Chapter-13

Measurement of Fastness Properties

 Fastness:
To the resistance of a textile material against any load or destructive factors such
as abrasion, wearing, light, heat, perspiration, washing, acidic & alkaline conditions
that causes any change in color characteristics.
 Objects of fastness testing:
1. Specification testing (Analysis)
2. Selection of proper raw material.
3. Process development
4. Product development (as per standards)
5. Process control
6. Research
 Types of fastness
1. Light fastness
2. Washing fastness
3. Water fastness (Chlorinated sea)
4. Perspiration fastness
5. Rubbing
6. Hot pressing fastness
7. Fastness to bleaches & chemicals.
 Available scales for assessment:
1. Gray scales (For any type of assessment)
Numerical rating Means
1 Poor
2 Moderate
3 Average
4 Good
5 Excellent
2. Blue scales (For light fastness)
Numerical rating Means
1 Little
2 Poor
3 Moderate
4 Average
5 Good
6 Very good
7 Excellent
8 Maximum

Principle of wash fastness

Principle:
 A specimen (Dyed material) is in contact with adjacent fabric.
 Then specimen is treated in chemical bath under specified condition for a
certain amount of time.
 The abrasive action is accomplished by the use of a liquor ratio & an
appropriate number of steel balls.
 The change in specimen color & staining of adjacent fabric (MFF) is assessed
by recommended gray scales (1-5) & color matching cabinets for staining.
[Note: Multi fiber fabric (Cotton+acetate+wool+acrylic+nylon+polyester). This is
called SDC MFF (SDC: Society for Dyes & Colorists)]
Apparatus:
1. Wash wheel with a thermostatically controlled water bath & rotating speed
of (40 ±2) rpm.
2. Stainless steel container (capacity 55±5 ml)
3. Stainless steel ball (dia = 0.6 cm, wt = 1 gm)
4. SDC, MMF
5. Sewing machine
6. Thermometer
7. Dryer
8. Color matching cabinet
 9. ISO scales
Reagents:-
1. Detergent (referenced)
2. Distilled water (frade-3) etc.
3. Na2CO3 (Soda ash)
Test specimen:
After cutting a sample of dyed material (10× 4)cm it’s sewed with a same size MFF.
Now this is the composite test sample.
Test procedure:
 ISO-105-C01: Composite sample is treated in a wash wheel for 30 min at (40
±2) degree C with 5 g/L standard soap.
 Evaluation: Comparing the contrast between treated & untreated sample
with gray scale for color change of dyed sample & staining of adjacent fabric
in the cabinet.
ISO scales :
Test Degree Min Steel ball Chemicals
C
ISO-105-C01 40 30 00 Soap (5g/L)
ISO-105-C02 50 45 00 Soap (5g/L)
ISO-105-C03 60 30 00 Soap (5g/L)+ Soda (2g/L)
ISO-105-C04 95 30 10 Soap (5g/L)+ Soda (2g/L)
ISO-105-C05 95 240 10 Soap (5g/L)+ Soda (2g/L)

Numerical rating (for rating format):

Test Description Result
Grade
Color fastness to wash (ISO-105-C03)
1. Color change in shade staining in Acetate 4
2. Color change in shade staining in Cotton 4
3. Color change in shade staining in Polyamide 4
4. Color change in shade staining in Polyester 4-5
 5. Color change in shade staining in Acrylic 4-5
6. Color change in shade staining in wool 4

Color fastness to rubbing (Dry+wet)

 Principle:
This test is designed to determine the degree of color which may be transferred
from the surface of a colored dyed material to the white cotton sample for rubbing
(in dry & wet condition).
Equipment:
1. Crock meter
2. Cotton rubbing cloth (5×5)
3. Grey scale
4. Color matching cabinet
5. Stop watch etc.
 Test specimen (size):
(14cm×5 cm) of 2 pieces of sample [1 warp/wale direction & 1 weft/course
direction]
 Test procedure:
1. At first the specimen is set to the base of the crock-meter.
2. Then (5×5) cm of the white cotton fabric is set to the finger of crock meter.
3. Then this finger is (covered with cotton) lowered in contact to the test
sample
4. After this, the head crank is turned at a rate of 1 turn/sec (10×10 sec)
5. Then we have removed the white cotton rubbing fabric from the finger &
evaluate with grey scale.
 Evaluation:
Comparing the contrast between the treated & untreated rubbing cloth with grey
scale (1-5).
 Color fastness to perspiration (Alkaline+Acidic)
 Principle:
The garments which is contact with body where perspiration is heavy, it may suffer
serious local discoloration.
This test is designed to determine the resistance of color of dyed material, to the
action of acidic & alkaline perspiration that will cause any change in color
characteristics.
 Equipment:
1. Perspiration tester
2. SDC MMF
3. Grey scale
4. Color matching chamber
5. Acidic & alkaline solution glass
6. Weight & glass
7. Oven (37±2) degree C.
 Test specimen: (10cm×4 cm)
 Re-agent:
SL Chemical Alkaline Acidic
1 L-histadine mono-hydrochloric mono 0.5 gm 0.5 gm
hydrate (C6H4O2N3HCLH2O)
2 NaCl 5 gm 5 gm
3 Di-sodium hydrogen ortho phosphate 2.5 gm 2.2 gm
dehydrate
4 Distilled water 1 litre 1 litre
5 pH (adjusted with 0.1N NaOH) ph=8 5.5

 Test Procedure:
a) At first the composite test sample is wetted out in specified alkaline or acidic
solution at room temperature for 30 min.
b) M:L = 1:50
c) Pour off the excess solution
 d) Then place the sample between 2 glass plate under a pressure of 4.5kg wt &
placed in woven for 4 hour at 39 degree C.
e) Remove the specimen & hang it to dry in warm air (≤ 600 𝐶 )
 Evaluation:
Evaluation is done by grey scale in color matching cabinet & rated from (1-5).