Current through Register Vol. 46, No. 12, March 20, 2024
(DOC FF 1-70, issued by the U.S.
.5 Labeling.
.1 Definitions. In addition to the
definitions given in section 2 of the Flammable Fabrics Act, as amended (sec.
1, 81 Stat. 568;
15
U.S.C. 1191 ), and §7.2 of the
Procedures (33 F.R. 14642, Oct. 1, 1968), the following definitions apply for
the purposes of this Standard:
(a)
"Acceptance Criterion" means that at least seven out of eight individual
specimens of a given carpet or rug shall meet the test criterion as defined in
this Standard:
(b) "Test Criterion"
means the basis for judging whether or not a single specimen of carpet or rug
has passed the test i.e., the charred portion of a tested specimen shall not
extend to within 2.54 cm. (1.0 in.) of the edge of the hole in the flattening
frame at any point.
(c) "Carpet"
means any type of finished product made in whole or in part of fabric or
related material and intended for use or which may reasonably be expected to be
used as a floor covering which is exposed to traffic in homes, offices, or
other places of assembly or accommodation, and which may or may not be fastened
to the floor by mechanical means such as nails, tacks, barbs, staples,
adhesives, and which has one dimension greater than 1.83 m. (6 ft.) and a
surface area greater than 2.23 m. 2 (24 sq. ft.). Products such as "carpet
squares", with one dimension less than 1.83 m. (6 ft.) and a surface area less
than 2.23 m. 2 (24 sq. ft.), but intended to be assembled upon installation
into assemblies which may have one dimension greater than 1.83 m. (6 ft.) and a
surface area greater than 2.23 m. 2 (24 sq. ft.), are included in this
definition. Mats, hides with natural or synthetic fibers, and other similar
products in the above defined dimensions are included in this definition, but
resilient floor coverings such as linoleum, asphalt tile and vinyl tile are
not.
(d) "Rug" means the same as
carpet and shall be accepted as interchangeable with carpet.
(e) "Traffic Surface" means a surface of a
carpet or rug which is intended to be walked upon.
(f) "Timed Burning Tablet" (pill) means the
methenamine tablet, weighing approximately 0.149 gram (2.30 grains), sold as
Product No. 1588 in Catalog No. 79, December 1, 1969, by the Eli Lilly Company
of Indianapolis, Ind. 46206, or an equal tablet.
(g) "Fire-Retardant Treatment" means any
process to which a carpet or rug has been exposed which significantly decreases
the flammability of that carpet or rug and enables it to meet the acceptance
criterion of this Standard.
.2 Scope and application. This Standard
provides a test method to determine the surface flammability of carpets and
rugs when exposed to a standard small source of ignition under carefully
prescribed draft-protected conditions. It is applicable to all types of carpets
and rugs used as floor covering materials regardless of their method of
fabrication or whether they are made of natural or synthetic fibers or films,
or combinations of or substitutes for these.
One of a kind, carpet or rug, such as an antique, an Oriental,
or a hide, may be excluded from testing under this Standard pursuant to
conditions established by the Federal Trade Commission.
.3 General requirements--
(a) Summary of test method. This method
involves the exposure of each of eight conditioned, replicate specimens of a
given carpet or rug to a standard igniting source in a draft-protected
environment, and measurement of the proximity of the charred portion to the
edge of the hole in the prescribed flattening frame.
(b) Test criterion. A specimen passes the
test if the charred portion does not extend to within 2.54 cm. (1.0 in.) of the
edge of the hole in the flattening frame at any point.
(c) Acceptance criterion. At least seven of
the eight specimens shall meet the test criterion in order to conform with this
Standard.
.4 Test
procedure--
(a) Apparatus --
(1) Test chamber. The test chamber shall
consist of an open top hollow cube made of noncombustible material[FN1] with
inside dimensions 30.48 x 30.48 x 30.48 cm. (12 x 12 x 12 in.) and a minimum of
6.35 mm. (1/4 in.) wall 1 thickness. The flat bottom of the box shall be made
of the same material as the sides and shall be easily removable. The sides
shall be fastened together with screws or brackets and taped to prevent air
leakage into the box during use.
NOTE: A minimum of two chambers and two extra bottoms is
suggested for efficient operation.
(2) Flattening frame. A steel plate, 22.86 x
22.86 cm. (9 x 9 in.), 6.35 mm. ( 1/4 in.) thick with a 20.32 cm. (8 in.)
diameter hole in its center is required to hold the carpet or rug flat during
the course of the test. It is recommended that one be provided for each test
chamber.
(3) Standard igniting
source. No. 1588 methenamine timed burning tablet or an equal tablet. These
tablets shall be stored in a desiccator over a desiccant for 24 hours prior to
use. (Small quantities of sorbed water may cause the tablets to fracture when
first ignited. If a major fracture occurs, any results from that test shall be
ignored, and it shall be repeated.)
(4) Test specimens. Each test specimen shall
be a 22.86 x 22.86 cm. (9 x 9 in.) section of the carpet or rug to be tested.
Eight specimens are required.
(5)
Circulating air oven. A forced circulation drying oven capable of removing the
moisture from the specimens when maintained at 105° c. (221° F.) for 2
hours. [FN2]
(6) Desiccating
cabinet. An airtight and moisturetight cabinet capable of holding the floor
covering specimens horizontally without contacting each other during the
cooling period following drying, and containing silica gel desiccant.
(7) Gloves. Nonhygroscopic gloves (such as
rubber polyethylene) for handling the sample after drying, and raising the pile
on specimens prior to testing.
