ASTM E2187-02b

NOTICE: This standard has either been superseded and replaced by a new version or withdrawn.
Please contact ASTM International (www.astm.org) for the latest information.
An American National Standard
Designation: E 2187 – 02b
Standard Test Method for
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Measuring the Ignition Strength of Cigarettes
This standard is issued under the fixed designation E 2187; the number immediately following the designation indicates the year of
original adoption or, in the case of revision, the year of last revision. A number in parentheses indicates the year of last reapproval. A
superscript epsilon (ϵ) indicates an editorial change since the last revision or reapproval.
INTRODUCTION
The most common initiating event in a fatal fire in the United States is the dropping of a lit cigarette
onto a bed or piece of upholstered furniture. The cigarette coal heats the furnishing materials to the
point where smoldering combustion begins, perhaps followed by a transition to flaming combustion.
Since limiting the frequency of ignitions is a principal approach to reducing fire loss, it is desirable
to establish a test method for the propensity of a cigarette to ignite soft furnishings. This test method
uses standard substrates to determine the extent to which, as the substrate draws heat from the
cigarette, the cigarette combustion remains strong enough to be capable of initiating a fire.
1. Scope E 691 Practice for Conducting an Interlaboratory Study to
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Determine the Precision of a Test Method
1.1 This fire-test-response standard provides a standard
E 1352 Test Method for Cigarette Ignition Resistance of
measure of the capability of a cigarette, positioned on one of
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Mock-up Upholstered Furniture Assemblies
three standard substrates, to generate sufficient heat to continue
E 1353 Test Method for Cigarette Ignition Resistance of
burning and thus potentially cause ignition of bedding or
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Components of Upholstered Furniture
upholstered furniture.
2.2 Other Standard:
1.2 This method has value as a predictor of the relative
Standard for the Flammability of Mattresses and Mattress
propensity of a cigarette to ignite upholstered furnishings.
Pads, 16 Code of Federal Regulations, Part 1632
1.3 This method is applicable to cigarettes that burn along
the length of a tobacco column.
3. Terminology
1.4 The values stated in SI units are to be regarded as the
3.1 Definitions—For definitions of terms used in this test
standard. The values given in parentheses are for information
method refer to Terminology E 176E 176.
only.
3.2 Definitions of Terms Specific to This Standard:
1.5 This standard measures and describes the response of
3.2.1 full-length burn, n—the outcome of a determination in
materials, products, or assemblies to heat under controlled
which the cigarette burns to or past the front plane of the
conditions, but does not by itself incorporate all factors
tipping paper, which covers the filter and perhaps a short
required for fire hazard or fire risk assessment of the materials,
sectionofthetobaccocolumninafiltertipcigarette,orpastthe
products, or assemblies under actual fire conditions.
tips of the metal pins (see 7.5) if the cigarette has no filter.
1.6 This standard does not purport to address all of the
safety concerns, if any, associated with its use. It is the
4. Summary of Test Method
responsibility of the user of this standard to establish appro-
4.1 This test method measures the probability that a ciga-
priate safety and health practices and determine the applica-
rette, placed on a substrate, will generate sufficient heat to
bility of regulatory limitations prior to use. For specific hazard
maintain burning of the tobacco column. Each determination
statements, see Section 6.
consists of placing a lit cigarette on the horizontal surface
2. Referenced Documents consisting of a set number of layers of filter paper. Observation
is made of whether or not the cigarette continues to burn to the
2.1 ASTM Standards:
2 beginning of the tipping paper. Forty determinations (compris-
E 176 Terminology of Fire Standards
ing a test) are performed to obtain the relative probability that
the cigarette will continue burning despite heat abstraction by
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This test method is under the jurisdiction of ASTM Committee E05 on Fire
the substrate.
Standards and is the direct responsibility of Subcommittee E05.15 on Furnishings
and Contents.
Current edition approved Dec. 10, 2002. Published December 2002. Originally
published as E 2187–02. Last previous edition E 2187–02a.
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Annual Book of ASTM Standards, Vol 04.07. Annual Book of ASTM Standards, Vol 14.02.
Copyright © ASTM International, 100 Barr Harbor Drive, PO Box C700, West Conshohocken, PA 19428-2959, United States.
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NOTICE: This standard has either been superseded and replaced by a new version or withdrawn.
Please contact ASTM International (www.astm.org) for the latest information.
E 2187 – 02b
5. Significance and Use and a temperature of 23 6 3°C (73 6
...