Abstract: A brief introduction to the textile combustion performance standard systems of my country and the United States, and a comparative analysis of the differences between my country’s textile combustion performance standards and their differences, which will prompt my country to further improve and improve the textile combustion performance technical regulations and standard systems.
Keywords: textiles; combustion performance; United States; regulations; standard system
1 Introduction
In daily life, a large proportion of fires are caused by textile fires. According to U.S. statistics, from 1971 to 1975, more than 90% of the fires that killed people in the United States were residential fires, and the initial fire items were mainly textiles. In recent years, with the development of urban modernization, high-rise residences and hotels have put forward higher requirements for the combustion performance of interior decoration textiles. Therefore, strengthening the assessment of combustion safety performance indicators of clothing and decorative textiles is of extremely important significance to ensure the safety of consumers’ personal and property and reduce losses caused by fire.
The United States is the world’s largest textile importer, with per capita consumption ranking first in the world. More than 90% of my country’s exports to North America are from the United States. However, there are differences in standards and technical regulations between my country and the United States. Therefore, it is necessary to understand the relevant standards and technical regulations of the exporting country to reduce unnecessary trade frictions as much as possible. The following takes the United States technical regulations and standards as an example to analyze the differences with my country’s relevant standards.
2 The measures taken are different from the penalties for non-conforming products
The United States enacted the Flammable Fabrics Act and its implementing regulations in 1953. Specific provisions are made for the combustion performance of products sold directly to consumers, such as clothing textiles, children’s pajamas, carpets and mattresses. Penalties such as recalls and fines will be imposed on unqualified products. However, there are no provisions for penalties for burning substandard textiles in our country.
3 Assessment items and judgment standards are different
3.1 Edible Textiles
The US CPSC 16 CFR1610 federal technical regulation “Combustibility Standard for Edible Textiles” divides the flammability into Level 1 (acceptable for normal combustion) and Level 2 (moderately easy to burn, use with caution), Level 3 (rapid and severe burning is unacceptable, that is, not suitable for clothing).
16 CFR 1615/1616 “Combustibility Standard for Children’s Pajamas” requires that among the five 8.9 cm × 25.4 cm samples tested, the average char length does not exceed 17.8 cm or the entire combustion does not occur A char length is 25.4 cm.
my country’s GB 8965.1-2008 “Protective Clothing Flame-Retardant Protection Part 1 Flame-Retardant Clothing” standard stipulates that the fabric assessment items are thermal protection coefficient, damage length, smoldering time, and afterburning Time, whether melting and dripping are allowed. The judgment criteria are: divided into three levels: A, B, and C, and meet the B1 level requirements stipulated in GB17591; if unqualified, double re-inspection is required. If still unqualified, this batch of fabrics will be stopped from use.
GB/T 17591-2006 “Flame-Retardant Fabrics” stipulates the combustion performance of flame-retardant protective clothing fabrics (before and after washing). The assessment items are: damage length, smoldering time, afterburning time, and whether there is melting or dripping; the judgment standard is: both before and after washing meet the B1 level requirements, and it is stipulated that the indicators in all directions meet the B1 level requirements. Level B1; if one item does not reach level B1 but reaches level B2, it is level B2. If it does not meet the B2 level requirements, it shall not be used as a flame retardant product. Products that fail to reach the B2 level index in the wash resistance test shall not be used as wash-resistant flame retardant products. If the combustion performance of all samples is qualified or the number of failures does not exceed the standard acceptance number, the combustion performance of the batch of products is qualified. If the number of unqualified samples reaches the rejection number, the combustion performance of the batch of products is unqualified.
GB/T21295-2007 “Technical Requirements for Physical and Chemical Properties of Clothing” stipulates the combustion performance of finished products with delayed burning requirements. Under the specified test conditions, the fabric after burning is measured. damaged condition, or the ability to burn. The assessment items are: damage length and flame spread time. The judgment criteria are: the damaged length of infant clothing is >17.8 cm; adult clothing: flame spread time is ≥3.5 s for non-fluffing and ≥7 s for fluffing.
3.2 Decorative textiles
The assessment items and evaluation standards of 16 CFR 1630 “Surface Combustion Performance Standards for Carpet Products” are: if a single sample does not burn or smolder within 2.54 cm from the edge of the aperture, it will be deemed qualified; if 7 out of 8 samples If one or more of them are qualified, the product will be deemed qualified.
16 CFR 1631 “Surface Combustion Performance Standard for Area Carpet Products” assessment items and evaluation standards are: the burning or smoldering of a single sample does not reach within 2.54cm from the edge of the aperture If 7 or more of the 8 samples are qualified, the product is judged to be qualified. If the rug does not meet the requirements but has been imported into the United States, it must indicate “flammable (does not meet U.S. business requirements)” on the label. Partial standard FF2-70: Do not use near fire sources).
16 CFR 1632 “Combustibility Standard for Mattresses and Mattress” assessment items and evaluation standards are: each type When three special cigarettes burn on the surface of the mattress, it is required that the char length from the point closest to the cigarette in any direction on the mattress surface does not exceed 5.1 cm.
16 CFR 1633 “Mattresses and Beds” The assessment items and evaluation standards of “Mattresses Flammability Standard” are: the peak heat release value of the tested mattress shall not exceed 200kW during the 30-minute test; the total heat release value 10 minutes before the test shall not exceed 15MJ; the manufacturer must comply with the regulations. The method tests at least three samples, if one sample fails�Comparison can only explain the relative advantages and disadvantages of the combustion performance of the sample to a certain extent.
(3) Labeling requirements are also different. We must carefully study the relevant regulations and standards of the United States and other exporting countries to manufacture products that meet the labeling requirements of the exporting country.
(4) We need to understand the combustion performance assessment indicators of specific textiles exported to the United States, as well as the test methods corresponding to each indicator, and conduct inspections before leaving the factory and exporting to ensure Export only after the indicators are qualified to reduce unnecessary losses and trade frictions.
(5) Learn and learn from the relevant combustion performance regulations, standards and other standards for textiles in the United States and other exporting countries, improve my country’s relevant regulations and standards system, and improve product competition force.
(6) Consider that textiles must not only meet the prescribed flame retardant performance indicators, but also consider the so-called second safety and third safety indicators, that is, add flame retardant products Assessment indicators for the hazards of smoke, toxicity and melting to the human body; considering the combustion performance of textiles as one of the physical safety performance assessment indicators, it is recommended to be included in the assessment scope of GB18401 “National Basic Safety Technical Specifications for Textile Products”.
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