Overview
ISO 1833-24:2010 - Textiles - Quantitative chemical analysis - Part 24 specifies a laboratory method to determine the percentage of polyester in binary textile blends containing polyester with acrylic, polypropylene or aramid fibres. The method uses a solvent mixture of phenol and tetrachloroethane to dissolve polyester from a known anhydrous sample mass; the remaining residue is washed, dried and weighed to calculate polyester content by difference. The procedure is not applicable to coated fabrics.
Key topics and technical requirements
- Scope: Quantitative chemical analysis of polyester in binary mixtures (polyester + acrylic/PP/aramid), after removal of non‑fibrous matter.
- Solvent system: Phenol/tetrachloroethane mixed at a mass ratio of 6:4.
- Reagents: Phenol/tetrachloroethane mixture and ethanol (plus reagents referenced in ISO 1833-1:2006).
- Apparatus: Minimum 250 ml conical (ground‑stopper) flask, heating device to maintain (50 ± 2) °C (e.g., thermostatted water bath), tared filtering crucible, drying and balance for weighing.
- Procedure highlights:
- Add 100 ml of solvent per gram of sample, agitate 10 minutes at 50 ±2 °C.
- Decant/filter, repeat with a further 100 ml of solvent preheated to 50 ±2 °C.
- Wash residue twice with 100 ml ethanol, rinse with water, dry and weigh.
- Calculate results per ISO 1833-1:2006 (the density correction value d = 1.00).
- Safety: Phenol and tetrachloroethane are hazardous - work under a fume hood and follow appropriate health, safety and environmental controls.
Applications and users
- Quality control in textile manufacturing to verify declared fabric composition.
- Independent textile testing labs performing composition analysis for compliance, labelling and dispute resolution.
- Recycling and material sorting where accurate quantification of polyester aids downstream processing.
- Research and development groups studying blend behavior or developing separation methods.
- Typical users: textile laboratories, contract testing organizations, manufacturers, recyclers and material scientists.
Related standards
- ISO 1833-1:2006 - General principles for quantitative chemical analysis of textiles (referenced for apparatus, general procedure and calculations).
- Other parts of the ISO 1833 series address different fibre combinations and solvents (e.g., methods for polyamide, acetate, cellulose blends).
- ISO 2076 for chemical fibre generic names.
Keywords: ISO 1833-24:2010, quantitative chemical analysis, textiles, polyester blends, phenol tetrachloroethane method, binary mixtures, acrylic, polypropylene, aramid, textile testing, laboratory procedure, safety.