3 peru and certintex apparel testing

Apparel Testing for the US Market

• Regulated – By US Government– Flammability– Care Labeling– Content Labeling

• Discretionary – Required by Retailers and Manufacturers– Physical Testing– Chemical Testing

U. S. Flammable Fabrics ActU. S. Flammable Fabrics Act

Note – Children’s sleepwear has special flammability regulations not in the scope of this work session.

16 CFR PART 1610Flammability of Clothing Textiles

• Does not apply to:

– Hats

– Gloves

– Footwear

– Interlining Fabrics

TWO CATEGORIES OF FABRIC

A. Plain Surface Fabrics1. Average burn time less than 3.5 seconds

= CLASS 32. Average burn time more than 3.5 seconds

= CLASS 1

B. Raised Surface Fabrics1. Average burn time less than 4.0 seconds

= CLASS 32. Average burn time between 4.0 - 7.0 seconds

= CLASS 23. Average burn time more than 7.0 seconds

= CLASS 1

EXEMPTIONS

A. Plain Surface Fabrics- Any fabric greater than 2.6 oz/yd2

- Any fabric made entirely from any of the following fibers or combinations thereof:Acrylic, Mod Acrylic, Nylon,Olefin, Polyester, Wool

B. Raised Surface Fabrics- Any fabric made entirely from any of the following

fibers or combinations thereof:Acrylic, Mod Acrylic, Nylon,Olefin, Polyester, Wool

U. S. Flammable Fabrics Act

Very Dangerous Fabrics!Very Dangerous Fabrics!

Raised Surface Fabrics Such As:Raised Surface Fabrics Such As:

• Flannelette• Fleece• Corduroy• Velvet• Velveteen

• Velour• Terry Cloth• Chenille• Imitation Furs

THREE CLASSIFICATIONS

• Class 1 - Normal Flammability

• Class 2 - Intermediate Flammability

• Class 3 - Rapid and Intense Burning

• Class 1 and Class 2 can be sold in the USA.

• STR does not recommend class II be entered into the

US Market

Soft Home TextilesAdditional Flammability Tests

• These are not regulated - but are industry standards.– Bedding – ASTM D4151– Curtains – NFPA 701-89– Decorative Pillows – Cal. Tech. Bulletin 117, Section

E– Towels – N/A

CARE LABELING REGULATION

CARE LABELING REGULATION

• Current rule established in 1984. Referred to as 16 CFR Part 423. Administrated by the Federal Trade Commission (FTC).

• Reasonable Basis :

A manufacturer or importer MUST establish a Reasonable Basis for Care information on a label prior to sale.

CARE LABELING REGULATION

• What must be stated on a Care Label? (assume washable)- How to launder? (Machine or Hand Wash)- At what temperature (Hot, Warm, or Cold)- Bleaching Instruction- How to dry the item? (Line, Tumble, Flat Dry)- At what temperature (Hot, Medium or Low)- Does the item need ironing?- At what temperature (Hot, Warm, Cool, Steam or

Without Steam)

CARE LABELING REGULATION

• In order to satisfy all of these questions, the following tests are recommend:

- Shrinkage and appearance after laundering

- Colorfastness to laundering

- Colorfastness to chlorine bleach

- Colorfastness to non-chlorine bleach

Regulatory Care and Content

Dimensional Changes    

3 launderings - garments AATCC 150 machine wash

Dry Cleaning AATCC 158 Garment Stage

Dimensional Stability - fabric (3 washes / 1 Dry Cleaning)

AATCC 135 Fabric Stage

Appearance Evaluation STR TP 0095 Satisfactory

Steam ASTM D2724 10.4.1  

Colorfastness to:

Dry Cleaning AATCC 132 Drycleaning

Laundering Accelerated AATCC 61  

Chlorine Bleach (Not for Silk or items with Lycra or rubber)

STR-TP 80 / spot test 4.0 Min.

Non-Chlorine Bleach STR-TP 130 / spot test 4.0 Min.

CARE LABELING REGULATION

Care and Content Label Example

LET’S LOOK AT THE AMERICAN CARE SYMBOLS

Care symbols are not required but if they

are used they must be correct.

WASHING

BLEACHING

DRYING

IRONING

DRY CLEANING

FIBER IDENTIFICATION

• Content Labeling– Microscopic Method (100%)– Chemical Separation– Mechanical Separation– Microscopic Analysis (Cashmere)

Physical and Chemical Testing

Physical Testing

Physical Testing

Weight (oz/yd) ASTM D3776 or ASTM 3887

Construction ASTM D3775 +/-5% from Specifications

Bursting Strength (lbs.) - knits ASTM D3786 (Mullen) 40 lb. min

Tensile Strength (lbs.) - woven ASTM D1682Under 3.0 oz/yd - 20.0 Min Over 3.0

oz/yd - 25.0 Min.

Seam Strength (lbs.) - garments ASTM D1683 15.0 Min.

Yarn Slippage ASTM D434  

Spirality/Torque after Wash AATCC 179 +/- 5%

Physical Testing

Pilling    

Knit - ICI Pilling ISO 12945-1  

Woven - Martindale ASTM D4970 100 cycles

Random Tumble (bean bag) ASTM D3512  

Chemical Testing

Formaldehyde Content   75 ppm maximum

Qualitative STR TP01346 spot test

Sealed Jar Method AATCC 112  

Acetylacetone Method JIS L 1041-83 174

pH test (white fabric only) AATCC81 water extract

Chemical Testing

Colorfastness to:    

Crocking AATCC 8Wet - 3.0 Min. Dry - 4.0

Min.

Perspiration AATCC 15 3-Apr

Light (20 hours) AATCC 16E  

Q & A Session

If you have further questions please contact Ben DeVito at:

[email protected]

Or visit our website www.STRQuality.comand sign up for our newsletter the

STR Monitor

Thank You