What Are Flame Retardants And Why Do Mattresses Use Them?

In 2006, the United States government implemented a federal standard that requires

mattress manufacturers to subject their products to controlled "open flame testing" at government approved facilities. This is also known as CPSC 16 CFR Part 1633, Standard for the Flammability (Open Flame) of Mattress Sets; Final Rule. The mattresses are ignited by a torch and need to burn, but not spread, for a specified length of time in order to pass the testing. Only then will the manufacturer, importer, or reseller be permitted to distribute the product to consumers.

"Why was this law set in place?"

The main purpose behind the law is to ensure consumer safety. If, for example, a burning cigarette is dropped, mattresses that pass the testing will bear smaller sized fires with slower growth rates, reducing the possibility of rapid spreading. This gives you time to distinguish the fire, or in the worst case, get out of the house before the fire spreads and you get hurt.

"Has Novosbed passed CFR 1633 testing?"

Of course! At Novosbed, we take extra care to ensure that our customers are happy, and most importantly, safe. Though Canada has not made this testing standard a legal requirement for mattress distributors yet, we have passed testing and can guarantee that our mattresses comply with all standards.

"So what makes it possible for a mattress to pass the test?"

First and foremost, flame retardants make it possible to pass CFR 1633 testing. Each Novosbed mattress has two covers: a micro-fibre cover and a flame retardant cover. The latter is made of polyester fibres treated to reduce flammability to the extent that it is nearly non-combustible. Some polyesters have fire retardant properties built directly into the molecular structure of the fibre.

"How does the treatment slow or stop burning?"

During a fire, the chemicals used to treat the fabric react with the tars and gases naturally generated by the fabric, converting them to carbon char (residue), which slows the fabric's burning rate dramatically.

"Will this fire resistance run out after a certain period of time?"

The fabric's flame retardancy will slowly dissipate over time, especially with repeated and frequent cleaning. It is recommended to dry-clean the fabric with a non-liquid cleaning agent.

by: Sam Prochazka

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