ISO 2286-2:2016

Overview

ISO 2286-2:2016 - part of the ISO 2286 series - specifies standardized laboratory methods for determining mass per unit area of rubber- or plastics-coated fabrics. The standard covers procedures to measure the total mass per unit area, the mass per unit area of the substrate (cloth) after coating removal, and the mass per unit area of the coating (by difference). Annex A provides guidance on coating‑removal methods for specific coating chemistries.

Keywords: ISO 2286-2, rubber- or plastics-coated fabrics, mass per unit area, coating mass, substrate mass, testing methods, roll characteristics.

Key topics and technical requirements

• Sampling and test pieces
  • Cut five test pieces representative across the width (typically 100 cm² area per piece).
  • Avoid pieces within 1 m of roll ends.
• Total mass per unit area
  • Dry test pieces (unless drying is waived by agreement) and condition per ISO 2231 (conditioning method “1”).
  • Weigh to nearest 5 mg; convert to g/m² using mass and area (accounting for cm² → m²).
  • Report the mean of five determinations (nearest 1 g/m²).
• Substrate mass per unit area
  • Remove coating using a suitable stripping agent that does not affect the substrate (organic solvents, aqueous systems, or mechanical removal where appropriate).
  • Techniques include immersion with agitation or Soxhlet extraction; wash and repeat extraction until successive mass determinations differ by <1%.
  • Dry, condition and weigh as for total mass; calculate mean from five pieces.
• Coating mass per unit area
  • Calculated as: coating mass = total mass − substrate mass (expressed in g/m²).
• Apparatus & environmental controls
  • Precision balance (readability ≤1 mg recommended), cutters, controlled drying (65 °C ± 5 °C) and low-humidity atmospheres for drying.
• Safety and reporting
  • Solvent hazards: use appropriate PPE and ventilation. Test reports must include reference to ISO 2286-2, conditioning details, fabric description, mean values, deviations and date.

Applications

• Quality control for coated fabric production (PVC-, rubber- or other polymer-coated textiles)
• Specification and acceptance testing for industrial textiles (tarpaulins, conveyor belts, protective covers, inflatable products)
• R&D and material formulation to assess coating add-on and substrate changes
• Procurement and compliance verification where mass per unit area is a contractual parameter

Who should use this standard

• Textile and coated-fabric manufacturers
• Independent testing laboratories and QC teams
• Product engineers, material scientists and procurement specialists
• Regulatory bodies and certification agencies assessing material conformity

Related standards

• ISO 2286-1: Methods for length, width and net mass (other parts of the ISO 2286 series)
• ISO 2286-3: Methods for determination of thickness
• ISO 2231: Standard atmospheres for conditioning and testing (normative reference used in ISO 2286-2)

Using ISO 2286-2 ensures consistent, reproducible measurement of mass per unit area, enabling reliable product specifications, quality control, and comparative testing of rubber- or plastics-coated fabrics.