ISO 9073-6:2025

Overview

ISO 9073-6:2025 - "Nonwovens - Test methods - Part 6: Absorption" defines standardized laboratory methods for assessing how nonwoven fabrics behave in contact with liquids. The standard covers three measurable aspects of absorbency: liquid absorbency time, liquid absorptive capacity (LAC) and liquid wicking rate (capillarity). Tests exclude fabrics that contain super‑absorbent materials.

Key topics and technical requirements

• Scope and conditioning
  • Sampling according to ISO 186 and conditioning per ISO 139 are required before testing. The test liquid must equilibrate with the conditioning atmosphere.
• Liquid absorbency time
  • Measures time for a rolled specimen to become completely wetted when dropped into liquid.
  • Typical specimen: five strips (76 ± 1 mm in machining direction) each ~5 ± 0.1 g.
  • Apparatus: cylindrical wire basket (80 ± 1 mm high, 50 ± 1 mm diameter, mass 3 ± 0.1 g, mesh ≈ 20 mm).
  • Drop height: 25 ± 1 mm from liquid surface. Results reported as average time and standard deviation.
• Liquid absorptive capacity (LAC)
  • Quantifies mass of liquid held per unit mass of fabric after immersion and drainage.
  • Typical specimen: five pieces 100 ± 1 mm × 100 ± 1 mm; use stacked piles if individual pieces