The International Organization for Standardization (ISO) has established various standards that define recommended test conditions for textiles, materials and apparel, to ensure consistent and reliable testing results. The most commonly used standard for testing textiles is ISO 139:2005, "Textiles - Standard atmospheres for conditioning and testing."
ISO 139:2005 defines three standard atmospheric conditions for textile testing:
1. Standard Atmosphere for Testing:
- Temperature: 20 °C (68 °F) ± 2 °C (3.6 °F)
- Relative humidity: 65% ± 2%
2. Standard Atmosphere for Pre-conditioning:
- Temperature: 27 °C (80.6 °F) ± 2 °C (3.6 °F)
- Relative humidity: 65% ± 2%
3. Standard Atmosphere for Conditioning:
- Temperature: 20 °C (68 °F) ± 2 °C (3.6 °F)
- Relative humidity: 65% ± 4%
These standard atmospheric conditions are used for a wide range of textile tests, such as:
- Mechanical properties (e.g., tensile strength, elongation, tearing strength)
- Physical properties (e.g., weight, thickness, porosity)
- Colorfastness (e.g., to washing, light, perspiration)
- Flammability
- Moisture management
By adhering to these standard atmospheric conditions, testing laboratories and manufacturers can ensure that their test results are comparable and reliable, allowing for accurate evaluation and comparison of different textile materials.