Flammability of Upholstered Furniture with Flaming Sources

A number of countries and localities have either recently adopted furniture flammability regulations, or are actively considering them. In addition, a number of furniture flammability test methods have been developed in recent years in the course of research. Some of the methods share certain similarities; but, even so, many different testing philosophies exist. It is the purpose of this paper to compare the more widely used of the methods and to examine their advantages and limitations. The impact of some recent research results on test method design is also considered. The methods are discussed only on their technical features and not on their regulatory aspects. The scope is limited to methods for testing the behaviour under flaming fire conditions, and excludes tests for determing the cigarette ignition resistance. Some unresolved areas where further research is desirable are also cited.