Faux Leather Product Specifications and Testing

Surface Type -  PU – polyurethane is laminated to a fabric backing; PVC – polyvinyl chloride cast film or calendared film is layered on a fabric backing.

Weight at 54 inches – The weight of one yard of fabric at a width of 54” (the typical width of a roll of coated fabric), measured in ounces.

Thickness – Thickness of the fabric, measured in millimeters.

Total Weight – The weight of one square yard of fabric, measured in ounces.

Backing Composition – Backing material on the coated fabric. The most common types include polyester, polyester-cotton, and polyester-cotton/leather.

Backing Weight – The weight of the backing material of one square yard of fabric, measured in ounces.

Put Up – The term used to indicate the way fabric is packaged when it is sold. Most coated fabrics are sold on rolls containing between 30 and 50 yards of fabric. 

Repeat – A repeat refers to the length of the pattern before it repeats itself again. Fabrics can have a vertical or horizontal repeat, or both, or none. 

Cleaning Code – Voluntary uniform standards for furniture upholstery cleanability. Used as a guide for spot removal and for overall cleaning.
W--use water-based cleaner.
S--use solvent-based cleaner.
WS--us water-based cleaner on water based stains, and solvent-based cleaners on oil-based. 

Railroaded – The term railroading refers to the layout of the fabric on a piece of furniture in relation to the way it is woven at the fabric mill. When looking at a railroaded pattern, the filling yarns are in the vertical direction, while the warp yarns are in the horizontal direction. 

Breaking Strength - The grab tensile test is the basic test used within the textile industry to determine the pulling force required to rupture fabrics. It provides an index of the ultimate strength of the specimen at failure. In the test, each specimen (4” x 6”) is clamped by one inch jaws in the center of the width and pulled quickly. Appropriate Test Method: ASTM D 5034-09. The ACT industry standard for coated fabrics is 50 x 50 lb. /inch minimum in warp and weft.

Tear Strength - The trap tear test is used to determine the resistance to further tearing after the material has been cut. This test method covers the measurement of the tearing strength of nonwoven fabrics by the trapezoid procedure using a recording constant-rate-of-extension (CRE) tensile testing machine. Appropriate Test Method: ASTM D5587. The industry standard for coated fabrics is 15 x 15 lb. /inch minimum in both machine and cross machine directions.

Adhesion of Coating - The adhesion test is used to determine the force or pull necessary to separate a chemical coating from its fabric backing. The top of a 2” x 8” fabric specimen is attached to the upper jaws of the testing device and the loose film that has been manually separated from the substrate is attached to the lower jaws. In similar fashion to the tear test and tensile test, the machine applies pounds of pressure by separating the upper and lower jaws in a measured and timed fashion. The measurement is typically pounds of resistance per inch. Appropriate Test Method: ASTM D 751-06. The ACT standard for coated fabrics is 3 lb. /inch minimum.

Wet and Dry Crock Resistance - The purpose of this test is to determine the resistance to transfer of color from chemical coating to another surface by rubbing action. The specimen to be tested shall be rubbed with an unstarched, cotton cloth with a Crockmeter or similar device. The white cloth is held firmly over the flat end of a cylindrical "finger" which presses with a weight upon the coated surface to be tested. The finger shall be moved across the specimen twenty times at the approximate rate of 1/2 second per stroke, four inches (10 cm) long. This test is performed with both a wet and dry cloth. Performance is normally measured by 1 – 5 rating scale, with 5 representing excellent and 1 being poor crock resistance. Test result values:

 

Grade 5 - Excellent: No perceptible staining of the white crock cloth. 

Grade 4 - Good: Slight staining of the white crock cloth. 

Grade 3 - Fair: Appreciable, but not objectionable, staining of the white crock cloth. 

Grade 2 - Poor: Objectionable staining of white crock. 

Grade 1 – Failure.

 

Appropriate Test Method: AATCC 8. The ACT standard for coated fabrics is Grade 4 minimum.

 

Abrasion - The purpose of this test is to determine the abrasion resistance of coated fabrics. One specimen of approximately 2 x 8 inches in size is cut with the long dimension parallel to the machine direction and tested for resistance to abrasion, using the Wyzenbeek abrasion wear tester, operating under the following conditions: 

 

Pressure on Specimen:  2 lbs. 

Tension on Specimen (with scale bar in horizontal position):   6 lbs. 

Abradant:   #10 Cotton Duck, or wire mesh.

Speed (Cycles/Hour):  5,000 

Temperature of Room:  70°- 90°F (21°- 32°C) 

 

Test values are shown in thousands of cycles. Appropriate Test Method: ASTM D 4157. The ACT standard for commercial upholstery is 50,000 cycles. 

