| The overall objective of the study was to find a way of making combinations of fabric and batting, used in upholstered furniture, more resistant to ignition by cigarettes. Emphasis was laid on untreated, 100% cotton batting and fabric, as they are presently almost excluded from the market, due to their very low resistance to ignition by cigarettes.;The study was broadly divided into two parts. In the first part of the study, different wire cloth interliners (which perform as heat sinks) were tested to determine their effect on the smoldering combustion of untreated, 100% cotton fabric and batting combination. The interliners were placed at different depths in the batting, to determine the depth of the heat sink effect, and to improve the comfort of the interliner. In the second part, the effect of 100 x 100 wire cloth interliner on the smoldering combustion of various fabric and untreated, 100% cotton batting was tested. Abrasion test and evaluation of comfort tests were also conducted using 100 X 100 wire cloth interliner. The results of all tests were statistically analysed. The smoldering combustion was greatly reduced by the use of wire cloth interliner at all depths in the batting. Statistical analysis show that there was no significant difference between the comfort of cushion with or without interliner. |
