Month: August 2023

FLEXURE Example standard methods: ASTM D790, ISO 178 Flexural testing, commonly referred to as ‘three-point bend testing’, involves a long sample placed on two supports (or “rollers” due to their curved surface) a set distance apart, with a third roller moving down to contact the sample halfway between these supports. In some situations, two rollers […]

Stickiness is a difficult attribute to measure. Adhesion is characterised by the force of attraction between a material and a surface. This phenomenon occurs in several processes (such as baking, chocolate or powder production, bacterial adhesion to industrial plants), causing product losses and contamination. In this sense, parameters as surface energy and food composition play […]

Leather and Textiles Testing using a Texture Analyser   The textiles and leather industries employ millions of people worldwide, turning raw materials such as natural fibres (cotton and wool) and synthetic fibres (polyester) or treated, tanned hide into finished products such as clothes and footwear, using multiple complex processes. Research and Development in the leather […]

TENSILE TESTS Tensile testing in its most basic form is the measurement of the maximum force a sample can be subjected to before it ruptures. There are two main configurations used for tensile testing fabrics: the strip method (ISO 13934-1) and the grab method (ISO 13934- 2). These methods calculate the maximum force and the […]

STITCH TESTS   Stitched seams play an important role in clothing, upholstery and footwear, as they affect both structural integrity and appearance. Some seams contain reinforcements, providing support in areas of high stress, or to strengthen a weak upper material that might have been chosen for fashion purposes. If a poor seam strength is reported […]

LEATHER LOOP COMPRESSION The leather loop test is used to give an indication of softness. A loop of leather is held in a spring-loaded clamp and a platen used to apply a compression/de-compression cycle test on the loop. Measurements of the force exerted on the leather during the compression stroke (applied energy) and the force […]

TEAR TESTS Tear testing is imitative of some of the stresses leather and textiles are subjected to during use. They are frequently put under tension in both clothing and upholstery, and it would be of great detriment if the material were to tear easily when tension is applied to a nick or cut. The double […]

Over the past twenty years, poultry meat has soared in popularity, overtaking pork as the most produced meat worldwide.   Egg laying hens and broiler chickens are the two main chicken types farmed globally – one produces eggs and the other is raised for meat. In terms of egg production, China produced the highest number […]