ASTM E1590-99

NOTICE: This standard has either been superseded and replaced by a new version or discontinued.
Contact ASTM International (www.astm.org) for the latest information.
Designation: E 1590 – 99 An American National Standard
AMERICAN SOCIETY FOR TESTING AND MATERIALS
100 Barr Harbor Dr., West Conshohocken, PA 19428
Reprinted from the Annual Book of ASTM Standards. Copyright ASTM
Standard Test Method for
Fire Testing of Mattresses
This standard is issued under the fixed designation E 1590; 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 (e) indicates an editorial change since the last revision or reapproval.
1. Scope method may involve hazardous materials, operations, and
equipment.
1.1 This is a fire-test-response standard.
1.12 This standard does not purport to address all of the
1.2 This test method provides a means of determining the
safety concerns, if any, associated with its use. It is the
burning behavior of mattresses used in public occupancies by
responsibility of the user of this standard to establish appro-
measuring specific fire test responses when the test specimen,
priate safety and health practices and determine the applica-
a mattress or mattress with foundation, is subjected to a
bility of regulatory limitations prior to use.
specified flaming ignition source under well ventilated condi-
tions.
2. Referenced Documents
1.3 This is a test method for mattresses or mattresses with
2.1 ASTM Standards:
foundations.
D 123 Terminology Relating to Textiles
1.4 Test data are obtained describing the burning behavior,
E 84 Test Method for Surface Burning Characteristics of
following application of a specific ignition source, from
Building Materials
ignition until all burning has ceased, a period of1hhas
E 176 Terminology of Fire Standards
elapsed, or flashover appears inevitable.
E 380 Practice for Use of the International System of Units
1.5 This test method does not provide information on the
(SI) (the Modernized Metric System)
fire performance of mattresses under fire conditions other than
E 800 Guide for Measurement of Gases Present or Gener-
those specified in this test method. In particular, this test
ated During Fires
method does not apply to smoldering ignition by cigarettes.
E 1354 Test Method for Heat and Visible Smoke Release
See 5.12 for further information.
Rates for Materials and Products Using an Oxygen Con-
1.6 The rate of heat release of burning test specimen is
sumption Calorimeter
measured by an oxygen consumption method. See 5.12.4 for
E 1474 Test Method for Determining the Heat Release Rate
further information.
of Upholstered Furniture and Mattress Components or
1.7 Other measurements are the production of light-
Composites Using a Bench Scale Oxygen Consumption
obscuring smoke and the concentrations of certain toxic gas
Calorimeter
species in the combustion gases. See 5.12.5 for further infor-
E 1537 Test Method for Fire Testing of Seating Upholstered
mation.
Furniture
1.8 The burning behavior is documented visually by photo-
2.2 ISO Standards:
graphic or video recordings.
ISO 3261 Fire Tests—Vocabulary
1.9 Use the SI system of units in referee decisions; see
ISO 4880 Burning Behaviour of Textiles and Textile
Practice E 380. The units given in parentheses are for infor-
Products—Vocabulary
mation only.
ISO 9705 Fire Tests—Full Scale Room Test for Surface
1.10 This standard is used to measure and describe the
Products
response of materials, products, or assemblies to heat and
2.3 UL Standards:
flame under controlled conditions, but does not by itself
UL 1056 Fire Test of Upholstered Furniture
incorporate all factors required for fire hazard or fire risk
UL 1895 Fire Test of Mattresses
assessment of the materials, products or assemblies under
2.4 CA Standards:
actual fire conditions.
CA Technical Bulletin 121 Flammability Test Procedure for
1.11 Fire testing of products and materials is inherently
hazardous, and adequate safeguards for personnel and prop-
Annual Book of ASTM Standards, Vol 07.01.
erty shall be employed in conducting these tests. This test
Annual Book of ASTM Standards, Vol 04.07.
Annual Book of ASTM Standards, Vol 14.02.
1 Available from International Standardization Organization, P.O. Box 56,
This test method is under the jurisdiction of ASTM Committee E-5 on Fire
CH-1211, Geneva 20, Switzerland.
Standards and is the direct responsibility of Subcommittee E05.15 on Furnishing
Available from Underwriters Laboratories, Inc., 333 Pfingsten Rd., Northbrook,
and Contents.
IL 60062.
Current edition approved Feb. 10, 1999. Published July 1999. Originally
E1
published as E 1590 – 94. Last previous edition E 1590 – 96 .
