Mattresses, cigarette test

In 1988, the UK introduced Safety Regulations which ultimately will require that domestic upholstered furniture and mattresses will meet and resist a cigarette test and that fabrics and fillings will resist specified flaming ignition sources. 

The match test (No.l gas flame) is currently only applied to upholstered furniture but will be applied to mattress in the future by the same mechanism as the cigarette test. 

Actual upholstered composites are required to resist the cigarette source of BS 5852 Part 1 (furniture). Mattresses are also required to resist the cigarette test uncovered and covered with non- combustible insulation of BS 6807. 

In Canada, the flammability of mattresses is tested with a single glowing cigarette. The mattress passes the test if extension of carbonization is not more than 50 mm and no burning phenomenon is observed 10 min after the extinction of the cigarette. Experience shows that most cotton felt mattresses in Canada meet these requirements unless the cotton felt is in direct contact with the external cover. Since the thin (<150 g/m ) permanently attached ticking on the mattress is not susceptible to glowing, the above requirements are reasonable. ... 

The UK National Bedding Federation introduced a voluntary code which required its members only to manufacture mattresses which resisted a smouldering cigarette on its own and when covered by an insulating, non-combustible fibre pad (17). This test is now defined within BS 6807(8) while BS 7175(18) refers to bedding and pillows. 

Cigarette resistance to BS 5852 Part 1 is required by the primary upholstery composites of the actual furniture and mattress. This is consistent with all previous UK regulations and specifications which required that fire tests should be carried out on the actual upholstery composite. 

A similar situation exists for mattresses where BS 6807 section 4 specifically excludes the testing of edge piping, tufts, pleats etc. The cigarette is used directly and also covered with a layer of non-combustible insulation representing non-smouldering bedding. 

In 1973, the U.S. Department of Commerce promulgated Flammability Standard FF4-72. This Act requires all mattresses to pass a cigarette smoldering test. Boric acid (12-14 wt.% loading) in conjunction with a dust control agent (1 wt.% of paraffinic oil) is normally used in the cotton batting to pass the test. 

Requirements, test procedures, and apparatus for testing the resistance of a mattress or mattress pad to combustion which may result from a smoldering cigarette... 

---