The Application Range of Carpet Flammability Tester

This International Standard specifies a method for the assessment of the burning behaviour of textile floor coverings in a horizontal position when exposed to a small source of ignition under controlled laboratory conditions. This method is suitable for all kinds of textile floor coverings whatever their construction or their fibre composition. The method may also be applicable to an unfinished material, in this case, the experimental results do not show the behaviour of the materials under the conditions of use.

The test results are only suitable for the burning test of carpet horizontal position, not for carpet in other position, especially in vertical positions. The present method should be used solely to assess the properties of materials in response to heat and flame under controlled laboratory conditions and should not be used to evaluate the burning of textile floor coverings under actual fire conditions.

Standard Test Procedure (Methenamine Tablet Method)

1 Carry out the test in an atmosphere having a temperature between 10 and 30 °C and a relative humidity between 20 and 65 %.

2 Remove a specimen from the conditioning atmosphere or desiccator with a gloved hand. Place the specimen flat on the floor of the test box with the use surface uppermost, ensuring the specimen is horizontal. Place the metal plate on top of the specimen, and line up the outside edges of the plate with those of the specimen.

3 Place a methenamine tablet flat and in the centre of the specimen, and ignite the tablet with a lighted match. If used, start the timing device. Do not touch the specimen with the lighted match. If more than 2 min elapses between removal of the specimen from the conditioning atmosphere or the desiccator and ignition of the tablet, retest with a new conditional sample. If the tablet cracks upon ignition, consider the test result void.

4 Allow the ignition flame or any propagated flame to burn until extinction or until the flame or glowing reaches the edge of the hole in the metal plate. In either case, the test ends and the timing stops.

5 After each specimen has been tested, lift the removable base from the test chamber and free it of any residue. Allow sufficient time between each test for the test chamber to cool to ambient temperature ± 5℃.

6 Take out the sample and measure the maximum distance between the centre of the specimen and the edge of the damaged zone.

7 If required, measure the time in seconds from the ignition of the tablet to the moment when the flame or glowing reaches the edge of the hole in the metal plate, using the timing device.