Nat’l Highway Traffic Safety Admin., DOT § 571.

302

§ 571.302 Standard No. 302; Flamma- vertible tops, arm rests, all trim panels
bility of interior materials. including door, front, rear, and side
S1. Scope. This standard specifies panels, compartment shelves, head re-
burn resistance requirements for mate- straints, floor coverings, sun visors,
rials used in the occupant compart- curtains, shades, wheel housing covers,
ments of motor vehicles. engine compartment covers, mattress
S2. Purpose. The purpose of this covers, and any other interior mate-
standard is to reduce the deaths and in- rials, including padding and crash-de-
juries to motor vehicle occupants ployed elements, that are designed to
caused by vehicle fires, especially
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absorb energy on contact by occupants

those originating in the interior of the in the event of a crash.
vehicle from sources such as matches S4.1.1 [Reserved]
or cigarettes. S4.2 Any portion of a single or com-
S3. Application. This standard applies posite material which is within 13 mm
to passenger cars, multipurpose pas-
of the occupant compartment air space
senger vehicles, trucks, and buses.
shall meet the requirements of S4.3.
S3A. Definitions. Occupant compart-
ment air space means the space within S4.2.1 Any material that does not
the occupant compartment that nor- adhere to other material(s) at every
mally contains refreshable air. point of contact shall meet the require-
S4. Requirements. ments of S4.3 when tested separately.
S4.1 The portions described in S4.2 S4.2.2 Any material that adheres to
of the following components of vehicle other materials at every point of con-
occupant compartments shall meet the tact shall meet the requirements of
requirements of S4.3: Seat cushions, S4.3 when tested as a composite with
seat backs, seat belts, headlining, con- the other material(s).

Material A has a non-adhering inter- in material C as shown, to make a

face with material B and is tested sepa- specimen 13 mm thick.
rately. Part of material B is within 13 S4.3(a) When tested in accordance
mm of the occupant compartment air with S5, material described in S4.1 and
space, and materials B and C adhere at S4.2 shall not burn, nor transmit a
every point of contact; therefore, B and flame front across its surface, at a rate
C are tested as a composite. The cut is of more than 102 mm per minute. The
requirement concerning transmission

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§ 571.302 49 CFR Ch. V (10–1–04 Edition)

of a flame front shall not apply to a specimens from drafts. The interior of
surface created by cutting a test speci- the cabinet is 381 mm long, 203 mm
men for purposes of testing pursuant to deep, and 356 mm high. It has a glass
S5. observation window in the front, a
(b) If a material stops burning before closable opening to permit insertion of
it has burned for 60 seconds from the the specimen holder, and a hole to ac-
start of timing, and has not burned commodate tubing for a gas burner.
more than 51 mm from the point where For ventilation, it has a 13 mm clear-
the timing was started, it shall be con- ance space around the top of the cabi-
sidered to meet the burn-rate require- net, ten holes in the base of the cabi-
ment of S4.3(a). net, each hole 19 mm in diameter and
S5.1 Conditions. legs to elevate the bottom of the cabi-
S5.1.1 The test is conducted in a net by 10 mm, all located as shown in
metal cabinet for protecting the test Figure 1.

S5.1.2 Prior to testing, each speci- S5.1.3 The test specimen is inserted
men is conditioned for 24 hours at a between two matching U-shaped frames
temperature of 21 °C, and a relative hu- of metal stock 25 mm wide and 10 mm
midity of 50 percent, and the test is high. The interior dimensions of the U-
conducted under those ambient condi- shaped frames are 51 mm wide by 330
tions. mm long. A specimen that softens and
bends at the flaming end so as to cause

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Nat’l Highway Traffic Safety Admin., DOT § 571.303

erratic burning is kept horizontal by maximum available width of a speci-

supports consisting of thin, heat-resist- men is not more than 51 mm, so that
ant wires, spanning the width of the U- the sides of the specimen cannot be
shaped frame under the specimen at 25 held in the U-shaped frame, place the
mm intervals. A device that may be specimen in position on wire supports
used for supporting this type of mate- as described in S5.1.3, with one end held
rial is an additional U-shaped frame, by the closed end of the U-shaped
wider than the U-shaped frame con- frame.
taining the specimen, spanned by 10- (b) Place the mounted specimen in a
mil wires of heat-resistant composition horizontal position, in the center of the
at 25 mm intervals, inserted over the cabinet.
bottom U-shaped frame. (c) With the flame adjusted according
S5.1.4 A bunsen burner with a tube to S5.1.4, position the bunsen burner
of 10 mm inside diameter is used. The and specimen so that the center of the
gas adjusting valve is set to provide a burner tip is 19 mm below the center of
flame, with the tube vertical, of 38 mm the bottom edge of the open end of the
in height. The air inlet to the burner is specimen.
closed. (d) Expose the specimen to the flame
S5.1.5 The gas supplied to the burn- for 15 seconds.
er has a flame temperature equivalent (e) Begin timing (without reference
to that of natural gas. to the period of application of the
S5.2 Preparation of specimens. burner flame) when the flame from the
S5.2.1 Each specimen of material to burning specimen reaches a point 38
be tested shall be a rectangle 102 mm mm from the open end of the specimen.
wide by 356 mm long, wherever pos- (f) Measure the time that it takes the
sible. The thickness of the specimen is flame to progress to a point 38 mm
that of the single or composite mate- from the clamped end of the specimen.
rial used in the vehicle, except that if If the flame does not reach the speci-
the material’s thickness exceeds 13 fied end point, time its progress to the
mm, the specimen is cut down to that point where flaming stops.
thickness measured from the surface of (g) Calculate the burn rate from the
the specimen closest to the occupant formula:
compartment air space. Where it is not
possible to obtain a flat specimen be- B = 60 × (D/T)
cause of surface curvature, the speci- Where:
men is cut to not more than 13 mm in B = Burn rate in millimeters per minute
thickness at any point. The maximum D = Length the flame travels in millimeters,
available length or width of a specimen and
is used where either dimension is less T = Time in seconds for the flame to travel
than 356 mm or 102 mm, respectively, D millimeters.
unless surrogate testing is required [36 FR 22902, Dec. 2, 1971, as amended at 40
under S4.1.1. FR 14319, Mar. 31, 1975; 40 FR 42747, Sept. 16,
S5.2.2 The specimen is produced by 1975; 40 FR 56667, Dec. 4, 1975; 63 FR 28954,
cutting the material in the direction 28956, May 27, 1998; 63 FR 51003, Sept. 24, 1998]
that provides the most adverse test re-
sults. The specimen is oriented so that § 571.303 Standard No. 303; Fuel sys-
the surface closest to the occupant tem integrity of compressed natural
compartment air space faces downward gas vehicles.
on the test frame. S1. Scope. This standard specifies re-
S5.2.3 Material with a napped or quirements for the integrity of motor
tufted surface is placed on a flat sur- vehicle fuel systems using compressed
face and combed twice against the nap natural gas (CNG), including the CNG
with a comb having seven to eight fuel systems of bi-fuel, dedicated, and
smooth, rounded teeth per 25 mm. dual fuel CNG vehicles.
S5.3 Procedure. S2. Purpose. The purpose of this
(a) Mount the specimen so that both standard is to reduce deaths and inju-
sides and one end are held by the U- ries occurring from fires that result
shaped frame, and one end is even with from fuel leakage during and after
the open end of the frame. Where the motor vehicle crashes.

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