Modification of the NIST test for measuring the ignition propensity of cigarettes

The NIST method for measuring the ignition propensity (IP) of cigarettes on a test mockup meant to represent the flat surface of upholstered furniture was revised and tested [1]. The revisions included a number of deletions a nd additions. The most important addition to the original test was the incl usion of selected, smolderable upholstery fabrics. The deletions were, in g eneral, procedural details known or believed to be unnecessary. Three repli cate runs of the method using the same experimental and control cigarette p air, as well as a series of runs using experimental and control cigarette p airs with deliveries of 5, 11 and 16 mg of tar, were performed. The modifie d method provides repeatable and statistically valid data. Adding commercia l, nonreversal upholstery fabrics to the test did not add to the ability of the test to measure IP behavior and, therefore, they were eliminated in th e final proposed method. A reversal-type fabric should be included in the t est, but it should be specially produced for this purpose [9]. With these f urther modifications, the test is considerably simpler to perform than the original test.