Overview
ISO 13934-2:2014 - Textiles - Tensile properties of fabrics - Part 2: Determination of maximum force using the grab method - specifies a reproducible laboratory procedure to measure the maximum force (peak tensile load) of fabric specimens using the grab test. The method is intended mainly for woven fabrics (including elastomer-containing, mechanically or chemically finished stretch fabrics) and is restricted to constant-rate-of-extension (CRE) tensile testing machines.
Keywords: ISO 13934-2:2014, grab method, tensile properties of fabrics, textile tensile testing, maximum force, CRE testing machine.
Key topics and technical requirements
- Test principle: Centre portion of a fabric specimen is gripped and extended at a constant rate until rupture; maximum force is recorded.
- Applicable materials: Mainly woven fabrics; not normally applicable to geotextiles, nonwovens, coated fabrics, textile-glass woven fabrics, carbon-fibre fabrics, or polyolefin tape yarn fabrics.
- Specimen preparation:
- Width: 100 mm ± 2 mm
- Gauge length: 100 mm (or 75 mm if agreed) ± 1 mm
- Cut at least two sets of specimens (warp and weft), minimum five specimens per set
- Marking and cutting instructions to ensure representative sampling and avoid selvedges/creases
- Clamping / grab area:
- Effective clamping area for the grab test: 25 mm × 25 mm (±1 mm)
- Jaws and packing options described (smooth, corrugated, auxiliary materials)
- Test conditions:
- Rate of extension: 50 mm/min (±10 %)
- Conditioning atmosphere per ISO 139; preconditioning recommended (≥24 h) for dry tests
- Wet testing: immersion 1 h in Grade 3 water (ISO 3696) at 20 °C ± 2 °C or with up to 1 g/L non‑ionic wetting agent
- Equipment & accuracy:
- CRE machine metrological confirmation per ISO 10012-1
- Force-measuring accuracy: Class 1 of ISO 7500-1 recommended (±1 % error)
- Data acquisition: ≥ 8 samples/s
- Reporting: Procedures for calculation, expression of results, and test report content are specified.
Applications and users
- Quality control and acceptance testing by fabric manufacturers, garment producers, and textile finishing mills
- Laboratory testing and R&D for fabric performance, material selection, and comparative evaluation
- Certification bodies and test houses issuing tensile-strength data for product specifications, supplier contracts, and compliance
- Designers assessing tensile strength in functional apparel, technical textiles (where applicable), and stretch fabrics
Related standards
- ISO 13934-1: Strip method (alternative tensile test)
- ISO 139: Standard atmospheres for conditioning and testing
- ISO 3696: Water for analytical laboratory use
- ISO 7500-1: Verification of tensile-testing machines
- ISO 10012-1: Metrological confirmation for measuring equipment
ISO 13934-2:2014 provides a standardized, reliable procedure for measuring fabric maximum force using the grab test - essential for consistent textile tensile testing, product specification, and quality assurance.
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