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Author
Chen, F.
Title
Radiant Ignition of New Zealand Upholstered Furniture Composites.
Coporate
University of Canterbury, Christchurch, New Zealand
Report
Fire Engineering Research Report 01/2
March 2001
139 p.
Distribution
For more information contact: School of Engineering, University of Canterbury, Private Bag 4800, Christchurch, New Zealand. Telephone: 643-364-2250, Fax: 643-364-2758, Website: http://www.civil.canterbury.ac.nz
Keywords
upholstered furniture | composite materials | radiant igntion | ignition time | fabrics | cotton fabrics | cone calorimeters | ignition temperature | heat flux | uncertaingy
Identifiers
ignitability measurement; ISO ignitability test versus the cone calorimeter; specimen construction and preparation; correlations of time-to-ignition data; predicting time-to-ignition and the critical heat flux; ignition modes; applicability of simple thermal theory; effect of specimen orientation
Abstract
This experimental research evaluates the radiant ignitability of New Zealand upholstered furniture composites using the ISO Ignitability Test (ISO 5657). It is a part of a larger research project on the combustion of domestic upholstered furniture at the University of Canterbury. The project aims to predict the ignition time of New Zealand upholstered furniture composites. Fourteen fabrics, one of which was fire retardant cotton, were chosen for testing according to their compositions and content. They represented the most common used fabricsin the manufacture of upholstered furniture in New Zealand. One foam was chosen as it is the most commonly used foam for domestic and commercial furniture. In total, the study tested fourteen types of fabric-foam combination composites, of which there were 750 specimens in this project.