Ignitability of upholstered furniture: Nordtest project 1986-79

The main object of this project was to find out a Nordtest method for testing the ignitability of upholstered seating. Four known methods including cigarette, butane flame or wooden crib ignition sources were compared using about 25 typical cover fabrics. Glass fiberboard, cotton batting, untreated or FR treated polyurethane foam, and untreated or FR treated polyester fill were used as filling material. Both the smouldering type and the flaming type of ignition source proved to be necessary, they cannot be replaced by each other. The BS 5852:Part 1:1979 "Methods of test for the ignitability by smokers' materials of upholstered composites for seating" is proposed for Nordtest method as a basic test for the ignitability of upholstered seating. This method can be completed with more severe ignition sources later when an international mutual understanding about them is attained.