E 1590
Mattresses for Use in Public Occupancies most important fire-test-response characteristic measured in
CA Technical Bulletin 129 Flammability Test Procedure for this test method is the rate of heat release, which quantifies the
Mattresses for Use in Public Buildings intensity of the fire generated.
CA Technical Bulletin 133 Flammability Test Procedure for 5.2 The rate of heat release is measured by the principle of
Seating Furniture for Use in Public Occupancies oxygen consumption. Annex A3 discusses the assumptions and
2.5 Other Documents: limitations.
CFR Part 1632 Standard for the Flammability of Mattresses 5.3 This test method also provides measures of other fire-
and Mattress Pads (formerly DOC FF4-72, 40 FR 59940) test-response characteristics, including smoke obscuration (as
Nordtest Method NT Fire 032 Upholstered Furniture: Burn- the rate of smoke release, total smoke released, or optical
ing Behavior—Full Scale Test density of smoke), combustion gas release (as concentrations
of combustion gases), and mass loss, which are important to
3. Terminology
making decisions on fire safety.
3.1 Definitions—For definitions of terms used in this test 5.4 In the majority of fires, the most important gaseous
method and associated with fire issues, refer to the terminology components of smoke are the carbon oxides, present in all fires.
contained in Terminology E 176 and ISO 3261. In case of They are indicators of the toxicity of the atmosphere and of the
conflict, the definitions given in Terminology E 176 shall completeness of combustion. Measurement of concentrations
prevail. For definitions of terms used in this test method and of carbon oxides are useful for two purposes: (1) as part of fire
associated with textile issues, refer to the terminology con- hazard assessment calculations and (2) to improve the accuracy
tained in Terminology D 123 and ISO 4880. In case of conflict, of heat release measurements. Other toxic combustion gases,
which are specific to certain materials, are also indicators of the
the definitions given in Terminology D 123 shall prevail.
3.2 Definitions of Terms Specific to This Standard: toxicity of the atmosphere, but are less crucial for determining
combustion completeness and are optional measures; however,
3.2.1 product, n—mattress, or mattress with foundation, for
which fire-test-response characteristics are to be measured. fire hazard assessment often requires their measurement.
5.5 The type of ignition chosen (flaming source) is common
3.2.2 specimen, n—the manufactured item of the product, or
representative prototype of the product. in both accidental and intentional fires in public occupancies.
The test method is thus applicable to mattresses in public
4. Summary of Test Method
occupancies. Such facilities include, but are not limited to,
health-care facilities, old age convalescent and board and care
4.1 This fire-test-response test method determines a number
of fire-test-response characteristics associated with a full-scale homes, and college dormitories and residence halls.
5.6 One of the following three configurations is to be used
test specimen, mattress or mattress with foundation, ignited
with a propane gas burner. Measurements to be made include in this test method:
5.6.1 Test Configuration A—A test room with the following
the rate of heat and smoke release, total amount of heat
released, rates and concentrations of carbon oxides released, dimensions: 3.66 by 2.44 by 2.44 m (12 by 8 by 8 ft) high.
5.6.2 Test Configuration B—A test room with the following
and rates and amounts of mass of test specimen lost. Other
optional measurements are also described. dimensions: 3.66 by 3.05 by 2.44 m (12 by 10 by 8 ft) high.
4.2 In Test Configurations A and B, the test specimen is 5.6.3 Test Configuration C—An open calorimeter (or furni-
placed on a weighing platform located in a test room. An ture calorimeter).
exhaust hood, connected to a duct, is located at the doorway of 5.7 Rooms of other dimensions are acceptable where it has
the room. been shown that eqivalent test results are obtained.
4.3 In Test Configuration C, the test specimen is placed on 5.8 Measurements in the three test configurations listed in
5.6 have been shown to give similar results for heat release in
a weighing platform located directly under a hood.
4.4 Heat, smoke, and combustion gas release instrumenta- the duct, and mass loss, up to a rate of heat release of 600 kW
(1).
tion is placed in the duct.
4.5 Additional (optional) instrumentation placed in the test 5.9 Measurements of temperatures, gas concentrations, and
smoke obscuration in the room are dependent on room size.
room is also described.
5.10 This test method has been designed to provide details
5. Significance and Use
for the means to build and operate equipment capable of
5.1 This test method provides a means of measuring a running tests as required by CA TB 129. However, this test
method is more general than that technical bulletin.
variety of fire-test-response characteristics resulting from burn-
ing a test specimen, mattress or mattress with foundation. After 5.11 Studies on the flammability performance of mattresses
indicate that bench scale fire tests are useful for preliminary
ignition using a propane gas burner, the test specimen is
permitted to burn freely under well-ventilated conditions. The evaluations of component materials for substitution purposes
(see Appendix X3).
