, fiber content, and fire blocking mechanisms. Future trends in fire blocking materials are also briefly described.