Assessing the Thermal Protective Performance of Fire Blocking Barrier Fabrics for Residential Upholstered Furniture: Report to Consumer Product Safety Commission for Interagency Agreement CPSC-I-13-0022

Published

September 17, 2015

Author(s)

Shonali Nazare, John R. Shields, Szabolcs Matko, Rick D. Davis

Abstract

Fire behavior of five barrier fabrics has been evaluated both, as an individual component and as a part of composite samples, using different test methods. The quantitative component test methods selected to characterize fire behavior of barrier fabrics, in principle, assessed ignitability, heat release rate, and heat transfer properties of BFs. Whereas, the qualitative composite test method such as the Mydrin test described herein provided better understanding of fire blocking performance of barrier fabrics under end-use conditions. The heat transfer measurement is useful, quantifying the effectiveness of barrier fabrics in limiting the thermal degradation of the filling material (e.g., flexible polyurethane foam) and thereby generating volatile gases.

Citation

NIST Interagency/Internal Report (NISTIR) - 8082

Report Number

8082

NIST Pub Series

NIST Interagency/Internal Report (NISTIR)

Pub Type

NIST Pubs

Keywords

Upholstered furniture, flammability, barrier fabrics, open-flame, test methods

Citation

Nazare, S. , Shields, J. , Matko, S. and Davis, R. (2015), Assessing the Thermal Protective Performance of Fire Blocking Barrier Fabrics for Residential Upholstered Furniture: Report to Consumer Product Safety Commission for Interagency Agreement CPSC-I-13-0022, NIST Interagency/Internal Report (NISTIR), National Institute of Standards and Technology, Gaithersburg, MD (Accessed October 7, 2025)