Full-Scale Experiments to Demonstrate the Flammability Hazard of Residential Upholstered Furniture and the Effectiveness of Fire Barrier Fabrics

A series of full-scale room fire experiments were conducted to demonstrate the potential fire hazard of residential upholstered furniture. This work investigated fire growth in a furnished compartment intended to mimic a living room where a couch was the main fuel load. The couches were identical except for three factors: the cover fabric (cotton blend or polyester), the optional inclusion of a fire barrier fabric - either barrier type 1 (https://doi.org/10.6028/NIST.TN.2129) or barrier type 2 (https://doi.org/10.1016/j.proci.2024.105399) - and the extent of fire barrier coverage, which was either full (covering all surfaces) or partial (covering only the padding material). A throw pillow on the arm of the couch, ignited with a propane flame, acted as an ignition source. Room dimensions were 3.7 m (12 ft) by 3.7 m (12 ft) by 2.4 m (8 ft) ceiling height and opening dimensions: 2.4 m (8 ft) wide by 2.1 m (7 ft) tall.

Abstract: Upholstered furniture remains the leading contributor to fatal home fires in the U.S. Recently, new state regulations that have restricted the use of flame retardants have been introduced across the nation, and the development of open-flame testing protocols for upholstered furniture, such as NFPA 266, has been discontinued. This study evaluated the effectiveness of fire barrier fabrics in reducing fire growth initiated from an upholstered sofa in a fully furnished living room setting. The two barrier fabrics were selected among commercial or custom-made products based on their performance in the ASTM E 3367 test protocol. They contained no chemical flame retardants but were made of intrinsically fire-resistant fibers. No other component of the sofa contained flame retardants. Experiments were conducted under a 10 MW exhaust hood equipped with an oxygen consumption calorimetry system that provides real-time heat release rate measurements. The room was instrumented with various temperature, heat flux, and gas analyzing sensors. Gas analysis of species, such as oxygen, carbon monoxide, and hydrogen cyanide, was carried out on gas samples extracted from the room to determine tenability and the exhaust duct of the hood to estimate species yields. The experiment with type 2 barrier and full coverage showed no flashover and reduced the total heat release by approximately 44%, compared to the experiment with no fire barrier. Based on the fractional effective dose, tenability time in the room increased from about 4 min for the no-barrier to 19 min for the partial-barrier type 2 and 25 min for the full-barrier type 2. Overall, the application of the fire barrier fabrics extended the tenability and delayed or prevented flashover, providing additional time in life-threatening fire scenarios. This remarkably increased egress time and survival rate without introducing the potential health or environmental risks associated with flame retardants.

Keywords: Upholstered furniture; Open-flame barrier fabric; Flashover