Evaluation of upholstery fabrics ignitability

The paper deals with the assessment of ignitability of selected upholstery fabrics used in the upholstered furniture and upholstery products, which belong among the combustible organic polymers. Upholstery fabrics are grouped into three sets, based on the origin of the fibres as a basic structure unit of fabrics. There were tested fabrics from natural fibres: herbal-cotton, animal wool; chemical fibres: natural polymers-viscose, synthetic polymers-polyacrylonitrile, polyester, polypropylene; mixed fabrics-in specific percentage of chemical and natural fibres mixture, while the fabrics had different weight and moisture basis. Two fabrics were flame retardant treated and one with anti-soiling treatment. The ignitability was represented with the flash point temperature, ignition temperature, and the time to ignition, which belong among the fire characteristics in accordance to standardized test methods introduced in the standard EN 871. Flash point temperature ranged from 240 degrees C (cotton) to 430 degrees C (wool with the Scotchard anti-soiling treatment), the time to ignition was in range from 159 s (cotton) to 587 s (retardant treated polyester), the ignition temperature was in range from 360 degrees C (retardant treated fabric 50% polyester /50% polypropylene) to 530 degrees C (wool with the anti-soiling treatment), the ignition time was in range from 32 s (polyacrylonitrile) to 438 s (retardant treated polyester). The retardant coating affected mainly the times to ignition. In addition, there was analysed the relationship between temperatures, times and the weight and moisture basis. The dependence has been shown to be statistically significant only for the fabrics set made from natural fibres of cotton and wool.