5.12 Limitations:
Available from California Bureau of Home Furnishings and Thermal Insula-
5.12.1 This test method is not applicable to ignition by
tion, State of California, Dept. of Consumer Affairs, 3485 Orange Grove Ave., North
cigarettes, or by any other smoldering source.
Highlands, CA 95660-5595.
Available from Consumer Product Safety Commission, Washington, DC
20207. The boldface numbers in parentheses refer to the list of references at the end
Available from Nordtest, P.O. Box 22, SF-00341, Helsingfors, Finland. of this test method.
E 1590
5.12.2 The ignition source in this test method is a flaming metal studs, and line it with fire-rated gypsum wallboard or
source, and it has been shown that mattresses, particularly in calcium silicate wallboard. Position a hood, as described in
public occupancies, are involved in fires with flaming ignition Annex A1, outside of the room doorway, such that it collects all
sources. Moreover, this particular ignition source has been of the combustion gases. There shall be no obstructions to the
shown to be able to provide a distinction between different air supply to the test setup.
kinds of mattress items. However, the fraction of actual
NOTE 1—Both Type X gypsum wallboard and calcium silicate wall-
flaming mattress fires occurring with ignitions more or less
board with a thickness of at least 13 mm (0.5 in.) have been found
intense than that used here is not known.
acceptable. If the thickness of the wallboard is larger, it will not affect the
5.12.3 It is not known whether the results of this test method
results of this test method.
will be equally valid when a mattress is burned under condi-
6.1.2 Test Room Layout (Test Configuration B)—The test
tions different from those specified. In particular, it is unclear
room shall have dimensions of 3.05 m 6 25 mm by 3.66 m 6
whether the use of a different ignition source, or the same
25 mm by 2.44 m 6 25 mm (10 by 12 by 8 ft) high. The room
ignition source but having a different duration of flame
shall have no openings other than a doorway opening 0.97 m 6
exposure or a different gas-flow rate, will change the results.
6.4 mm by 2.06 m 6 6.4 mm (38 by 81 in.), located as
5.12.4 The value of rate of heat release corresponding to the
indicated in Fig. 2, and other small openings, as necessary, to
critical limit between propagating mattress fires and non-
make test measurements. Construct the test room of wooden or
propagating fires is not known.
metal studs, and line it with fire-rated gypsum wallboard or
5.12.5 As yet, there is not a known direct correlation
calcium silicate wallboard. Position a hood, as described in
between smoke obscuration or smoke toxicity measurements in
Annex A1, outside of the room doorway, such that it collects all
the exhaust duct and overall fire hazard.
of the combustion gases. There shall be no obstructions to the
air supply to the test method setup. (See Note 1.)
6. Apparatus
6.1.3 Open Calorimeter Layout (Test Configuration C):
6.1 Room Layout and Instrumentation:
6.1.3.1 The area surrounding the test specimen in an open
6.1.1 Test Room Layout (Test Configuration A)—The test
calorimeter layout shall be sufficiently large that there are no
room shall have dimensions of 2.44 m 6 25 mm by 3.66 m 6
heat radiation effects from the walls or any other nearby
25 mm by 2.44 m 6 25 mm (8 by 12 by 8 ft) high. The room
objects. The airflow to the test specimen shall be symmetrical
shall have no openings other than a doorway opening 0.76 m 6
from all sides.
6.4 mm by 2.03 m 6 6.4 mm (30 by 80 in.), located as
6.1.3.2 If the heat release rate of the test specimen is below
indicated in Fig. 1, and other small openings, as necessary, to
600 kW, a load cell sited under a hood, and where the distance
make test measurements. Construct the test room of wooden or
NOTE 1—See text for tolerances; room instrumentation is optional. NOTE 1—See text for tolerances; room instrumentation is optional.
FIG. 1 Test Room Configuration A FIG. 2 Test Room Configuration B
E 1590
between the test specimen and any wall is 1 m (3.3 ft) or more,
is acceptable.
6.1.3.3 The air supply to the calorimeter shall be sufficient
so that it does not affect the burning process.
6.1.4 General Discussion of Room Layout—Heat release
measurements in the duct, made in Test Configurations A, B,
and C, have been shown to yield similar results for heat release
rates below 600 kW (see X1.4) (1).
6.1.5 Other Test Room Furnishings—The test room shall
contain no furnishings except for the test specimen.
6.1.6 Location o
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