Summary
The burning behaviour of 81 bedding samples was investigated. Samples consisted of 56 bed-linen samples such as covers for duvets and pillow slips and of 31 sheets or mattress covers. All samples were investigated according to the tests descirbed in the standards EN 12 952, ISO 6940 and ISO 6941.
EN 12 952, which contains specific tests using a smouldering cigarette and a small open flame, is not suitable for the determination of the burning behaviour of bedding items. These tests don not show any different burning behaviour of the bedding samples.
However ISO 6940 and ISO 6941 describe the burning behaviour of beddings, because they give differences in the ignition times and the flame spread rates.
A legal limit for the flame spread rate value of 60 mm/s is proposed. This limit is already valid for curtains and drapes in Switzerland. 10 bed-linen and 3 sheets would not fulfil this specification. 7 sheets respectively ticks had ignition times of less than 1.5 seconds.
No relation was found between ignition time and flame spread rate or surface density. For sheets flame spread rates tended to depend on surface density.
