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ARS Home » Southeast Area » New Orleans, Louisiana » Southern Regional Research Center » Cotton Chemistry and Utilization Research » Research » Publications at this Location » Publication #178374
Title: DEVELOPMENT OF AN ECO-FRIENDLY FIRE QUENCHING BLANKET

Author
item Parikh, Dharnidhar
item Sachinvala, Navzer

Submitted to: Meeting Proceedings
Publication Type: Proceedings
Publication Acceptance Date: 8/15/2005
Publication Date: N/A
Citation: N/A

Interpretive Summary:

Technical Abstract: It takes five minutes for a burning mattress to engulf an entire bedroom. A mattress for residential use is highly flammable, catches fire with an open flame, burns intensely, and fills the room with smoke and heat. The Consumer Products Safety Commission (CPSC) found that in 1999 there were 18,000 mattress and bedding fires that led to 330 deaths and $300 million in property loss. Upholstered furniture in residential homes is also highly flammable. It takes four minutes for a burning sofa to engulf a living room in flames. The CPSC found that in 1999 there were 9,300 upholstered furniture fires that resulted in 440 deaths and a property damage of $232 million. The goal of California AB 603 is to allow occupants at least 30 minutes to escape a fire by developing a mattress that will resist open-flame ignition and will not burn as readily. At SRRC-USDA, we have taken a different approach to saving lives, preventing injures and preventing property loss, and have developed an eco-friendly fire quenching blanket. We shall be presenting this development at the INTC conference.