Overview
EN ISO 13938-2:2019 - "Textiles - Bursting properties of fabrics - Part 2: Pneumatic method for determination of bursting strength and bursting distension" specifies a pneumatic test method to measure the bursting strength and bursting distension of textile fabrics. The method applies to knitted, woven, nonwoven and laminated fabrics (and may be suitable for other fabric types), and can be used with specimens in the conditioned or wet state. For many apparel-grade fabrics, pneumatic results up to about 800 kPa are comparable to hydraulic testing; higher-pressure specialty textiles may still require hydraulic apparatus (see ISO 13938-1).
Key topics and technical requirements
- Test principle: A specimen is clamped over an expandable diaphragm and air pressure is increased under the specimen until rupture. Measured outcomes are bursting pressure, bursting strength (pressure corrected for diaphragm), bursting distension, height at burst and time to burst.
- Timing: The apparatus must be set so the mean time-to-burst is (20 ± 5) s (measured from vaulting start to rupture).
- Standard test area: 50 cm² test area (circle diameter ≈ 79.8 mm) is preferred. Alternative test areas (e.g., 100 cm², 10 cm², 7.3 cm²) are permitted by agreement.
- Apparatus accuracy:
- Bursting pressure indicated to ±2% of full-scale range (above first 20% of range).
- Height at burst up to 70 mm indicated to ±1 mm; zero adjustable for specimen thickness.
- Clamping ring inner diameters accurate to ±0.2 mm; clamping must prevent slippage/distortion.
- Diaphragm: highly expansive, up to 2 mm thickness; elastic if reused.
- Conditioning & testing atmosphere: Use standard atmospheres per ISO 139. Wet-state testing does not require preconditioning.
- Metrological control: Bursting tester calibration/confirmation per ISO 10012.
Applications and users
Practical uses:
- Quality control of apparel fabrics, home textiles and many technical textiles where biaxial strength/extensibility under pressure is relevant.
- Product development and comparative performance testing (e.g., stretch, lamination integrity, barrier fabrics).
- Supplier qualification, specification verification and failure analysis.
Who uses it:
- Textile manufacturers and converters, textile testing laboratories, R&D teams, buyers and compliance/certification bodies.
Related standards
- ISO 13938-1: hydraulic bursting method (complementary for high-pressure textiles)
- ISO 139: standard atmospheres for conditioning and testing
- ISO 10012: measurement management and equipment requirements
- ISO 3696: water for analytical laboratory use
Keywords: EN ISO 13938-2:2019, bursting strength, bursting distension, pneumatic method, textile fabrics, fabric testing, ASTM alternative, textile laboratory.