Overview
EN ISO 1833-10:2019 specifies a quantitative chemical analysis method for determining the mass percentage of triacetate or polylactide in textile mixtures using dichloromethane. The standard applies after removal of non-fibrous matter and covers blends of triacetate or polylactide with a wide range of natural and synthetic fibres (wool, silk, cotton, viscose, polyamide, polyester, acrylic, polypropylene, glass, and others).
This part of the ISO 1833 series complements the general principles given in ISO 1833-1 and is intended for laboratory use in material verification, quality control and compliance testing. Note: the method is not applicable where triacetate has been partially hydrolysed (saponified) and is no longer completely soluble in dichloromethane.
Key Topics
- Principle: Triacetate or polylactide is dissolved from a known dry mass of the specimen by dichloromethane. The insoluble residue is collected, washed, dried and weighed; the target fiber percentage is obtained by difference.
- Reagent: Dichloromethane (with explicit safety precautions due to its toxicity) is the solvent specified in Clause 5.1.
- Apparatus: Uses the general apparatus from ISO 1833-1 plus a glass-stoppered conical flask (minimum 200 ml).
- Procedure highlights: Add 100 ml dichloromethane per gram of specimen, allow to stand for 30 minutes with intermittent shaking, decant and wash; final rinsing with hot water removes solvent before drying and weighing.
- Calculation: Results follow the ISO 1833-1 general instructions. The correction factor d is normally 1.00; specific values are prescribed for certain fibres (e.g. 1.01 for polyester elastomultiester, elastolefin and melamine; use 1.02 when triacetate is not fully soluble).
- Precision: Confidence limits on homogeneous mixtures are within ±1 percentage point (95% confidence level).
Applications
- Quality control of textile production to verify declared fibre content.
- Material verification for buyers, laboratories and regulatory bodies assessing compliance with labeling and standards.
- Failure analysis where accurate quantification of triacetate or polylactide is required in mixed-fibre products.
Related Standards
- ISO 1833-1: General principles for quantitative chemical analysis of textiles (normative reference).
- Other parts of the ISO 1833 series that address solvent and reagent methods for different fibre combinations.
Practical notes: Follow safety guidance for dichloromethane handling and local regulations. Where triacetate shows evidence of saponification or partial hydrolysis, select an alternative analytical method as this procedure will not give reliable results.
