ISO 5981:2007

Overview

ISO 5981:2007 specifies laboratory methods to evaluate the resistance to combined shear flexing and rubbing of rubber- or plastics-coated fabrics. The standard defines a rubbing machine test where a coated fabric sample is repeatedly flexed and rubbed across a changing pattern of folds; damage is assessed visually. Two test variants are provided:

• Method A (with pressure foot) - rubbing is forced by a pressure foot (5 N ± 0.1 N or optionally 10 N ± 0.2 N).
• Method B (without pressure foot) - rubbing occurs by contact between test-piece faces and is preferred when a foot would cause unwanted abrasion (e.g., sticky surfaces, thin polyurethane coatings).

Note: Results from Method A and Method B are not comparable.

Key topics and technical requirements

• Test principle: successive mild abrasive rubs on a continuously changing fold pattern; damage recorded by visual inspection (naked eye or ×4–×6 magnification).
• Apparatus: rubbing machine with two parallel clamps (distance between clamps 12 mm ± 0.3 mm) and optional pressure foot. Movement amplitude s = 40 mm ± 1 mm; frequency 2.4–3.0 cycles/s.
• Pressure foot: width 10 mm ± 0.2 mm (or 11.5 mm ± 0.2 mm for thin materials); length 100 mm ± 1 mm; edges radius 1 mm ± 0.1 mm. Shim and alternative foot widths allowed for thin materials.
• Test pieces: six specimens per series (3 longitudinal, 3 transverse); nominal size 100 mm × 50 mm (110 mm length allowed by agreement for low‑elasticity coatings).
• Conditioning and pre-treatment: use atmospheres A, B or C per ISO 2231; tests may be carried out on as‑delivered or pre‑treated samples (e.g., wetting, accelerated ageing).
• Assessment and reporting: record types of change (holes, cracks, surface abrasion, coating separation, permanent creasing), number of rubs, test method (A or B), load used, specimen orientation, conditioning, magnification, and any deviations.

Applications and users

ISO 5981 is used to evaluate abrasion and flexing durability of coated textiles in applications such as:

• technical textiles and tarpaulins
• upholstery and automotive interiors with coated fabrics
• protective clothing and industrial covers
• boat covers, tarps and awnings

Primary users:

• quality assurance and testing laboratories
• coated fabric manufacturers and converters
• product designers, specifiers and procurement teams
• R&D and material development groups assessing coating formulations

Related standards

• ISO 2231 - standard atmospheres for conditioning and testing
• ISO 2286-1 - roll characteristics and usable width sampling
• ISO 4287 - surface texture (profile method) - for surface roughness requirements

Keywords: ISO 5981, rubber-coated fabrics, plastics-coated fabrics, abrasion resistance test, shear flexing and rubbing, pressure foot, Method A, Method B, coated textile testing.