Flammability, tests for

Wearing apparel is regulated by CPSC and is covered since the promulgation of the Flammable Fabrics Act (FFA) in 1953, by a 45° angle flammability test for apparel fabrics (CS 191-53), which became effective in 1954, and is still valid, as 16 CFR 1610.12 The FFA later started covering other products. 

Laboratory Flammability Tests for Wire and Cable Materials.794... 

LABORATORY FLAMMABILITY TESTS FOR WIRE AND CABLE MATERIALS... 

FIGURE 26.5 Relationships between LOI and HRC for pure polymers and FR compounds. (From Lin, T.S. et al., Correlations between microscale combustion calorimetry and conventional flammability tests for flame retardant wire and cable compounds, in Proceedings of 56th International Wire and Cable Symposium, 2007, pp. 176-185.) The LOI-HRC relationship for pure polymers is obtained from the literature. (From Lyon, R.E. and Janssens, M.L., Polymer flammability, Final Report DOT/FAA/AR-05/14 May, 2005.)... 

This test is also a reference test for the flammability test for individually packed generators. 

In-depth physical examinations of new composite component designs for aircraft interiors have contributed to the need for improved materials, as well as upgraded flammability testing. For example, the standard Bunsen burner test did not adequately determine the flammability characteristics of medium-sized composite parts when exposed to a hidden heat source that might represent an in-flight fire threat. Industry leaders are working with the FAA to develop foam... 

The first and hitherto most wide-spread standard flammability test for plastics foams, ASTM D 1692 has been withdrawn. The practically identical ISO 3582-1978 prescribes a test specimen of 150 mm x 50 mm with a thickness between 5 and 13 mm, placed on a horizontal wire gauze of 215 mm x 75 mm. 13 mm of the length of the gauze is bent upwards to a right angle as shown in Figure 3.60. The specimen is marked 125 mm from the end to be ignited then placed in a holder (Fig. 3.61). 

Flammability tests for textile goods do not involve any distinction between natural and synthetic materials. The selection of a test method is influenced rather by the field of application such as garments, household textiles (curtains, carpets, furniture covers, bedding), industrial protective clothing, etc. 

Several full-scale flammability tests for upholstered furniture were carried out in the United States at the National Bureau of Standards (NBS) and at the Harvard University. ... 

Neville, J. A. G. Flame and fire testing of cables with particular reference to PVC. Symposium on Fire Protection of Cables. The Electrical Research Association, London 1972, p. 99 Woollerton, G. R. A small scale laboratory flammability test for electronic components. J. Fire and Flammability, 12, 89 (1980)... 

To reduce the likelihood that a system will experience fire, many Companies write UL VO listings into contract requirements when purchasing electrical enclosures. The UL VO listing is a stringent flammability test for elastomers. But just because a material can serve in high temperature applications, does not automatically guarantee that it has adequate flammability resistance to qualify for the UL 94 VO rating. A case in point is the various brands of silicone. 

Non-flammable - fla-m3-b9l (1915) adj. If combustible, burning without flame. Practically, whether or not a plastic material or part is flammable is a matter of its performance in a test - of which there are many - of flammability. Note that the word inflammable has been deprecated by fire-safety authorities because of the ambiguity of the prefix in- , and has long been superseded by flammable and non-flammable . Tests for comparative flammability of liquids, U1 340. Laboratories Incorporated Underwriters, New York, 1997. 

Flammability tests for polymers are discussed in detail in other papers [119, 120, 123, 138, 143-152]. 

Although certain cellulose esters, such as the ammonium salt of phospho-rylated cotton and cellulose phosphate [9015-14-9], are flame-resistant, the attachment of most currently used durable polymeric flame retardants for cotton is through ether linkage to the cellulose at a relatively low degree of substitution (DS). Nondurable flame retardants based on liquid-or vapor-phase applications of boric acid [10043-35-3] or methyl borate [121-43-7] are used in treatment of cotton batting for upholstery, bedding, and automotive cushions (112-114). Cotton carpet materials will pass the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) federal flammability test for carpets (16 CFR1630) when cross-hnked with polycarboxylic acids such as 1,2,3,4-butanetetracarboxylic acid or citric acid with sodium phosphate, sodium hypophosphite, sodium bicarbonate, or sodium carbonate catalysis (115). 

B.3.3.1 To classify a flammable aerosol, data on its flammable components, on its chemical heat of combustion and, if applicable, the results of the aerosol foam flammability test (for foam aerosols) and of the ignition distance test and enclosed space test (for spray aerosols) are necessary. 

UL 94, developed by Underwriters Laboratories, is one of the most widely used and most frequently cited sets of flammability tests for plastic materials. These tests are for the flammability of plastic materials used for parts in devices and appliances. The results are intended to serve as a preliminary indication of the material s suitability with respect to flammability for a particular application. The UL... 

Tris(2,3-dibromopropyl jphosphate (better known as Tris) was an ideal flame retardant for polyester and was used extensively for this purpose. Unfortunately, Tris was found to be mutagenic and a potential cancer-producing agent and had to be removed from the marketplace. As a result of the ensuing confusion, all topical flame retardant finishes have become suspect, and certain flammability requirements have been relaxed to allow polyester to pass the flammability test for children s sleepwear without further treatment. 

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