Overview
ISO 105-E02:2013 defines a standardized method to determine the resistance of the colour of textiles to immersion in sea water. The method applies to textiles of all kinds and in all forms and is intended for routine quality control, material selection and verification of marine-use durability. The procedure combines controlled immersion in a sodium chloride solution with heat and pressure exposure, followed by visual or instrumental evaluation of colour change and staining.
Key Topics
- Principle: A composite specimen (textile plus adjacent fabric) is immersed in 30 g/l sodium chloride solution, drained, then placed between plates under a nominal pressure of (12,5 ± 0,9) kPa and heated.
- Specimen preparation: Typical specimen size is (40 ± 2) mm × (100 ± 2) mm. Test samples are fixed to either a multifibre adjacent fabric or two single-fibre adjacent fabrics depending on the test option.
- Test conditions:
- Sodium chloride solution prepared with grade 3 water (ISO 3696).
- Initial immersion at room temperature for 30 min (liquor ratio ≈ 50:1).
- Oven exposure for 4 h at (37 ± 2) °C with specified pressure applied.
- Assessment: Change in colour and staining are assessed using the ISO grey scales (A02/A03) or instrumentally (spectrophotometer/colorimeter) per ISO 105-A04 and A05.
- Apparatus: Test device with stainless-steel frame and weight-piece to achieve nominal pressure, glass or acrylic plates, oven, flat-bottomed dish.
- Reporting: Report shall reference ISO 105-E02:2013 and include identification details, grey-scale or instrumental ratings for colour change and staining, adjacent fabric types used, any deviations and the option selected.
Applications
- Quality control: Routine batch testing for products intended for coastal or marine exposure.
- Material selection: Comparing dyes, fibre types and fabric constructions for resistance to sea water.
- Product specification & labelling: Supporting durability claims for outdoor, nautical and swimwear textiles.
- Failure analysis: Reproducing service-like sea water exposure to investigate instances of colour change or staining.
Related Standards
Key normative references and companion parts in the ISO 105 series include:
- ISO 105-A01:2010 (general testing principles)
- ISO 105-A02, A03 (grey scales for change and staining)
- ISO 105-A04, A05 (instrumental assessment)
- ISO 105-F01 to F06, F10 (adjacent fabric specifications)
- ISO 3696 (water for analytical laboratory use)
These related parts provide the assessment scales, adjacent-fabric specifications and instrumental methods referenced by ISO 105-E02:2013. For implementation, laboratories should follow the full text of ISO 105-E02:2013 and applicable companion parts.