Gester Instruments | Professional Textile, Footwear and PPE Testing Equipments Manufacturers Since 1997
Standard and Specification for Tests of Flammability of Fabrics
The textile combustion test is an item that must be tested by textile enterprises. Since different industries have different requirements for the fire resistance and combustion of fabrics, the flame retardant grade standards for fabrics have also been formulated, so the combustion test of textiles and clothing enterprises is An essential test item. Due to its structural characteristics, textiles are the main materials that cause fires. Therefore, the combustion performance of textile garments (such as evening wear, carpets, curtains and mattresses, etc.) has been paid more and more attention. Some developed countries have formulated relevant technical regulations and standards, and put forward requirements for the flame retardant properties of textiles such as evening wear, carpets, curtains and mattresses, and they must be tested in accordance with the test methods specified in the regulations. Commodities required by the regulations will be prohibited from importing and selling. However, the flame retardant performance requirements of these developed countries for textiles and clothing on the grounds of maintaining personal safety are often used as a technical means to hinder the import of textiles and clothing from other countries. 1. Technical regulations on the combustion performance of textiles and clothing in major trading countries Promulgated and enforced by the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC), the act mainly contains the flammability technical specifications for apparel and upholstery textiles, prohibiting the import, production and sale of highly flammable textiles and apparel. Accordingly, CPSC has also formulated: Flammability Standard for Wearable Textiles (16C.F.R.1610); Flammability Standard for Vinyl Plastic Film (16C.F.R.1611); Flammability Standard for Children's Sleepwear: No. 0-6X (16C.F.R. 1615); flammability standards for children's pajamas: No. 7 to 14 (16C.F.R.1616); surface flammability performance standards for carpet products (16C.F.R.1630); surface flammability performance standards for small carpet products (16C.F.R.1631); Standard for Flammable Performance of Mattresses (16C.F.R.1632). All of the above are mandatory technical standards in the United States. All related textiles and clothing sold in the United States must be tested accordingly and meet the requirements of their flame retardant properties. In addition, some states in the United States also have technical regulations on the flame retardant properties of textiles, such as California Technical Bulletin No. 117, which is mainly aimed at home decoration textiles, porous elastic materials, non-man-made fiber filled materials, artificial fiber filled materials, fluffy materials, etc. The flame retardant properties and test methods are specified separately. (1) Flammability Standard for Wearable Textiles (16C.F.R.1610 is similar to ASTM D 1230) This standard is mainly for wearable textiles (except for hats, gloves, shoes), and divides the flammability of wearable textiles into three categories. Level 1: General flammability, usually refers to the flame spread time when the fabric with a flat surface passes the test by the specified method≥3.5s, or when the surface fleece fabric passes the test of the specified method, its flame spread time≥7s, this type of textile is suitable for making clothes; Class 2: Moderately flammable, usually means that when the surface fleece fabric passes the test of the specified method, its flame spread time is 4-7s. Such textiles can also be used for clothing, but care must be taken ;Level 3: Rapid and violent burning, usually refers to the surface fleece fabrics passing the test of the specified method, the flame spread time is less than 4s, such textiles are not suitable for clothing. If it is detected to be highly flammable, then according to the regulations, such clothing textiles are not allowed to be traded and traded. The test method in the standard is similar to the American Society for Testing and Materials standard ASTM D 1230 (45° tilt method), and each test requires 5 copies measuring 5.08cm (2 inches)×15.24 cm (6 inches) specimens, tested before and after dry cleaning and cleaning. (2) Flammability Standard for Vinyl Plastic Film This standard applies to non-rigid, unsupported polyethylene plastic film (including transparent, translucent and opaque, flat, uneven, molded or passed through other surfaces) finishing), and thickness≤0.33mm polyethylene plastic film. The average burning rate of 5 specimens in the longitudinal and transverse directions is required not to exceed 3cm/s, and the test is carried out according to the test procedure specified in the standard (45° tilt method), using the SPI combustion tester. (3) Flammability standard for children's pajamas The flammability standard for children's pajamas (sizes 0-6X) and the flammability standard for children's pajamas (sizes 7-14) are applicable to children's pajamas of sizes 0-6X and 7-14 respectively, including Pajamas, pajamas and similar clothing, except diapers, underwear, baby clothes (less than 9 months old), and tights are not considered children's pajamas. The test methods and flame retardant performance requirements specified in the two standards are basically the same. According to the test methods (vertical method) specified in the regulations, five 8.9cm×Samples of 25.4 cm were tested with an average char length of 17.8 cm (7 inches) for samples and 25.4 cm (10 inches) for individual samples. In addition, regulations require that all terms of protection requirements be marked on the permanent label of children's sleepwear.
In an age when textile testing equipment is increasingly important, the researchers believe manufacturers should pay close attention to their results.
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1. ISO 5402-1: Specifies the flexometer method for testing leather flex resistance under repeated bending.
2. ISO 17694: Defines test methods for footwear upper and lining flex resistance, simulating real-world bending stress to assess long-term durability.
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