🧵 Maximum force and elongation at maximum force of fabrics (if required also force and elongation at rupture) — 50 mm wide strip extended on a constant-rate-of-extension (CRE) machine, conditioned and wet specimens, PN-EN ISO 13934-1

Materials and NDT PN-EN ISO 13934-1

Overview

WHAT THE STANDARD COVERS. Scope from the PKN catalogue card of PN-EN ISO 13934-1:2013-07, in full (our translation of the Polish card text): “This part of ISO 13934 specifies a procedure to determine the maximum force and elongation at maximum force of textile fabrics using a strip method. The method is mainly applicable to woven fabrics, including fabrics which exhibit stretch characteristics imparted by the presence of elastomeric fibres, mechanical or chemical treatment. It can also be applicable to textiles produced by other techniques. The method is not normally applicable to geotextiles, nonwovens, coated fabrics, textile-glass woven fabrics, fabrics made from carbon fibres and polyolefin tapes. The method determines the maximum force and elongation at maximum force of test specimens conditioned in the standard atmosphere for testing and of test specimens in the wet state. The method is restricted to the use of constant-rate-of-extension (CRE) testing machines.” We read the text of the standard in the preview of ISO 13934-1:2013 (second edition) from the cover to the end of subclause 8.3 (preparation of test specimens, page 5).

ACCORDING TO THE TEXT OF THE STANDARD (foreword, introduction, clauses 1–8.3). The standard was prepared by ISO/TC 38/SC 24; the second edition replaced the first (ISO 13934-1:1999) as a minor revision. Series: part 1 — strip method, part 2 — grab method. Introduction: the standard belongs to a group of methods for determining mechanical properties of textiles, mainly on tensile testing machines (tensile properties, seam tensile properties, tear properties, seam slippage), whose procedures agree where appropriate; results obtained by one method should not be compared with those of other methods. Normative references: ISO 139 (standard atmospheres for conditioning and testing), ISO 3696 (water), ISO 7500-1 (verification of tensile testing machines), ISO 10012 (measurement management systems). Definitions: CRE machine — one clamp stationary, the other moving at constant speed throughout the test, the entire system being virtually free from deflection; strip test — full width of the specimen gripped in the jaws; gauge length — distance between the effective clamping lines (they can be checked by clamping the specimen with carbon copy paper); initial length under specified pretension; elongation — increase in length relative to the initial length, as a percentage; maximum force, force at rupture and the corresponding elongations (Figure 1). Principle: a specimen of specified dimensions is extended at a constant rate until it ruptures, recording the maximum force and the elongation at it, and if required the force and elongation at rupture. Sampling (5): according to the material specification or agreement between the parties, e.g. according to Annex A, cutting pattern — Annex B; no specimens from folded or creased areas, selvedges or unrepresentative areas. Machine (6.1): metrological confirmation according to ISO 10012; indication or recording of force and corresponding extension; accuracy class 1 according to ISO 7500-1 — error of maximum force not exceeding ± 1 % in the range used, error of jaw separation not exceeding ± 1 mm; use of a class 2 machine must be stated in the report; with data acquisition by software — at least eight readings per second; rates of extension 20 mm/min and 100 mm/min with an accuracy of ± 10 %; gauge length 100 mm and 200 mm to within ± 1 mm; jaws in the line of force, edges perpendicular, clamping faces in one plane, without slippage and without cutting the specimen; jaws smooth and flat, and when the specimen cannot be held even with packing — engraved or corrugated; packing of paper, leather, plastics or rubber; for stretch fabrics serrated metal-faced jaws are recommended, and different jaw faces may give different elongations; with jaw breaks or slippage — capstan jaws and an extensometer following two points on the specimen; jaws preferably at least 60 mm wide, not narrower than the specimen. Further: equipment for cutting and fraying, a vessel for wetting, grade 3 water according to ISO 3696, a nonionic wetting agent. Conditioning (7): according to ISO 139; conditioning for at least 24 h in the relaxed state is recommended; wet specimens do not require conditioning. Specimens (8): from each laboratory sample two sets — in the warp and weft directions (or machine and cross-machine directions), at least five specimens each (more if higher precision is required); not within 150 mm of the edges; no two specimens in one set may contain the same threads; width 50 mm ± 0,5 mm (excluding fringe), length sufficient for a gauge length of 200 mm, and for fabrics with expected elongation at maximum force above 75 % — 100 mm; another width may be agreed and stated in the report; the strip is cut wider and threads are removed from both long edges to a width of 50 mm so that no longitudinal threads escape during the test (usually about 5 mm or 15 threads of fringe suffice, for very open weaves up to 10 mm); for fabrics with few threads per centimetre the threads across the width are counted — if there are more than 20, the remaining specimens are frayed to the same number, and if fewer, the width must accommodate at least 20 threads; a width other than 50 mm ± 0,5 mm and the number of threads are stated in the report. The table of contents then lists: 8.4 — wet test specimens; 9 — procedure (9.1 gauge length, 9.2 rate of extension or elongation, 9.3 mounting of specimens, 9.4 operation, 9.5 tests on wet specimens); 10 — calculation and expression of results; 11 — test report; Annexes A (suggested sampling procedure) and B (locations of specimens).

