ISO 1833-3:2020

Overview

ISO 1833-3:2020 specifies a standardized acetone extraction method to determine the mass percentage of acetate (after removal of non-fibrous matter) in textiles made from mixtures of acetate and a defined list of other fibres. The method is part of the ISO 1833 series on quantitative chemical analysis and is intended for reliable composition measurement in laboratories and quality-control environments.

Key scope notes:

• Applicable to mixtures of acetate with animal, vegetable, regenerated and many synthetic fibres listed in the standard (for example: wool, silk, cotton, flax, viscose, polyester, polyamide, polypropylene, acrylic and glass).
• Not applicable to mixtures containing modacrylic fibres, certain chlorofibres, or acetate fibres that have been deacetylated on the surface.
• Normative reference: ISO 1833-1 (general principles).

Key Topics

• Principle: Acetate is selectively dissolved from a known dry mass of the textile mixture using acetone. The insoluble residue is collected, washed, dried and weighed; the acetate percentage is calculated by difference.

• Reagent: Acetone (note: boiling point 56 °C).

• Apparatus: Uses the general apparatus of ISO 1833-1 plus a glass-stoppered conical flask (minimum 200 ml).

• Test procedure (summary):

  • Add 100 ml of acetone per gram of specimen in the conical flask.
  • Shake and allow to stand 30 minutes at room temperature with occasional stirring; decant through a weighed filter crucible.
  • Repeat two further extractions of 15 minutes each (total acetone exposure = 1 hour).
  • Wash residue into the filter crucible with acetone, drain (suction then gravity), dry, cool and weigh.

• Calculation: Follow ISO 1833-1 general calculation instructions. The correction factor d = 1.00 except for melamine and polyacrylate where d = 1.01.

• Precision: On homogeneous mixtures, confidence limits are within ±1 percentage point at a 95% confidence level.

Applications

• Routine laboratory determination of acetate content in blended textiles for incoming inspection and production quality control.
• Verification of product composition for labelling, compliance and commercial disputes.
• Supporting material characterization in textile R&D when acetate content influences performance or processing.

Related Standards

• ISO 1833-1: General principles for quantitative chemical analysis of textiles.
• Other parts of the ISO 1833 series cover alternative solvent and separation methods for different fibre combinations.

This standard provides a practical, repeatable acetone-extraction protocol for reliable quantification of acetate in many common textile blends. Users should consult ISO 1833-1 for general procedure details and follow laboratory safety and solvent-handling best practices when working with acetone.