Overview
ISO 105-F03:2001 - Textiles: Tests for colour fastness - Part F03 - specifies an undyed polyamide adjacent (adjacent) fabric used to assess staining in colour‑fastness tests. The document defines the physical and optical properties of the test adjacent fabric, the required pH, and the method to verify its staining behaviour against a polyamide reference adjacent fabric using a dyed polyamide reference (dyed with C.I. Acid Red 151). Reference materials are available from a specified supplier (AATCC).
Key topics and technical requirements
- Purpose: Provide a standardized, reproducible polyamide adjacent fabric for assessment of staining in colour‑fastness tests.
- Physical specification: Surface mass of the fabric = 130 ± 5 g/m² (measured per ISO 3801).
- Optical properties: Measured per ISO 105-J01 and ISO 105-J02 (CIE 1964 10° observer, illuminant D65):
- Luminance index (Y10) ≥ 86 ± 2
- Whiteness index (W10) ≥ 65 ± 2
- Tint (T10) ≈ –1 ± 1 (i.e., between –2 and 0)
- Chemical property: pH of aqueous extract = 7 ± 0.5 (determined per ISO 3071).
- Staining assessment procedure: Place the dyed polyamide reference between the test adjacent fabric and the polyamide reference adjacent fabric, test the sandwich per ISO 105‑C02 (wash test), and compare staining.
- Performance criterion: Colour difference between staining on test adjacent fabric and reference adjacent fabric must not exceed half a grade between 4 and 5 when evaluated using the ISO 105‑A02 gray scale.
Applications and users
ISO 105‑F03 is used where consistent assessment of staining to polyamide adjacent materials is required:
- Textile test laboratories conducting colour fastness and staining evaluations.
- Textile and apparel manufacturers performing quality control on dyed polyamide products.
- Dye and chemical suppliers validating dye transfer / crocking performance to polyamide substrates.
- Certification bodies and R&D teams comparing adjacent‑fabric behaviour across batches or suppliers.
Using a standardized polyamide adjacent fabric ensures reproducible, comparable results across labs and supports claims about product performance in washing, rubbing and laundering tests.
Related standards
- ISO 105‑A02 - Gray scale for change and staining evaluation
- ISO 105‑C02 - Colour fastness to washing (test method referenced)
- ISO 105‑J01 / J02 - Colour measurement and relative whiteness
- ISO 3071 - pH of aqueous extract
- ISO 3801 - Mass per unit area measurement
- AATCC - supplier for reference and dyed polyamide adjacent fabrics (dyed with C.I. Acid Red 151)
Keywords: ISO 105‑F03:2001, polyamide adjacent fabric, colour fastness, staining assessment, textile testing, adjacent fabric specification, AATCC, C.I. Acid Red 151.