Interior Cabin Materials Horizontal Flammability
Material
Publisher
Our test laboratory performs testing in accordance with Stellantis LP.7M079 to evaluate the flammability behavior of non-metallic materials used in vehicle interiors. This test specification is applied in the automotive sector for assessing horizontal flame propagation and is closely related to internationally established methods such as ISO 3795 and FMVSS 302, on which the test method is based. It is used for the safety-related evaluation of materials and components with regard to flammability, self-extinguishing behavior, and flame spread.
The test is typically applied to interior materials and components that are subject to fire protection requirements and regulations concerning passenger compartment behavior. These include, for example, interior trim parts, seat materials, textile surfaces, plastic surfaces, foams, and multilayer material composites.
Test Procedure According to Stellantis LP.7M079
The test is carried out in our testing laboratory in a standardized combustion chamber under defined environmental conditions. A rectangular test specimen is mounted horizontally in a U-shaped test fixture. The free end of the specimen is then exposed to a defined gas burner flame. The procedure is explicitly based on ISO 3795 and FMVSS 302.
During the test, the ignition behavior, flame propagation, and self-extinguishing characteristics of the material are observed. The burning rate is determined between defined reference marks. In addition, the fire behavior is classified according to various combustion types, for example:
non-combustible or self-extinguishing,
self-extinguishing before reaching the reference marks,
continued burning between the reference marks,
or highly flammable with rapid flame propagation.
For this purpose, the test specification defines several classification levels (Type A to Type E), which provide a differentiated description of the fire behavior of the material.