ISO 12947-1:1998

Overview

ISO 12947-1:1998 - "Textiles - Determination of the abrasion resistance of fabrics by the Martindale method - Part 1: Martindale abrasion testing apparatus" specifies the design, performance and auxiliary-material requirements for the Martindale abrasion tester. It defines how apparatus must be built, assembled and checked to ensure reproducible determination of abrasion resistance for woven and knitted fabrics, pile textiles (pile height ≤ 2 mm) and nonwovens.

Key topics and technical requirements

• Scope and purpose: Requirements for the Martindale testing apparatus and auxiliary materials used in Parts 2–4 of ISO 12947 (breakdown, mass loss, appearance).
• Drive mechanism & motion: Two synchronized outer drives and one inner drive produce the translational motion tracing a Lissajous figure; rotation ratio of outer to inner drives is 16:15 so one complete Lissajous cycle = 16 outer revolutions.
• Performance tolerances: Specified rotational frequencies, maximum stroke (≈ 60.5 mm), and a counter accurate to one abrasion rub.
• Specimen holder & loading: Detailed dimensions, corrosion-resistant materials, and combined specimen-holder mass (≈ 198 g). Two loading-piece masses (≈ 795 g and ≈ 595 g) provide nominal test pressures (≈ 12 kPa and 9 kPa).
• Bearings & fits: Bearing bore and spindle diameters with ISO tolerance fields (e.g., 7.950 mm H9/f7) to ensure low friction, free rotation and repeatability.
• Auxiliary materials: Requirements for wool abradant fabric, felt underlay and polyetherurethane foam (thickness, density, indentation hardness), plus instructions for acceptance testing and storage.
• Assembly, checks and maintenance: Procedures for verifying the Lissajous figure (Annex A), foam hardness (Annex B), parallelism between abrading table and specimen holder, and ease of running in bearings.

Applications

• Routine laboratory testing for quality control and product development of apparel, upholstery, industrial and technical textiles.
• Comparative performance testing of textile finishes, coatings and constructions.
• Supplier qualification and acceptance testing where abrasion durability is a key attribute.
• Calibration and validation of Martindale abrasion testers in test houses and certification labs.

Who should use this standard

• Textile test laboratories and QA teams
• Manufacturers of Martindale testing equipment
• Product development engineers and textile technologists
• Certification bodies and standards committees

Related standards

• ISO 12947-2, -3, -4 (test methods: determination of specimen breakdown, mass loss, assessment of appearance)
• ISO 12945 (Martindale method for pilling and appearance)
• Referenced standards for auxiliary measurements (e.g., ISO 137, ISO 3801, ISO 5084)

Keywords: ISO 12947-1, Martindale, abrasion resistance, Martindale abrasion testing apparatus, textiles testing, Lissajous figure, abradant, specimen holder, abrasion rub.