STATUS (cards as of 02.10.2026). The card of PN-EN ISO 13934-1:2013-07 (English version) has no “Withdrawn” header — the standard is CURRENT: published 26-07-2013, 26 pages, price group M, Consumer Products Sector, KT 26 for Textile Products, ICS 59.080.30, “Introduces: EN ISO 13934-1:2013 [IDT], ISO 13934-1:2013 [IDT]”, “Replaces: PN-EN ISO 13934-1:2002 - Polish version”. There is no Polish version of the 2013 edition in the catalogue: the PKN search for “PN-EN ISO 13934-1” (02.10.2026) shows two items — 2013-07 (English) and 2002 (Polish). Card of PN-EN ISO 13934-1:2002 (Polish version; EN ISO 13934-1:1999, ISO 13934-1:1999): “Withdrawn and replaced by PN-EN ISO 13934-1:2013-07 - English version”, withdrawal date 26-07-2013; it had replaced PN-P-04626:1988. What the change to 2013 means for the result: the foreword calls it a minor revision and does not list the differences; we have not read the 1999 edition. We have not checked the status of ISO 13934-1:2013 on the ISO website.

HOW MANY LABORATORIES AND IN WHAT FORM (copy of the accreditation scope database, data up to 17.09.2026, read 02.10.2026). The number 13934-1 appears in 10 records of 9 laboratories: AB 033, AB 154, AB 164 (2), AB 198, AB 225, AB 1417, AB 1421, AB 1801, AB 1864. Current scopes on the PCA website (read 02.10.2026, scope issues from 03.12.2025 to 20.07.2026): 11 lines with the number — one at each of seven laboratories, two at AB 164 (two items) and two at AB 1801 (besides “PN-EN ISO 13934-1:2013-07” also “EN ISO 13934-1:2013”). Edition: everywhere 2013-07, at AB 1417 — “PN-EN ISO 13934-1:2013” without month. None of these items is suspended. The “Laboratories” tab searches for entries BEGINNING WITH “PN-EN ISO 13934-1” and shows all 9 laboratories — checked with the tab query on the production server labcoda.pl on 02.10.2026: 9 (under “EN ISO 13934-1” — 2: AB 1801 and a Czech laboratory accredited by ČIA No. 1640; under “PN-ISO 13934-1” — 0).

WHAT THE LABORATORIES TEST (items in PCA). Object: textile fabrics (AB 154, AB 164, AB 198, AB 225, AB 1864), woven and knitted fabrics (AB 1421), woven, knitted fabrics and clothing (AB 1417), textiles (AB 1801 — the item follows directly after durability tests of geotextiles, including resistance to oxidation; the other items of this scope concern geosynthetics and geotextiles and related products, which the standard in principle excludes), artificial leathers and fabrics — footwear, fancy goods, nonwovens, textiles and coated textiles (AB 033). Quantities: maximum force and elongation at it (AB 033, AB 1801, AB 1864), “maximum force or force at rupture” with elongations (AB 154, AB 164), maximum force and force at rupture with elongations at both (AB 164, AB 198, AB 1421), force at rupture and elongation at maximum force (AB 1417), maximum force alone “without elongation at maximum force” (AB 225). Force ranges: (0–1000) N (AB 225), (5–3000) N (AB 1864), (0–5000) N (AB 033, AB 1417), (0–10000) N (AB 164 in one item, AB 198), (0–25000) N (AB 1421, AB 1801), (2–50000) N (AB 154), (0–50 000) N (AB 164 in the other item). The same scopes contain other textile tests (tearing, abrasion, thickness, thread count) — according to other standards, which we do not describe here.