 

Hydrolysis Resistance (Applicable to Polyurethane Only) - The purpose of this test is to determine the resistance of a urethane coated fabric to hydrolysis when subjected to a combination of an elevated temperature and high humidity. Currently, two tests are considered acceptable to determine the hydrolytic stability of a polyurethane (PU) upholstery product - an ISO test and an ASTM test. The Association of Contract Textiles (ACT) uses the ISO test for its performance guidelines, while the Chemical Fabrics and Film Association (CFFA) endorses the ASTM test. Both tests are conducted by placing the polyurethane material in a heat and humidity chamber at 158 degrees Fahrenheit and 95% relative humidity for a period of time. A brief description of each test is as follows: 

 

 

In this test, the polyurethane material is put into the test chamber and visually examined against a control sample at the end of each one-week period for a pre-determined number of weeks, or until the product breaks down and fails. Failure against the control sample would be in the form of surface cracking, delaminating of the PU film layer from the backing substrate, or extreme changes in color and gloss level. The ACT standard states the product should withstand at least 5 weeks in the test chamber. Some people erroneously subscribe the number of weeks in the chamber with an equivalency of years in the field. No such equivalency exists.

 

 

This test incorporates physical testing after a set period of 15 days in the test chamber. Before the material is put into the test chamber it is tested for adhesion in both the warp and fill directions, and the results are documented. After 15 days the material is removed from the test chamber and allowed to recondition at a controlled room temperature for 24 hours, then tested for adhesion, abrasion, and flex resistance. Adhesion results must maintain at least 75% of the documented values of the material before being placed into the test chamber. It must show no signs of cracking or delaminating after 25,000 Wyzenbeek cycles, with 4 pounds of tension and 3 pounds of compression, using a 100% cotton sateen fabric as the abradant. For flex resistance the ASTM D 2097 Newark Flex test is performed on the material; after 15,000 cycles, there can be no breaks in the PU coating. The criteria of all three of these tests must be met for the PU material to get a passing grade.

 

It is important to understand the differences in the two tests. The ISO test is a passive test. That is, the sample material is kept in the chamber for a set number of weeks and then given a visual examination. The ASTM is an active test in which the sample material undergoes stringent testing after being in the chamber. The Mitchell Group uses the ASTM to test the hydrolytic stability of its polyurethane products. Moreover, it runs this test for 21 days (3 weeks), 35 days (5 weeks), 49 days (7 weeks), or 70 days (10 weeks) depending on the product application.  

 

Colorfastness to Light – The Colorfastness to Light test reproduces the damage caused by sunlight. To simulate outdoor weathering, the test exposes materials to alternating cycles of UV light and moisture at controlled, elevated temperatures. The tester’s fluorescent lamps simulate short-wave UV radiation that realistically reproduces the physical property damage caused by sunlight. In a few days or weeks, the test can reproduce the damage that occurs over months or years outdoors. After exposure, the specimens are examined for any signs of stiffness, tack, color change, or any other deviation. Acceptable degree of change in color can be measured by a spectrophotometer. ACT has designated two standard test methods: ASTM D4329 and AATCC 16. The minimum performance values for each test are no appreciable color change at 150 hours; and Grade 4 minimum at 200 hours, respectively. 

 

Anti-Bacterial – The purpose of the test is to determine the degree of bacteriostatic activity on chemical coated fabrics and films. Specimens of the test material are placed in contact with the AATCC Bacteriostatic agar which has been streaked with: Staphylococcus aureus, Klebsiella pneumonia, Salmonella choleraesuis, and Pseudomonas aeruginosa. After incubation at 99°F (37°C) for 18 to 24 hours, the incubated plates are examined for interruption of growth along the streaks of inoculum beneath the fabric and for a clear zone of inhibition beyond the specimen edge. The reports of results will include a visual observation of zones of inhibition and growth under the specimen if present. Appropriate Test Method:  AATCC 147.

 

Mildew Resistance – The purpose of this test is to determine the degree of fungal growth on the coated side of a chemical coated fabric.  Samples are placed on (non-nutrient) mineral salts agar and inoculated with a mixed fungal spore suspension. After a minimum of 28 days incubation at 82°F (28°C), antifungal activity is evaluated by visually rating the degree of fungal growth on the samples. Surface growth is rated by the following scale: 

 

No Growth (0% coverage) (NG) 

Trace of Growth (less than 10% coverage) (TG) 

Light Growth (10 to 30% coverage) (LG) 

Moderate Growth (30 to 60% coverage) (MG) 

Heavy Growth (60% to full coverage) (HG) 

 

Appropriate Test Method: ASTM G21.

 

There are many types of flammability tests for coated fabrics. Several of them are presented below. Currently, the only ACT standard for fabric upholstery is the California Technical Bulletin 117-2013 Section 1. 

 

California Technical Bulletin 117-2013, Section 1
• Test Method: A sample is placed over a standard foam substrate and exposed to a burning cigarette. 
• Standard to Pass: No iginition of test material after 45 minutes or the cigarette burns down, whichever occurs first.

 

• Test Method: A small flame (match-flame equivalent) is used as a flaming ignition source. The test object is exposed to the flame for 20 seconds, and fire development after removal of the flame is observed. Two parallel tests with small flame as ignition source are performed.

• Standard to Pass: The sample shall show no sign of development of smoldering fire or flames more than 120 seconds after the ignition flame has been removed from the object.

 

• Test Method: A sample is placed over a standard foam substrate and exposed to a burning cigarette.