New York Codes, Rules and Regulations › Title 12 - DEPARTMENT OF LABOR › Appendices › Appendix F-4

Current through Register Vol. 46, No. 28, July 10, 2024
SMALL CARPETS AND RUGS
Standard for the Surface Flammability of
Small Carpets and Rugs
(DOC FF 2-70, issued by the U.S.
Secretary of Commerce.)
.1 Definitions.
.2 Scope and Application.
.3 General Requirements.
.4 Test Procedure.
.5 Labeling Requirement.
.1 Definitions. In addition to the definitions given in section
				2 of the Flammable Fabrics Act, as amended (sec. 1, 81 Stat. 568;
				15
				U.S.C. 1191), and §7.2 of the Procedures (33
				F.R. 14642, Oct. 1, 1968), the following definitions apply for the purposes of
				this Standard:
(a) "Acceptance Criterion" means that at least seven out of
				eight individual specimens of a small carpet or rug shall meet the test
				criterion as defined in this Standard.
(b) "Test Criterion" means the basis for judging whether or not
				a single specimen of a small carpet or rug has passed the test, i.e., the
				charred portion of a tested specimen shall not extend to within 2.54 cm. (1.0
				in.) of the edge of the hole in the flattening frame at any point.
(d) "Small Rug" means, for the purposes of this Standard, the
				same as small carpet and shall be accepted as interchangeable with small
				carpet.
(e) "Traffic Surface" means a surface of a small carpet or rug
				which is intended to be walked upon.
(g) "Fire-Retardant Treatment" means any process to which a
				small carpet or rug has been exposed which significantly decreases the
				flammability of that small carpet or rug and enables it to meet the acceptance
				criterion of this Standard.
.2 Scope and Application. This Standard provides a test method
				to determine the surface flammability of small carpets and rugs when exposed to
				a standard small source of ignition under carefully prescribed draft-protected
				conditions. It is applicable to all types of small carpets and rugs used as
				floor covering materials regardless of their method of fabrication or whether
				they are made of natural or synthetic fibers or films, or combinations of, or
				substitutes for these.
One of a kind small carpet or rug, such as an antique, an
				Oriental or a hide, may be excluded from testing under this Standard pursuant
				to conditions established by the Federal Trade Commission.
.3 General requirements--
(a) Summary of test method. This method involves the exposure
				of each of eight conditioned replicate specimens of a small carpet or rug to a
				standard igniting source in a draft-protected environment and measurement of
				the proximity of the charred portion to the edge of the hole in the prescribed
				flattening frame.
(b) Test criterion. A specimen passes the test if the charred
				portion does not extend to within 2.54 cm. (1.0 in.) of the edge of the hole in
				the flattening frame at any point.
(c) Acceptance criterion. At least seven of the eight specimens
				shall meet the test criterion in order to conform with this Standard.
.4Test procedure
(a) Apparatus-- Test chamber. The test chamber shall consist of
				an open top hollow cube made of noncombustible material[FN1] with inside
				dimensions 30.48 x 30.48 x 30.48 cm. (12 x 12 x 12 in.) and a minimum of 6.35
				mm. ( 1/4 in.) wall thickness. The flat bottom of the box shall be made of the
				same material as the sides and shall be easily removable. The sides shall be
				fastened together with screws or brackets and taped to prevent air leakage into
				the box during use.
NOTE: A minimum of two chambers and two extra bottoms is
				suggested for efficient operation.
(3) Standard igniting source. No. 1588 methenamine timed
				burning tablet or an equal tablet. These tablets shall be stored in a
				desiccator over a desiccant for 24 hours prior to use. (Small quantities of
				sorbed water may cause the tablets to fracture when first ignited. If a major
				fracture occurs, any results from that test shall be ignored, and it shall be
				repeated.)
(4) Test specimens. Each test specimen shall be a 22.86 x 22.86
				cm. (9 x9 in.) section of the small carpet or rug to be tested. Eight specimens
				are required.
(5) Circulating air oven. A forced circulation drying oven
				capable of removing the moisture from the specimens when maintained at 105° C.
				(221° F.) for 2 hours. [FN2]
(6) Desiccating cabinet. An air-tight and moisture-tight
				cabinet capable of holding the floor covering specimens horizontally without
				contacting each other during the cooling period following drying, and
				containing silica gel desiccant.
(7) Gloves. Nonhygroscopic gloves (such as rubber or
				polyethylene) for handling the sample after drying and raising the pile on
				specimens prior to testing.
(8) Hood. A hood capable of being closed and having its draft
				turned off during each test and capable of rapidly removing the products of
				combustion following each test. The front or sides of the hood should be
				transparent to permit observation of the tests in progress.
(9) Mirror. A small mirror mounted above each test chamber at
				an angle to permit observation of the specimen from outside of the hood.
(10) Vacuum cleaner. A vacuum cleaner to remove all loose
				material from each specimen prior to conditioning. All surfaces of the vacuum
				cleaner contacting the specimen shall be flat and smooth.
