Fire-LCA Model: Furniture Study

摘要

The Fire-LCA model has been applied to furniture in order to compare a non-flame retardant (non-FR) treated Sofa with a flame retardant (FR) treated Sofa. Three different sofas were used: a commercially available model of sofa as sold in mainland Europe, that is without FR treatment, the same sofa model with 2 different FR treatments which would ensure conformity with the UK Fire - Furniture Regulations, using firstly a TCPP/ Melamine treated foam and a phosphorus-based FR treated decorative cover, and secondly a TCPP/Melamine foam and decorative cover back-coated with a brominated FR formulation. All materials in the sofas were identical except for the foam and covering. Full scale sofa and room experiments were conducted to measure the emissions from the fires in order to provide input to the Fire-LCA model. The fire model is based on statistics from the UK and Sweden. The energy consumption and a large number of species emissions over the full life cycle are presented. These species include CO2, CO, NOx, HCN, PAH, HC1, TCDD and TBDD equivalents, Sb, PBDEs, HC and VOC, HBr and P. For the end of life scenarios it was assumed that 30 % of the sofas go to incineration, which should reflect the present, or near future situation. Some of the sofas are involved in fires according to the fire statistics. The remaining sofas are assumed to be landfilled.