ISO 13934-2:2014

Overview

ISO 13934-2:2014 - Textiles - Tensile properties of fabrics - Part 2: Determination of maximum force using the grab method - specifies a reproducible laboratory procedure to measure the maximum force (peak tensile load) of fabric specimens using the grab test. The method is intended mainly for woven fabrics (including elastomer-containing, mechanically or chemically finished stretch fabrics) and is restricted to constant-rate-of-extension (CRE) tensile testing machines.

Keywords: ISO 13934-2:2014, grab method, tensile properties of fabrics, textile tensile testing, maximum force, CRE testing machine.

Key topics and technical requirements

• Test principle: Centre portion of a fabric specimen is gripped and extended at a constant rate until rupture; maximum force is recorded.
• Applicable materials: Mainly woven fabrics; not normally applicable to geotextiles, nonwovens, coated fabrics, textile-glass woven fabrics, carbon-fibre fabrics, or polyolefin tape yarn fabrics.
• Specimen preparation:
  • Width: 100 mm ± 2 mm
  • Gauge length: 100 mm (or 75 mm if agreed) ± 1 mm
  • Cut at least two sets of specimens (warp and weft), minimum five specimens per set
  • Marking and cutting instructions to ensure representative sampling and avoid selvedges/creases
• Clamping / grab area:
  • Effective clamping area for the grab test: 25 mm × 25 mm (±1 mm)
  • Jaws and packing options described (smooth, corrugated, auxiliary materials)
• Test conditions:
  • Rate of extension: 50 mm/min (±10 %)
  • Conditioning atmosphere per ISO 139; preconditioning recommended (≥24 h) for dry tests
  • Wet testing: immersion 1 h in Grade 3 water (ISO 3696) at 20 °C ± 2 °C or with up to 1 g/L non‑ionic wetting agent
• Equipment & accuracy:
  • CRE machine metrological confirmation per ISO 10012-1
  • Force-measuring accuracy: Class 1 of ISO 7500-1 recommended (±1 % error)
  • Data acquisition: ≥ 8 samples/s
• Reporting: Procedures for calculation, expression of results, and test report content are specified.

Applications and users

• Quality control and acceptance testing by fabric manufacturers, garment producers, and textile finishing mills
• Laboratory testing and R&D for fabric performance, material selection, and comparative evaluation
• Certification bodies and test houses issuing tensile-strength data for product specifications, supplier contracts, and compliance
• Designers assessing tensile strength in functional apparel, technical textiles (where applicable), and stretch fabrics

Related standards

• ISO 13934-1: Strip method (alternative tensile test)
• ISO 139: Standard atmospheres for conditioning and testing
• ISO 3696: Water for analytical laboratory use
• ISO 7500-1: Verification of tensile-testing machines
• ISO 10012-1: Metrological confirmation for measuring equipment

ISO 13934-2:2014 provides a standardized, reliable procedure for measuring fabric maximum force using the grab test - essential for consistent textile tensile testing, product specification, and quality assurance.