Under Fire
FR suppliers in the home furnishing sector deliver creative solutions in the face of unprecedented cost pressures and declining demand
By Ellen Wuagneux
Associate Editor
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In July 2007, a more recent open flame mattress flammability standard was adopted, 16 CFR Part 1633, which requires manufacturers to conduct a full-scale test. In order to meet the performance standard, the mattress set must not exceed 200 kW peak rate of heat release at any time during the 30 minute test and the total heat release must not exceed 15 MJ for the first 10 minutes of the test.
This market could potentially face another milestone this year on the upholstered furniture end. CPSC’s flammability rulemaking (16 CFR Part 1634) was sent out for public comment in May but is still in limbo following the recent U.S. presidential election. The proposed standard establishes flammability performance requirements using a smoldering resistance test for cover materials (Type 1) or a smolder resistant test and an open flame test for interior barriers (Type 2). According to reports, CPSC staff was planning to begintesting in Decemberto assess safety improvements under the 16 CFR Part 1634 proposal and include the results in a briefing for the commissioners later this year.
“There’s a general awareness among lawmakers and CPSC that it’s been too many years and they need to get this done,” stated Jessica Franken, INDA’s director of government affairs, “but the work with the CPSIA (Consumer Product Safety Improvement Act of 2008)has to be slowing things down.”
Related to that, EPA is still sitting tight on a possible “significant new use rule” (SNUR) under the Toxic Substances Control Act (TSCA) affecting flame retardants that could be used to meet theupholstered furniture flammability standard. The SNUR would requirethose using the targetedFRs infurniture to notify EPA 90 days before so EPA can evaluate the intended use. EPA is holding off on the SNUR until it has a better sense of where things stand with CPSC’s standard.
As for protocol relating to the flammability of bed clothes, California’s TB604 regulation is in effect and is expected to eventually become a national standard. “The nonwovens industry will answer the flammability regulation for bed clothes,” commented Steve Ogle, technical director of INDA. “I think this will go down the same path as 1633 and become a federal standard. However, they will tweak it to be a little different because no state law can be more stringent than a federal law.”
One company making the most of continuing growth in FR materials is Basofil Solutions, LLC, which targets the home furnishings industry with flame resistant yarns, fabrics, prefabricated parts and sewing thread utilizing Basofil heat and flame resistant fibers. The company, created in 2007, is sister to Basofil Fibers and sells its patented Alessandra sheath core flame resistant yarns and fabrics. Key end use markets include mattress barriers, top-of-the-bed furnishings, upholstered furniture and industrial applications.
While in general, state and federal regulations have bolstered sales for suppliers of flame retardant materials, they have also increased costs, which have been difficult to pass along to consumers. The current downturn in housing and furniture sales has only exacerbated the situation, putting more pressure than ever on suppliers to deliver more creative solutions. “The same is true in the automotive industry as we are seeing more FR requirements for safety concerns,” commented Pat Eberlein, market development manager for Huntsman International. “The entire industry is under difficult conditions and any costs associated with adding new performance requirements will need to be taken out of some other area of the product.”
