Smoldering Potential and Characterization of Used Upholstery Fabrics

To examine the effects of soiling on the smolder potential of upholstered furniture, sixty-six used upholstery fabrics were collected in the state of Georgia and sections of each fabric were determined to be either "soiled" or "unsoiled." A soiled area is an exposed surface of the upholstery fabric, whereas an unsoiled area is not exposed. Each fabric's composition (cell ulosic, synthetic, or mixed fibers) was determined, and soiled and unsoiled samples from each fabric were analyzed for pertinent chemical and physical characteristics. For the majority of fabrics, the smoldering potential of the soiled areas did not increase with respect to the unsoiled areas. In fact, more fabrics exhibited a reduced (versus increased) tendency to smolder upon soiling. Six fabrics that smoldered in the unsoiled condition did not smolder in the soiled condition. This study confirms results reported on used upholstery fabrics collected in the state of Virginia. Statistical analysis performed on data from each study and the combined data showed that smoldering potential had a statistically significant correlation to fabric, but not to soiling. Two ions that play a major catalytic role in smoldering ignitions, sodium and potassium, showed increased levels in soiled areas of the cellulosic fabrics by approx imately 700 ppm and 480 ppm, respectively. These increases did not account for the observed changes in smolder potential. The increase in sodium and potassium ion levels for all sixty-six fabrics collected in Georgia were equiva lent to those of the sixty fabrics collected in Virginia. Calcium and magnesium ions did not increase between soiled and unsoiled fabric areas. Chloride and sulfate increased in the soiled samples compared to the unsoiled. Levels of nitrate and phosphate did not change with soiling.