(b) Sampling--
(1) Selection of samples. Select a sample of the material
				representative of the lot and large enough to permit cutting eight test
				specimens 22.86 x 22.86 cm. (9 x 9 in.) free from creases, fold marks,
				delaminations or other distortions. The representative sample of material may
				require the use of more than one small carpet or rug. The test specimens should
				contain the most flammable parts of the traffic surface at their centers. The
				most flammable area may be determined on the basis of experience or through
				pretesting.
If the small carpet or rug has had a fire-retardant treatment,
				or is made of fibers which have had a fire-retardant treatment, the selected
				sample or oversized specimens thereof shall be washed, prior to cutting of test
				specimens, either 10 times under the washing and drying procedure prescribed in
				Method 124-1967 of the American Association of Textile Chemists and Colorists
				[washing procedure 6.2 (III) with a water temperature of 60+-2.8° C (140+-5°
				F), drying procedure 6.3.2(B), maximum load 6.34 kg. (8 pounds)] [FN3] or such
				number of times under such other washing and drying procedures as shall
				previously have been found to be equivalent by the Federal Trade Commission.
				Alternatively, the selected sample or oversized specimens thereof may be
				washed, dry-cleaned, or shampooed 10 times, prior to cutting of test specimens,
				in such manner as the manufacturer or other interested party shall previously
				have established to the satisfaction of the Federal Trade Commission is
				normally used for that type of small carpet or rug in service.
(c) Conditioning. Clean each specimen with the vacuum cleaner
				until it is free of all loose ends left during the manufacturing process and
				from any material that may have been worked into the pile during handling.
				[FN4] Care must be exercised to avoid "fuzzing" of the pile yarn.
Place the specimens in the drying oven in a manner that will
				permit free circulation of the air at 105° C (221° F) around them for 2 hours.
				[FN5] Remove the specimens from the oven with gloved hands and place them
				horizontally in the desiccator with traffic surface up and free from contact
				with each other until cooled to room temperature, but in no instance less than
				1 hour.
(d) Testing. Place the test chamber in the draft-protected
				environment (hood with draft off) with its bottom in place. Wearing gloves,
				remove a test specimen from the desiccator and brush its traffic surface with a
				gloved hand in such a manner as to raise its pile. Place the specimen on the
				center of the floor of the test chamber, traffic surface up, exercising care
				that the specimen is horizontal and flat. Place the flattening frame on the
				specimen and position a methanamine tablet on one of its flat sides in the
				center of the 20.32 cm. (8 in.) hole.
Ignite the tablet by touching a lighted match or an equivalent
				igniting source carefully to its top. If more than two minutes elapse between
				the removal of the specimen from the desiccator and the ignition of the tablet,
				the conditioning must be repeated.
Continue each test until one of the following conditions
				occur:
(1) The last vestige of flame or glow disappears. (This is
				frequently accompanied by a final puff of smoke.)
(2) The flaming or smoldering has approached within 2.54 cm.
				(1.0 in.) of the edge of the hole in the flattening frame at any point.
When all combustion has ceased, ventilate the hood and measure
				the shortest distance between the edge of the hole in the flattening frame and
				the charred area. Record the distance measured for each specimen.
Remove the specimen from the chamber and remove any burn
				residue from the floor of the chamber. Before proceeding to the next test, the
				floor must be cooled to normal room temperature or replaced with one that is
				normal room temperature.
(e) Report. The number of specimens of the eight tested in
				which the charred area does not extend to within 2.54 cm. (1.0 in.) of the edge
				of the hole in the flattening frame shall be reported.
(f) Interpretation of results. If the charred area does not
				extend to within 2.54 cm. (1.0 in.) of the edge of the hole in the flattening
				frame at any point for at least seven of the eight specimens, the small carpet
				or rug meets the acceptance criterion.
5 Labeling requirement.
(b) If a small carpet or rug has had a fire-retardant treatment
				or is made of fibers which have had a fire-retardant treatment, it shall be
				labeled with the letter "T" pursuant to rules and regulations established by
				the Federal Trade Commission.
[F.R. Doc. 70-17474; Filed Dec. 28, 1970; 8:50 a.m.]
[FN1] 6.35 mm. (1/4 in.) cement asbestos board is a suitable
				material.
[FN2] Option 1 of ASTM D 2064-670, "Methods of Test for Amount
				of Moisture in Textile Materials," describes a satisfactory oven. ("1969 Book
				of ASTM Standards," Part 21, published by the American Society for Coding and
				Materials, 1610 Race Street, Philadelphia, Pa. 14100.)
[FN3] Technical Manual of the American Association of Textile
				Chemists and Colorists, Vol. 45, 1969, published by ASTM, Post Office Box
				13215, Research Triangle Park, NC 27709.
[FN4] The vacuum cleaning described is not intended to simulate
				the effects of repeated vacuum cleaning in service.
[FN5] If the specimens are moist when received, permit them to
				air-dry at laboratory conditions prior to placement in the oven. A satisfactory
				pre- conditioning procedure may be found in ASTM D 1776-67, "Conditioning
				Textiles and Textile Products for Testing." ("1969 Book of ASTM Standards,"
				Part and published by the American Society for Testing and Materials, 1986 Race
				Street, Philadelphia, Pa. 14100)