WHERE A SEEMINGLY CORRECT RESULT IS EASY TO GET. With the product: the method concerns mainly woven fabrics — for nonwovens, coated fabrics and geotextiles the scope of the standard says it is not normally applicable (at AB 033 the object includes nonwovens and coated textiles, at AB 1801 the “textiles” item stands among durability tests); for products of other techniques (e.g. knitted fabrics) it “can be applicable”. Results of this method are not comparable with those of the grab method (ISO 13934-2) or other methods (introduction). With the specimen: width 50 mm ± 0,5 mm without fringe; too narrow fringes let threads escape during the test; with open fabrics the number of threads (at least 20) decides the width — a result without the width and number of threads, when they differ from 50 mm, is not comparable; specimens from selvedges, folds and the 150 mm edge band are not permitted; no two specimens in one set may have the same threads. In the measurement: gauge length 200 mm, and 100 mm is permitted only with expected elongation at maximum force above 75 %; different jaw faces may according to the standard give different elongations, and the standard requires slippage and jaw breaks to be prevented by the choice of jaws and packing (6.1.6); a class 2 machine instead of class 1 must be recorded; a wet specimen is not conditioned, and a conditioned one — for at least 24 h in the relaxed state as recommended (ISO 139). The rates of extension (20 and 100 mm/min) and when to use which are set by subclause 9.2, which we do not have. With the result: “maximum force” and “force at rupture” are different points of the curve (Figure 1) — in the scopes they appear as “or” (AB 154, AB 164) and as “and”; elongation is calculated from the initial length under pretension, not from the gauge length without tension.

WHAT WE DO NOT GIVE. We do not have subclause 8.4 (wet specimens), Clause 9 (choice of rate, pretension, mounting, operation, wet testing), Clause 10 (calculations, rounding, rejection of jaw breaks), Clause 11 (test report) or Annexes A and B — so we do not give the pretension value, the rate for a given gauge length, the wetting time or the rules for rejecting results. We do not give requirements from product standards.

Method principle

A 50 mm wide fabric strip (after fraying threads from the edges), gripped over its full width in the jaws of a constant-rate-of-extension (CRE) machine, is extended at a constant rate to rupture at a gauge length of 200 mm (or 100 mm for highly extensible products), and the maximum force and the elongation at it — calculated from the initial length under pretension — are recorded, and if required the force and elongation at rupture; separately for the warp and weft directions, for conditioned and wet specimens.

Applications

• Woven fabrics, including stretch fabrics — maximum force and elongation at it in the warp and weft directions (scopes of 9 laboratories, from 1000 N to 50 000 N)
• Products of other techniques (e.g. knitted fabrics, clothing — AB 1417, AB 1421), if the method is suitable for them
• Wet testing — specimens immersed in water with a nonionic wetting agent, without conditioning

Key parameters

Standard

Standard number

PN-EN ISO 13934-1:2013-07 (wersja angielska; EN ISO 13934-1:2013, ISO 13934-1:2013 IDT)

Title (PL)

Tekstylia — Właściwości płaskich wyrobów przy rozciąganiu — Część 1: Wyznaczanie maksymalnej siły i wydłużenia względnego przy maksymalnej sile metodą paska

Title (EN)

Textiles — Tensile properties of fabrics — Part 1: Determination of maximum force and elongation at maximum force using the strip method

Step-by-step procedure

1. Sampling and conditioning

   According to the material specification or agreement (example — Annex A); no folds, selvedges or unrepresentative areas; conditioning according to ISO 139, ≥ 24 h in the relaxed state recommended. PN-EN ISO 13934-1:2013-07 current (card as of 02.10.2026).

2. Cutting specimens

   Two sets (warp and weft) of ≥ 5 specimens, not within 150 mm of the edge, no shared threads in a set; width 50 mm ± 0,5 mm after fraying (approx. 5 mm or 15 threads of fringe); open fabrics — ≥ 20 threads.

3. Machine settings

   Gauge length 200 mm (100 mm with elongation > 75 %); rate 20 or 100 mm/min — choice according to 9.2 (NOT GIVEN); jaws chosen so that there is no slippage or cutting.

4. Extension

   Extension at constant rate to rupture; recording of maximum force and elongation at it, if required force and elongation at rupture; pretension, mounting and operation (9.3–9.4) — NOT GIVEN.

5. Wet specimens

   Immersion in grade 3 water with a nonionic wetting agent and testing without conditioning; details of 8.4 and 9.5 — NOT GIVEN.

6. Results and report

   Results separately for warp and weft (Clause 10 — NOT GIVEN); the report states among other things the use of a class 2 machine and the width and number of threads if the width differs from 50 mm ± 0,5 mm.

Required equipment and apparatus

Reagents, media and consumables

Health and safety (OHS)

• Rupture of specimens under high force (in the scopes up to 50 000 N) — machine guards; the read text of the standard contains no health and safety warnings
• TECHNICAL NOTE: the method is not normally applicable to nonwovens, coated fabrics and geotextiles; strip method results are not comparable with grab method results or other methods

Frequently asked questions