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Full-Scale Experiments to Demonstrate Flammability Risk of Residential Upholstered Furniture and Mitigation Using Barrier Fabric

Research Overview

A series of three full scale room fire experiments were conducted to demonstrate the potential fire risk of residential upholstered furniture. In this work, we investigated fire growth in a furnished compartment intended to mimic a living room where a couch was the main fuel load. Three TB-117-2013 compliant and commercially available couches were procured. The couches were identical except for the type of cover fabric: two couches used a cotton blend cover and one used a thermoplastic polyester cover. One of the two couches with the cotton blend cover fabric was modified by adding a barrier fabric as a liner between the cover fabric and the couch padding material. The barrier contained only intrinsically fire-resistant fibers without additional, chemically active fire retardants. Three fire tests, one per couch type, were conducted. A throw pillow on the arm of the couch, ignited with a propane flame, acted as an ignition source. Room Dimensions: 3.7 m (12 ft) by 3.7 m (12 ft) by 2.4 m (8 ft) ceiling height. Opening Dimensions: 2.4 m (8 ft) wide, 2.1 m (7 ft) tall.

Experiment Name Plot of Heat Release Rate Ignition Photo Date/Time Sort descending Specimen Fuel Type Test Duration (min) Total Heat Released (MJ) Peak HRR (kW)
Test_1
Plot of Fire Heat Release Rate with event markers. Uncertainty bar shown at peak value.
Ignition
furnished room with polyester fabric sofa no barrier Cellulose, Plastic
37.10
2,551
9,175
Test_2
Plot of Fire Heat Release Rate with event markers. Uncertainty bar shown at peak value.
Ignition
furnished room with cotton fabric sofa with barrier Cellulose, Plastic
54.22
2,246
8,422
Test_3
Plot of Fire Heat Release Rate with event markers. Uncertainty bar shown at peak value.
Ignition
furnished room with cotton fabric sofa no barrier Cellulose, Plastic
37.17
2,636
9,639
Throw_pillow_1
Plot of Fire Heat Release Rate with event markers. Uncertainty bar shown at peak value.
Ignition
Throw Pillow Polyester
7.10
3.96
34.6
Throw_pillow_2
Plot of Fire Heat Release Rate with event markers. Uncertainty bar shown at peak value.
Ignition
Throw Pillow Polyester
6.65
4.20
45.0

Bryant, R. and Bundy, M. The NIST 20 MW Calorimetry Measurement System for Large-Fire Research, Technical Note (NIST TN) 2077, 2019
https://doi.org/10.6028/NIST.TN.2077

NIST Fire Calorimetry Database (FCD)
https://doi.org/10.18434/mds2-2314

Last Updated December 18, 2020