Overview - ISO 15372:2000 for inflatable rescue boats and coated fabrics
ISO 15372:2000 specifies minimum performance requirements and test procedures for coated fabrics used in the inflatable chambers of SOLAS-compliant rescue boats. It supplements IMO/SOLAS life‑saving appliance requirements and covers fabrics made from a base textile with a synthetic elastomeric or plastomeric coating on one or both faces. The standard is intended for type approval, production testing and material selection for inflatable rescue boats used on ships subject to the 1974 Safety of Life at Sea Convention (SOLAS).
Key topics and technical requirements
ISO 15372 defines both functional properties and test methods (see clause 6). Key technical requirements include:
- Tensile strength: ≥ 3.5 kN/50 mm width (ISO 1421 method).
- Elongation at break: ≤ 35%.
- Tear strength: minimum 140 N (CRT method) or 1 500 N (wound method), depending on test method chosen.
- Coating adhesion: ≥ 50 N/25 mm width.
- Resistance to flex cracking: no cracking after 200 000 cycles.
- Airtightness: no bubbles after 5 minutes.
- Ageing, oil, cold, ozone and UV resistance: no cracking, stickiness or brittleness; tensile strength after exposure ≥ 90% of original (for specified exposure tests).
- Sea-water & hydrolysis resistance: no peeling or colour fading; seam/weld strength criteria - hydrolysis criteria apply to thermoplastic-coated fabrics.
- Abrasion and blocking: abrasion limits (base fabric not visible after 500 revolutions; ≤ 0.7 mg/rev) and blocking resistance rating ≤ 2.
- Mass per unit area: as per manufacturer’s specification.
- Traceability: fabrics must be marked with manufacturer and production-lot number.
- Test conditions: standard atmosphere generally 20°C ±2°C and 65% ±5% RH; specimen conditioning and sampling requirements specified.
Practical applications and users
ISO 15372 is used by:
- Fabric manufacturers for product design, type approval and production control.
- Rescue-boat builders to select coated fabrics and confirm suitability for adhesives or thermal welding.
- Marine surveyors and classification societies for SOLAS compliance checks and approvals.
- Testing laboratories to carry out type‑approval and routine production tests.
- Procurement and safety officers specifying materials for life‑saving appliances.
Practical benefits include ensuring material durability in marine environments (UV, ozone, sea water), airtight inflatable chambers, reliable seams/welds, and documented traceability for SOLAS rescue boats.
Related standards
Keywords: ISO 15372:2000, inflatable rescue boats, coated fabrics, SOLAS, coating adhesion, tensile strength, air‑tightness, sea‑water resistance.