Photos courtesy of Serta A conventional mattress (top) and a Serta mattress with FireBlocker (bottom), three minutes, 30 seconds after ignition. During recent mattress burn tests conducted at UL, Serta mattresses with FireBlocker smoldered at very low temperatures throughout a 30-minute test, whereas mattresses without FireBlocker immediately became engulfed in flames.
Technical Bulletin 603 (TB603), which goes into effect January 1, 2005, requires that mattresses made and sold after the effective date must pass a 30-minute burn test. However, the legislation only requires that newly manufactured materials contain fire-resistant technology, meaning that mattress manufacturers can still sell inventory finished prior to the effective date. The exception to TB603 includes mattresses and foundations used in specified hotel and lodging establishments that are equipped with automatic sprinklers.
According to the International Sleep Products Association (ISPA), the state’s legislature took this action based on fire statistics published by the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) showing that small open-flame ignited fires involving mattresses account for the largest number of residential fire deaths now that cigarette-ignited mattress fires have been largely eliminated with current laws. This data indicates that children playing with small open-flame ignition sources (i.e., lighters, matches, candles) cause nearly two-thirds of mattress fires today. The information also indicates that annual fire losses in the U.S. associated with mattress and bedding products included 330 civilian deaths, 2,070 injuries and $300 million in property losses (www.sleepproducts.org). CPSC has said that it is preparing to announce new standards for mattress flammability that can cost mattress manufacturers $100 million annually.
Serta and Sealy are two mattress makers who are responding to the challenge. Sealy’s comprehensive effort includes a 5,500-square-foot Research and Development Test Center located at its headquarters in Archdale, NC, that will be in operation by the end of 2004. The company has also begun shipping fire-resistant mattresses to some retailers in California with a functionally “transparent” solution featuring a one-for-one replacement of materials currently used. The new materials are chemical-free and non-toxic, according to Sealy, and the internal testing shows reliable performance.
Serta has also begun manufacturing TB603-compliant mattresses, but went one step ahead by offering its 2004 line with open-flame resistant technology called “FireBlocker.” “This system of protection is a blend of natural and synthetic fibers applied to the top and sides of the mattress and box spring,” says Al Klancnik, group vice president for research and development at Serta. “It creates a charring effect that removes both oxygen and fuel when burned, blocking the spread of an open flame into the mattress and thereby reducing the incidence of flashover.”
Sealy’s burn test was developed by engineers at the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) and involves ignition sources that replicate conditions that occur when bedclothes are on fire. Other engineers and scientists around the country are also preparing for the new legislation. DuPont research fellow Warren Knoff, DuPont Scientist of the Month for October 2004, began his quest with fellow scientists and engineers in the Advanced Fiber Systems group in January 2003, according to the company (www1.dupont.com/NASApp/dupontglobal/corp/index.jsp?page=/content/US/en_US/science/knoff.html).
The fire-resistant system they developed is a two-layer, non-woven fabric containing DuPont aramid fibers such as DuPont Kevlar fiber and DuPont Nomex fiber. The fabric fits under the mattress ticking and performs several critical functions. First, the fabric provides additional structural integrity. “To protect the flammable mattress components under it, the barrier has to remain intact even when something is burning on top of it,” Knoff explains. “It also must help prevent air, which feeds a fire, from flowing into the mattress.”
Second, the fabric provides insulation for the mattress, helping to keep the interior from getting too hot and igniting. Third, special fibers in the fabric can help extinguish the flame. Preliminary tests are very encouraging. However, Knoff warns, “Developing a really good flame-retardant system is just part of the equation.” That’s where the mattress manufacturers come in.
Working together in a coalition to reduce bed fire deaths, scientists and mattress manufacturers are feverishly striving to achieve a common goal. Calls to other manufacturers were not returned.
