Effect of Air Permeability on Smoldering Characteristics of Cotton Upholstery Fabrics

Differences were determined in smoldering temperatures, smoldering times, char lengths, and char areas produced by nonfiltered cigarettes allowed to burn on selected upholstery fabrics of varying air permeability levels. Three cotton upholstery fabrics, each representing a different construction and weight range, were slit with a modified cutting die to produce three levels of air permeability for each fabric type. Cigarette tests using two substrate materials, fiberglass batting and polyurethane foam, pro duced highly significant smoldering temperature and time differences due to the effect of fabric, substrate, and thermocouple position. Air permeability level failed to produce significant differences in smoldering temperatures but produced highly significant smoldering time differences. The heaviest weight upholstery fabric with a complex construction smoldered at the lowest temperature for the longest time, and the lightest weight fabric with the least complex construction burned at the highest temperature for a shorter time. Polyurethane foam consistently burned lon ger at a higher temperature than did the fiberglass batting. Air permeability level did not yield significant char length or char area differences.