Overview
ISO 17074:2006 - Leather: Determination of resistance to horizontal spread of flame specifies a laboratory method to measure the horizontal burning rate of light leathers. The method is especially intended for leathers used in the passenger compartment of motor vehicles and uses the apparatus described in ISO 3795 with leather-specific sampling, conditioning and testing provisions. The standard was prepared by IULTCS and published as EN 14326.
Key topics and technical requirements
- Scope: Applies to all light leathers; focused on automotive interior leather.
- Samples: Three test pieces prepared with the long edge parallel to the backbone (sampling per ISO 2418). Condition samples according to ISO 2419 (standard atmospheres: 20 °C/65 % RH or 23 °C/50 % RH).
- Apparatus:
- Combustion chamber, U-shaped test piece holder and burner as in ISO 3795.
- Test gas with calorific value approx. 38 MJ/m3 (e.g., natural gas).
- Stop-watch (0.5 s resolution), thickness gauge (ISO 2589), ruler (1 mm) and fume cupboard.
- Procedure essentials:
- Mount the horizontal specimen with the exposed side downward; expose the free end to a 38 mm ± 1 mm flame for 15.0 s ± 0.5 s.
- After extinguishing the burner, record the time for the flame to reach measuring points or to self‑extinguish and measure the burnt distance.
- If no sustained burning occurs beyond the first measuring point, burning rate is 0 mm/min.
- Result calculation: Burning rate B (mm/min) = (d × 60) / t, where d is burnt distance (mm) and t is time (s).
- Test report must include reference to ISO 17074:2006, mean sample thickness, mean burning rate, conditioning atmosphere, deviations from the method and full sample identification.
Applications and users
ISO 17074 is used by:
- Automotive OEMs and suppliers for assessment of leather used in seats, door trims and interiors.
- Leather manufacturers for quality control and product development.
- Accredited testing laboratories performing leather flammability and conformity testing.
- Regulatory and certification bodies that reference standardized flammability tests for vehicle interiors.
Practical uses include batch acceptance testing, comparative performance evaluation of leather finishes, and furnishing technical documentation for component approval.
Related standards
- ISO 3795 - Burning behaviour apparatus and general method for vehicle interior materials
- ISO 2418 - Sampling location for leather
- ISO 2419 - Sample preparation and conditioning
- ISO 2589 - Determination of thickness
Keywords: ISO 17074:2006, leather burning rate, horizontal spread of flame, leather flammability, automotive interior leather, leather testing, ISO leather tests, IULTCS, EN 14326.
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