Abstract
The main objective of the work reported here is to assess factors that could affect the outcome of a proposed open flame test for barrier fabrics (BF-open flame test). The BF-open flame test characterizes barrier effectiveness by monitoring the ignition of a flexible polyurethane foam (FPUF) layer placed in contact with the upper side of the barrier fabric, exposed to a burner flame from below. Particular attention is given to the factors that influence the ignitibility of the FPUF, including thermal resistance, permeability, and structural integrity of the barrier fabrics (BFs). A number of barrier fabrics, displaying a wide range of the properties, are tested with the BF-open flame test. Visual observations of the FPUF burning behavior and BF char patterns, in addition to heat flux measurements on the unexposed side of the barrier fabrics, are used to assess the protective performance of the BF specimen under the open flame test conditions. The temperature and heat transfer measurements on the unexposed side of the BF and subsequent ranking of BFs for their thermal protective performance suggest that the BF-open flame test does not differentiate barrier fabrics based on their heat transfer properties. A similar conclusion is reached with regard to BF permeability characterized at room temperature. However, the outcome of this BF-open flame test is found to be heavily influenced by the structural integrity of thermally degraded BF. The BF-open flame test, in its current form, only ignited FPUF when structural failure of the barrier was observed.
Highlights
The flammability of residential upholstered furniture (RUF) has long been recognized as a major contributor to residential fire losses in the United States and elsewhere [1] due to the rapid fire growth and high heat release rates frequently observed
We examine the factors that influence the ignitability of in the this study, we examine the factors that influence the ignitability of flexible polyurethane foam (FPUF) in the barrier fabrics (BFs)-open flame test test method
The BF-open flame test is an easy to operate, cost-effective test method designed to assess the protective performance of fire blocking barrier fabrics when exposed to a flaming ignition source
Summary
The flammability of residential upholstered furniture (RUF) has long been recognized as a major contributor to residential fire losses in the United States and elsewhere [1] due to the rapid fire growth and high heat release rates frequently observed. In 1975, California implemented Technical Bulletin (TB) 117-1975, which required that materials, such as polyurethane foam, used to fill furniture, be able to withstand a small open flame for at least 12 s [3]. Flame retardant (FR) chemicals were used widely in upholstered furniture to meet the FR standards of the California Bureau of Electronic and Appliance Repair, Home Furnishings, and Thermal Insulation’s (CBEARHFTI) Technical Bulletin (TB) 117 [4]. Due to the relatively large size of the California market and its influence on the overall furniture market in the United States, the use of flame retardants in RUF became common throughout the United States. The effectiveness of FRs at the levels used in RUF
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