This single tear method determines the fabric tear force, known as the trouser test, using a test specimen cut to form trouser-shaped legs. The tear force measured is the force required to propagate a previously started single tear when the force is applied parallel to the cut and the fabric tears in the direction of the applied force.
This method is mainly applicable to woven textiles fabrics, but it may also be applicable to fabrics produced b other techniques, e.g. to some nonwovens (with the same under-mentioned restrictions as for the woven fabrics). However, this method is not applicable to knitted fabrics and woven elastic fabrics, and it is not suitable for highly anisotropic fabrics or loose fabrics where tear transfer from one direction to another of the fabric during the tear test is likely to occur.
A rectangular test specimen is cut in the center of the shorter edge to form a trouser shape. The legs of the trouser is supported between two clamping jaws and pulled in the direction of the cut to tear the fabric. The force to continue the tear is over a specified distance at a constant rate of displacement. The tear force is calculated from the force peaks. We suggest using a high-speed intelligent test data logging rate to record the test. This is the transfer rate to the PC of 100Hz or more to capture and record all the peaks and troughs.
We used pneumatic action grips with rubber coated jaw faces for clamping of the material fitted to a tensile tensile testing system. Although manual action grips will work, many of our users prefer the pneumatic action grips because of their ease of use, productivity, and better repeatability. These grips allow you to set a clamping pressure, while the manually-operated grips depend on the operator's strength (which may not be so repeatable). Additionally, we find that gripping pressure and specimen alignment are very important in these tests. Too much gripping pressure can produce premature breaks, while not enough gripping pressure can lead to specimen slippage or breaks at or near the jaws. These grips are usually fitted to single-column or dual-column table-top design. Bluehill® 2 Testing Software, can be used to input specimen details, set the desired test control, automatically calculate the desired results and statistics, and produce a test report all in accordance with the standard.
We suggest reviewing ISO13937-2 to fully understand the test fixture and results requirements.