Effect of Bed Clothes Modifications on Fire Performance of Bed Asemblies.
Effect of Bed Clothes Modifications on Fire Performance
of Bed Asemblies.
(13520 K)
Ohlemiller, T. J.; Gann, R. G.
NIST TN 1449; 37 p. February 2003.
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Keywords:
clothing; beds (furniture); flammability; fire growth;
heat release rate; mattresses
Abstract:
The severity of a bed fire is a function of the fire
performance of the components of the bed and the
interactions among them. Accordingly, a series of tests
was conducted to elucidate how varying the behavior of
bed clothes might affect the performance and eventual
testing of the mattress and foundation. The tests were
conducted on twin size mattress/foundation sets using
bed clothes whose fiberfill content was either modified
with regard to flammability or protected from direct
flame impingement by a barrier layer. The
mattress/foundation design had varied heat release rate
peaks and fire growth mechanisms. The ignition source
was a match-size flame applied to the unmodified hanging
sheets and blanket on the side of the bed. Significant
reduction in heat release rate and increase in time to
that peak were observed for mattress pads that provided
protection of the side of the mattress, for those
mattresses that did not already have such protection.
Alternation to the comforter and pillow, in addition to
the mattress pad, brought lesser decreases in heat
release rate peak and the specific result depended
significantly on the nature of the materials used. For
a mattress design of greatly reduced peak heat release
rate, the potential synergism with the bed clothes
decreases. This is because (a) the early peak heat
release rate from the bed assembly becomes controlled by
the bed clothes flammability behavior, and (b) the
bedclothes have burned away before any late heat release
rate peak occurs.
Building and Fire Research Laboratory
National Institute of Standards and Technology
Gaithersburg, MD 20899