Overview
EN ISO 13934-1:2013 / ISO 13934-1:2013 - "Textiles - Tensile properties of fabrics - Part 1: Determination of maximum force and elongation at maximum force using the strip method" - specifies a laboratory procedure to measure the maximum force a fabric can resist and the elongation at maximum force using the strip method. The method is intended mainly for woven textile fabrics (including those with elastomeric yarns or stretch treatments), and is restricted to tests performed on constant-rate-of-extension (CRE) testing machines. The standard covers tests on specimens in the standard conditioned state and in the wet state.
Key topics and technical requirements
- Test principle: Extend a fabric strip at a constant rate until rupture; record maximum force and corresponding elongation.
- Scope limits: Mainly applicable to woven fabrics; not normally applicable to geotextiles, nonwovens, coated fabrics, textile–glass woven fabrics, or fabrics from carbon fibres or polyolefin tape yarns.
- Testing machinery: Use of CRE testing machines (fixed clamp + moving clamp at constant speed) is required.
- Specimen preparation: Defined specimen dimensions, sampling locations, pretension and initial length procedures, and optional wet specimen preparation.
- Conditioning and atmosphere: Specimens must be conditioned and tested in the standard atmosphere for textiles (referenced ISO 139).
- Measured quantities and reporting: Maximum force, elongation at maximum force; optional force at rupture and elongation at rupture. Test report content and result calculation methods are specified.
- Reference and calibration: Normative references include ISO standards for atmospheres, water quality for wet tests, and verification/calibration of testing machines (e.g., ISO 7500-1, ISO 10012).
Practical applications - who uses it
- Textile manufacturers and mills - quality control of fabric strength and stretch performance.
- Textile testing laboratories - standardized comparative testing for product specifications, R&D and certification.
- Garment and technical textile product developers - to assess fabric behaviour under load for fit, performance, durability.
- Procurement and compliance teams - to verify supplier claims and ensure materials meet contractual tensile property requirements.
- Researchers and material scientists - baseline tensile data for modelling and materials development.
Related standards
Keywords: ISO 13934-1, EN ISO 13934-1:2013, tensile properties of fabrics, strip method, maximum force, elongation at maximum force, CRE testing machine, textile testing, fabric tensile test.