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TESTING & ANALYSIS
OUR TESTING LAB IS WOOLWORTHS ACCEDITED
The laboratory provides product testing and analysis services to the clothing, textiles, and related industries.
CLOTHING AND TEXTILE RELATED CONSULTING SERVICES:
- Provide advice on material usage and care.
- Fabric specification development
OUR TECHNOLOGY
TESTS
TEXTILES ANALYSIS
OUR TECHNOLOGY
- Pilling and snagging Tester
- Impulse random tumble pilling tester
- Burst strength tester
- Xenon Arc light and weather fastness tester
- Wascator ( high specification washing machine)
- Digital microscope and camera + software
- Tensile Tester + Stretch and recovery attachment
- Martindale Abrasion and
- Pilling Tester X2
- Yarn wrap reel (WIRA)
- Twist tester (WIRA DTT 003)
- Yarn Friction tester
- Rapid oil extractor apparatus
- Digital Crimp tester
- Drymeter III (Moisture meter) L5800
- Pyrotec Infrared dyeing machine
- Padder
- Spray rating Tester
- Air Permeability Tester
- Differential Scanning
- Calorimetry (DSC)
- Fourier Transform Infrared
- Spectroscopy (FTIR)
- Thermal Gravimetric Analysis (TGA)
- Dynamic Contact Angle Analysis (DCA)
TESTS
COLOUR FASTNESS:
- Rubbing
- Washing soap/soap & soda – A1, B2, C3
- Washing soap/soap & soda – D4, E5
- Domestic and Commercial Laundering
- Perspiration (Alkaline/Acid)
- Water
- Water Spotting
- Standard Adjacent Fabric (Contrast Trims)
- Sea Water
- Bleaching – Hypochlorite
- Hydrolysis
- Light BW1-5
- Light BW5-8
- Chlorinated Water – swimming pool water
- Hot Pressing
PHYSICAL PROPERTIES:
- Fabric Mass per square meter
- Domestic Washing & Drying Procedures for Textile Testing (Dimensional Stability) – 40 / 50
- Domestic Washing & Drying Procedures for Textile Testing (Dimensional Stability) – 60/70/95
- Spirality
- Garment Dimensional Stability – 40/50
- Durability Wash (1 wash)
- Durability Wash (5 washes)
- Print Durability (5 Washes)
- Print Durability (1 Washes)
- Pilling -Pillbox Method
- Snagging – per 5000 revs
- Martindale Abrasion
- Tensile Strength & Elongation – Strip Method
- Tensile Strength & Elongation – Grab Method
- Stretch & Recovery
- Yarn Tensile & Elongation
- Tear Force – Tongue-Shaped specimen
- Tab Strength (Diapers)
- Seam Slippage – Fixed seam opening
- Bursting Strength – Hydraulic Method
- Air Permeability
- Rewet & Rate of Absorption
- Moisture Absorption
- Wicking
- Water Resistance: Spray Test
- Water Resistance: Impact Penetration Test
- Water Resistance: Hydrostatic Head Test
FABRIC ANALYSIS:
- Fabric Construction
- Thread Count/Stitch Density
- Fabric Thickness
- Fabric Stiffness
- Solubility (Single Fibre)
- Solubility (Fibre Blends)
- Microscopic Analysis
- Twist Factor (Skein)
- Linear Density (skein)
- Linear Density (fabric)
TEXTILES ANALYSIS
The following are available analytical equipment and its applications related to the textile industry.
Fourier Transform Infrared Spectrophotometer (FTIR)
is a technique that produces a distinctive molecular fingerprint that can be used to:
- identify unknown polymeric materials and detect functional groups,
- identify fibres and other chemical compounds in consumer products through comparison against spectral databases,
- analyse fibres, fabrics and dyestuffs quantitatively and qualitatively.
- assess quality and contamination.
- identify restricted substances on fabrics and additives.
The results are reported in form of a spectra which is a molecular fingerprint characteristic to the sample.
Thermal Gravimetric Analyser (TGA)
measures the amount of weight change of a material as
a function of increasing temperature and its applications
include:
- Quantitative determination of the chemical composition
and purity of fabrics. - Determination of garment and upholstery safety.
- Identification of commercial fibre co-polymers (i.e. Nylon
6 or Nylon 6, 6 or Nylon 10, etc.). - Assessment of the effect of additives and service
life-time prediction.
The results are reported as a thermogram characteristic to the sample with total mass loss, onset and degradation temperature, peak area, peak height and the amount of heat absorbed or released.
Dynamic Scanning Calorimeter (DSC)
measures the difference in the amount of heat required to increase the temperature of a sample and reference as a function of temperature. Its applications include:
- Determination of the chemical composition of textiles.
- Fibre identification of textiles and determination of the
presence of co-monomers and impurities. - Tg indicates fibre processing history.
- To confirm identity of the expected material.
- Determination of the thermal stability of a material
The results are reported as a thermogram characteristic to the sample with the melting temperature (Tm), crystallization temperature (Tcc) and the corresponding enthalpies.
Dynamic Contact Angle Analyser (DCA)
enables an investigation of material properties such
as: wettability, adhesion, homogeneity, spreading,
cleanliness, contact angle and printability. Other
applications include:
- Measurement of the degreeof moisture absorbency of fibres e.g. sports products and sanitary wear.
- Spreading of ink during printing.
- Water repellence of fabrics.
