ISO 8191-1:1987

Overview

ISO 8191-1:1987, "Furniture - Assessment of the ignitability of upholstered furniture - Part 1: Ignition source: smouldering cigarette," specifies a laboratory test method to assess the ignitability of combinations of upholstery materials (covers, interliners, fillings) when exposed to a smouldering cigarette. It is one part of an ISO series that addresses ignitability using increasing flame severity (Part 2 uses a gas‑flame/match‑equivalent). The standard measures material behaviour in a stylized seat/back junction and gives an indication - but not a guarantee - of the fire performance of a finished furniture item.

Key topics and technical requirements

• Scope and limitation: Tests apply to material combinations used in upholstered seating, not to complete finished furniture. Results indicate potential ignition behaviour but cannot predict whole‑item performance.
• Ignition criteria:
  • Progressive smouldering: self‑propagating exothermic oxidation (with or without incandescence) that spreads beyond the source.
  • Flaming ignition: flame propagation reaching margins or unsafe escalation requiring active extinction.
• Test rig and assembly:
  • Hinged steel frames representing a seat/back junction with specified internal dimensions and mesh platform.
  • Two test assemblies (horizontal and vertical sections), each 75 mm thick, with specified cover size and cut‑outs.
• Ignition source:
  • Smouldering cigarette specified by length (70 ±4 mm), diameter (8 ±0.5 mm), mass (1 ±0.1 g) and smouldering rate (12.0 ±3.0 min/50 mm).
  • Cigarette is placed at the junction and the test runs up to 1 hour.
• Conditioning and atmosphere:
  • Materials and cigarettes conditioned (examples: 20 ±2 °C at 65 ±2% RH or 23 ±2 °C at 50 ±5% RH) for 16 hours prior to testing.
  • Test atmosphere: temperature 10–30 °C, RH 15–80%, with controlled air flow (0.02–0.2 m/s) or enclosure >20 m3.
• Safety and reporting:
  • Tests conducted in a fume cupboard or non‑combustible enclosure; extinguishing provisions required.
  • Report includes whether ignition occurred, damage dimensions (mm), cigarette burn time, conditioning details and any special burning behaviour.

Applications and users

• Who uses it: furniture manufacturers, textile and upholstery material suppliers, product safety engineers, test laboratories, fire safety researchers, and regulatory bodies.
• Practical uses:
  • Screening upholstery material combinations for resistance to smouldering cigarette ignition.
  • Informing product design and material selection to reduce ignition risk.
  • Supporting supplier specifications, internal QA and compliance testing where smouldering ignition performance is relevant.

Related standards

• ISO 8191 series (other parts address flaming ignition sources; Part 2 uses a gas flame).
• ISO 139 (textiles - standard atmospheres for conditioning and testing) - referenced for conditioning requirements.

Keywords: ISO 8191-1, ignitability, upholstered furniture, smouldering cigarette test, furniture fire safety, test rig, progressive smouldering.