Flammability Requirements: Lesson 10
Back in the 70’s, 80’s and 90’s, the requirement for mattresses was a cigarette burn test. The hope being, a chemically treated fabric could prevent the cigarette from igniting the foam inside of a mattress. However, as mattresses became thicker and softer, the fuel load within grew, and the cigarette test proved an insufficient means to protect first responders from the danger of mattress fires.
In 2007 the fire standards were revised. Prior to that, the cigarette burn test proved an insufficient means to protect first responders from the danger of mattress fires, due to the explosive nature that a burning foam mattress could be.
Now mattresses must pass a flame test that resembles a blow torch being held up against the top and side of a mattress for 70 seconds and 50 seconds respectively. If the fire stays below the flashpoint, then it passes. If the fire gets too hot, it fails.
How a company chooses to pass the test is mostly up to them. A few fire retardants have been banned because they are so noxious; however, it is pretty easy to pass the test with non-toxic batting layers. One of the most common means to pass the test is the use of Rayon (a wood fiber product), which has enough inherent silica that it prevents the flame from reaching the fuel load. In an all natural or organic mattress, the cleanest means to pass the test is wool fiber. It takes several pounds of wool per side of a bed, but it can be done with no added chemicals.
Another possible methods to pass the flame test, used by ultra high end brands like Hästens and Vispring is to add boric acid to cotton, which raises the burn temperature of the cotton, and is inherent (meaning it won’t powder or leech). Boric acid is less toxic than table salt, and is in every fruit that you’ve ever eaten, or eye drops; so it sounds scary, but isn’t.
The beds that are most likely to cause issues for the consumer are ones that have smooth tops. Rather than quilting fiber into the surface, they have instead chosen to use a chemically dipped cheesecloth like material. These can powder or leech chemicals to the sleeper, causing rashes, or respiratory issues. This is commonly addressed with waterproof protectors preventing moisture from the sleeper from reaching the chemicals and separates the sleeper from the risks of exposure. This does create some additional heat issues, but makes the likelihood of a reaction fairly slim.