Two bolts of cotton duck fabric that meet military specifications and the purchasing guidelines described by the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) for use as a substrate in "Test Methods for Quantifying the Propensity of Cigarettes to Ignite Soft Furnishings" were tested with smoldering cigarettes to determine the effect of inter-bolt variations on cigarette ignition propensity test outcome. The test was designed around an ASTM method that calls for the control of all known test variables, except for those inherent to the fabric's manufacture. The ignitability of each fabric was determined by testing two sets of 48 replications for each of two experimental cigarettes. The two bolts of cotton duck fabric showed a statistically significant difference in ignitions, independent of environmental and experimental fac tors. Two additional bolts of cotton duck #4 were analyzed. Cigarette ignition test results and the physical parameters of the additional bolts offer evidence that the NIST specifications are difficult to meet and further that test results are extremely sensitive to fabric properties.

To determine the effect of inter-bolt variability of duck #6 fabrics on cigarette ignition propensity, four bolts of duck #6 fabrics purchased accord ing to guidelines described by the National Institute of Standards and Technol ogy (NIST) were used in testing the ignition propensity of two experimental cigarettes according to a test method proposed by NIST. Results for each of the cigarettes were highly dependent on the bolt used in preparing the mockup. Inter-bolt variability of cotton duck #6 fabric was found to produce a statisti cally significant difference in the ignition results for the same cigarette. The results support an earlier study performed with duck #4 fabric. Numbered duck fabrics are no longer manufactured in the USA. Use of imported duck fabrics might introduce additional variables to the cotton duck fabric proper ties that could well lead to an even greater variability in cigarette ignition pro pensity testing.

Fifty cellulosic upholstered furniture fabrics were purchased in the Richmond, Virginia area and tested to determine their ignition responses to eleven commercial cigarette brands. Six of the commercial brands (A-F) had been identified by the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST), using their cotton duck substrate test method, as having reduced ignition propensity. The six cigarettes had "unconventional" 4 characteristics deemed by NIST as likely to lower cigarette ignition propensity: smaller circumference, lower permeability paper, and/or reduced paper citrate. On the cotton duck fabrics, these cigarettes were extinguished frequently. On the fifty upholstery fabrics, the cigarettes rarely were extinguished. NIST also tested fourteen "conventional, "5 best-selling brands that their cotton duck test method classified as "strong" igniters. Five brands (1-5) tested here on upholstery fabrics were also major commercial brands of "conventional" design. Testing of the fifty upholstery fabrics and eleven cigarettes followed the protocol developed by NIST with exceptions that upholstery fabrics replaced cotton ducks and polyethylene film was not used between fabrics and foam. Standard ANOVA analysis of ignition responses of the fifty upholstery fabrics showed that the two cigarette types, A-F and 1-5, were statistically similar: the differences in igni-'Current address: KC Automation, Inc., Richmond, VA. 'Current address: Philip Morris, Inc., Richmond, VA. 3Author to whom correspondence should be addressed at: Brown and Wilhamson Tobacco Corporation, PO. Box 630, Dinwiddie, VA 23841-0630. 4Filter cigarettes of 97-120 mm length and 17-22 mm circumference. 'Filter cigarettes of nominal 85 mm length and 25 mm circumference. Downloaded from 414 tions reported by NIST using cotton duck as the test fabric were not found with this broad range of actual upholstery fabrics. Differences in ignition responses among the fabrics did range from igniting in all tests to not igniting in any test, and from igniting more frequently with the six "lower ignition propensity" cigarette brands to more frequently with the five "conventional" ones.

To ensure quality, consistency, and supply of cigarette products, a manufacturer may change materials, which can affect its product portfolio. Rather than testing each product individually to determine the effect of a change, designed experiments can be conducted using a subset of products, and statistical modeling can be performed to determine the harmful and potentially harmful constituent (HPHC) yields for the remaining products. To demonstrate this, we selected 30 representative cigarette products covering a wide range of tobacco blends, ingredients, and design parameters from a manufacturer's portfolio. Sets of cigarette products used papers produced with one type of manufacturing technology (control products) and two additional cigarette papers (changed products). The physical characteristics of the changed products' papers were similar to the control products but were manufactured using alternative methods, which could lead to differences in their chemical composition. The experiment was controlled to minimize variations among products, manufacturing, and testing. Linear regression was used to model the relationship between HPHC yields of the tested products. Twelve randomly selected products were used for validation by comparing predicted to measured yields. Model predictions were robust; differences between measured and predicted values were within standard repeatability limits, demonstrating the feasibility of this approach.https://doi.org/10.21423/jrs-v07hannel