(8)
Hood. A hood capable of being closed and having its draft turned off during
each test and capable of rapidly removing the products of combustion following
each test. The front or sides of the hood should be transparent to permit
observation of the tests in progress.
(9) Mirror. A small mirror mounted above each
test chamber at an angle to permit observation of the specimen from outside of
the hood.
(10) Vacuum cleaner. A
vacuum cleaner to remove all loose material from each specimen prior to
conditioning All surfaces of the vacuum cleaner contacting the specimen shall
be flat and smooth.
(b)
Sampling--
(1) Selection of samples. Select a
sample of the material representative of the lot and large enough to permit
cutting eight test specimens 22.86 x 22.86 cm. (9 x 9 in.), free from creases,
fold marks, delaminations, or other distortions. The test specimens should
contain the most flammable parts of the traffic surface at their centers. The
most flammable area may be determined on the basis of experience or through
pretesting.
If the carpet or rug has had a fire-retardant treatment, or is
made of fibers which have had a fire-retardant treatment, the selected sample
or oversized specimens thereof shall be washed, prior to cutting of test
specimens either 10 times under the washing and drying procedure prescribed in
Method 124-1967 of the American Association of Textile Chemists and Colorists
[washing procedure 6.2(III) with a water temperature of 60° +- 2.8° C.
(140° +- 5° F.), drying procedure 6.3.2(B), maximum load 8.64 kg. (8
pounds),] [FN3] or such number of times under such other washing and drying
procedure as shall previously have been found to be equivalent by the Federal
Trade Commission. Alternatively, the selected sample or oversized specimens
thereof may be washed, drycleaned, or shampooed 10 times, prior to cutting of
test specimens, in such manner as the manufacturer or other interested party
shall previously have established to the satisfaction of the Federal Trade
Commission is normally used for that type of carpet or rug in service.
(2) Cutting. Cut eight 22.86 +- 0.64 cm. (9
+- 1/4 in.) square specimens of each carpet or rug to be tested to comply with
section.4(b)(1).
(c)
Conditioning. Clean each specimen with the vacuum cleaner until it is free of
all loose ends left during the manufacturing process and from any material that
may have been worked into the pile during handling. [FN4] Care must be
exercised to avoid "fuzzing" of the pile yarn.
Place the specimens in the drying oven in a manner that will
permit free circulation of the air at 105° C. (221° F.) around them for
2 hours. [FN5] Remove the specimens from the oven with gloved hands and place
them horizontally in the desiccator with traffic surface up and free from
contact with each other until cooled to room temperature, but in no instance
less than 1 hour.
(d)
Testing. Place the test chamber in the draft-protected environment (hood with
draft off) with its bottom in place. Wearing gloves, remove a test specimen
from the desiccator and brush its surface with a gloved hand in such a manner
as to raise its pile, Place the specimen on the center of the floor of the test
chamber, traffic surface up, exercising care that the specimen is horizontal
and flat. Place the flattening frame on the specimen and position a methenamine
tablet on one of its flat sides in the center of the 20.32 cm. (8 in.) hole.
Ignite the tablet by touching a lighted match or an equivalent
igniting source carefully to its top. If more than 2 minutes elapse between the
removal of the specimen from the desiccator and the ignition of the tablet, the
conditioning must be repeated.
Continue each test until one of the following conditions
occurs:
(1) The last vestige of flame
or glow disappears. (This is frequently accompanied by a final puff of
smoke.)
(2) The flaming or
smoldering has approached within 2.54 cm. (1.0 in.) of the edge of the hole in
the flattening frame at any point.
When all combustion has ceased, ventilate the hood and measure
the shortest distance between the edge of the hole in the flattening frame and
the charred area. Record the distance measured for each specimen.
Remove the specimen from the chamber and remove any burn
residue from the floor of the chamber. Before proceeding to the next test, the
floor must be cooled to normal room temperature or replaced with one that is at
normal room temperature.
(e) Report. The number of specimens of the
eight tested in which the charred area does not extend to within 2.54 cm. (1.0
in.) of the edge of the hole in the flattening frame shall be
reported.
(f) Interpretation of
results. If the charred area does not extend to within 2.54 cm. (1.0 in.) of
the edge of the hole in the flattening frame at any point for at least seven of
the eight specimens, the carpet or rug meets the acceptance criterion.
.5 Labeling. If the
carpet or rug has had a fire-retardant treatment or is made of fibers which
have had a fire-retardant treatment, it shall be labeled with the letter "T"
pursuant to conditions established by the Federal Trade Commission.
[F.R. Doc. 70-4657; Filed, Apr. 15, 1970;
8:50 a.m.]
[FN1] 6.35 mm. (1/4 in.) cement asbestos board is a suitable
material.
[FN2] Option 1 of ASTM D 2064-670, "Methods of Test for Amount
of Moisture in Textile Materials," describes a satisfactory oven. ("1969 Book
of ASTM Standards," Part 21, published by the American Society for Coding and
Materials, 1610 Race Street, Philadelphia, Pa. 14100.)
[FN3] Technical Manual of the American Association of Textile
Chemists and colorists, Vol. 45, 1969, published by AATCC, Post Office Box
12215, Research Triangle Park, N.C. 27709.
[FN4] The vacuum cleaning described is not intended to simulate
the effects of repeated vacuum cleaning in service.
[FN5] If the specimens are moist when received, permit them to
air-dry at laboratory conditions prior to placement in the oven. A satisfactory
preconditioning procedure may be found in ASTM D 1776-67. "Conditioning
Textiles and Textile Products for Testing." ("1969 Book of ASTM Standards",
Part 24, published by the American Society for Testing and Materials, 1916 Race
Street, Philadelphia, Pa. 19103.)