ISO 13937-3:2000

Overview

ISO 13937-3:2000 - Textiles - Tear properties of fabrics - Part 3: Determination of tear force of wing-shaped test specimens (Single tear method) specifies a laboratory method to measure the tear force required to propagate a previously started tear in a fabric using a wing‑shaped specimen and a constant‑rate‑of‑extension (CRE) tensile-testing machine. The procedure is primarily intended for woven textile fabrics and is one of four complementary ISO/CEN methods for tear testing (Elmendorf, trouser, wing and tongue methods).

Key topics and technical requirements

• Test specimen: Wing‑shaped strip with two clamped wings; dimensions and marking (including a mark 25 ± 1 mm from the uncut end) are defined (see figures in the standard).
• Machine type: CRE tensile‑testing machine with gauge length set to 100 mm and extension rate 100 mm/min.
• Metrology & accuracy: Machine confirmation per ISO 10012‑1; accuracy class 1 per ISO 7500‑1 (maximum force and jaw separation errors specified). If data acquisition is used, sampling frequency ≥ 8 Hz.
• Clamping: Jaws fixed to prevent sideways movement; jaw width preferably 100 mm (not less than 75 mm); wings clamped at a 55° slope relative to thread direction.
• Conditioning: Preconditioning and testing atmosphere per ISO 139.
• Specimen number & orientation: At least five specimens per direction (warp and weft); avoid selvedges and repeated thread areas.
• Result calculation: Tear force derived from force/extension peaks on the trace; standard gives manual and electronic evaluation rules (including subdividing the tear length and selecting peak values). Note manual and electronic methods may yield different results and are not directly comparable.
• Limitations: Generally not suitable for knitted, woven elastic fabrics or nonwovens (other methods like trapezoidal or Elmendorf are recommended).

Applications and users

ISO 13937-3 is used for:

• Quality control and acceptance testing of woven fabrics (apparel, industrial textiles, technical textiles).
• Product development and comparative performance testing (tear resistance across warp/weft).
• Supplier specifications and contract testing where a single‑tear wing test is specified. Typical users include textile test laboratories, garment and technical textile manufacturers, R&D teams, and standards/compliance professionals.

Related standards

• ISO 13937-1 (Elmendorf / ballistic pendulum method)
• ISO 13937-2 (Trouser test, single tear method)
• ISO 13937-4 (Tongue‑shaped, double tear test)
• ISO 139 (conditioning atmospheres), ISO 7500‑1, ISO 10012‑1

Keywords: ISO 13937-3:2000, wing-shaped test specimen, tear force, textile tear test, CRE tensile-testing machine, woven fabrics, tear resistance.