Information on the most widely used ASTM standards within the materials testing industry
ASTM D5034 Standard Test: Breaking Strength and Elongation of Textile Fabrics (Grab Test)
ASTM D5034 for determining the breaking strength (maximum force a fabric can withstand before rupture) and elongation (amount of stretch under tension) of textile fabrics using the grab test principle. It provides two primary procedures: the grab test and modified grab test, with provisions for both dry and wet testing conditions.
Test Principle:
The core principle involves mounting a fabric specimen in tensile testing machine clamps and applying force until rupture.
A 100mm wide specimen (for grab tests) is centered in clamps with a 75-mm gauge length (distance between clamps).
Force is applied until the specimen breaks, and breaking force (maximum force) and elongation (percentage increase in gauge length) are recorded via machine scales, dials, autographic charts, or computer interfaces.
For grab tests, the measured force represents the fabric’s effective strength (yarn strength + inter-yarn support), not the strength of the yarns directly gripped. Modified grab tests isolate a central yarn bundle to avoid unraveling, targeting high-strength woven fabrics.
ASTM D5034 Test Methods:
The standard outlines two primary test procedures:
Grab Test: Applicable to woven, nonwoven, and felted fabrics. It measures the "effective strength" of the fabric—combining the strength of yarns in a 100mm width with assistance from adjacent yarns. The breaking force reflects overall fabric performance rather than individual yarn strength, making it unsuitable for direct comparison with yarn strength tests.
Modified Grab Test: Primarily for woven fabrics, especially high-strength types prone to unraveling in raveled strip tests. It uses a central 25mm yarn bundle (with side slits to isolate the test area) to prevent further unraveling during stretching.
Test equipment required for ASTM D5034 Textile Fabrics Tensile test:
| Tensile Testing Machine | Constant Rate of Extension (CRE), Constant Rate of Loading (CRL), or Constant Rate of Traverse (CRT) operation Minimum capacity of 10 kN (2,248 lbf) Precision force measurement within ±1% of the indicated value Grip-to-grip separation adjustment (standard: 75 ± 1 mm / 3.0 ± 0.05 inch) Crosshead speed control (standard: 300 ± 10 mm/min / 12 ± 0.5 inch/min) |
| Clamps & Jaw Faces | Smooth, flat, parallel metallic (or agreed) surfaces. For grab tests: Front/top jaws are 25 mm ± 1 mm (perpendicular to force) × 25~50 mm (parallel to force); back/bottom jaws match or exceed front size. For modified grab tests: Top jaws are ≥25 mm × 50 mm (long edge parallel to force), bottom jaws ≥50 mm × 50 mm.
|
| Auxiliary Equipment | Auxiliary Metal Clamp: 170 g (6 oz) with ≥100 mm (4 inch) width anvils for specimen preparation. Wetting Equipment: Distilled/deionized water bath with optional nonionic wetting agent (≤0.05%) for wet testing. Ruler/Caliper: For precise specimen dimension verification. |
Test Specimen of ASTM D5034:
Sampling: From each laboratory sample (full-width fabric, 1m long), collect 5 warp-direction and 8 filling-direction specimens (if tested) for each condition (standard/wet).
Dimensions:
Grab Test (G): 100 mm ± 1 mm wide × ≥150 mm long (length ensures 10 mm projection beyond clamps). A 37-mm ± 1 mm line is marked parallel to the long edge (to align yarns).
Modified Grab Test (MG): Same initial cutting as grab tests, but with slits cut perpendicular to yarns (midway between ends) to isolate a 25-mm ± 1 mm central yarn bundle. High-strength fabrics require ≥400 mm length.
Wet Testing: Double-length specimens are cut, numbered, and split crosswise to provide paired conditioned/wet samples (controls for shrinkage effects).
Test procedures:
| Specimen Preparation | Cut 10 specimens minimum (5 warp, 8 weft) with specified dimensions. Mark center lines at 37 ± 1 mm from specimen length center. |
| Testing Setup | Set grip separation to 75 ± 1 mm (3.0 ± 0.05 inch); Calibrate load cell to 10-90% of full scale for optimal accuracy; Ensure grips are clean and aligned to prevent specimen misalignment. |
| Testing Execution | Position specimen with marked center lines aligned with grip edges; Clamp upper grip first, then lower grip, ensuring minimal slack; Apply initial tension of 0.37 N (0.08 lbf) (not exceeding 0.5% of expected breaking force). |
| Testing | Operate the machine to break the specimen. Record breaking force and elongation (if required) from machine outputs. Maximum breaking force (breaking strength); Elongation at maximum force (percent); Elongation at break (percent); Stop test after complete specimen rupture. |
| Data Handling | Record all data points for each specimen; Calculate average breaking strength and average elongation for warp and weft directions separately; Report results in both SI units (Newtons, millimeters) and inch-pound units (pounds-force, inches) as specified in the standard. |
Main Test Applications
ASTM D5034 is widely used across industries:
Apparel: Garment manufacturing, sportswear, outerwear
Home Furnishings: Upholstery, curtains, bedding
Industrial Textiles: Geotextiles, filter fabrics, conveyor belts
Technical Textiles: Military uniforms, protective clothing, automotive textiles
Aerospace & Marine: Composite reinforcements, sailcloth.
Related standard of ASTM D5034
| ISO 13934-2 | Textiles - Tear properties of fabrics - Part 2: Grab test method |
| ASTM D5035 | Breaking force and elongation using strip test methods (full-width gripping) |
| ASTM D751 | Standard test methods for coated fabrics |
| ASTM D1683 | Standard Test Method for Failure in Sewn Seams of Woven Fabrics |
Related products and device
Related Standard
ASTM D5035 : Standard Test Method for Breaking Force and Elongation of Textile Fabrics (Strip Method)
ASTM D5035 is the standard test method for determining breaking force (tensile strength) and elongation at break of textile fabrics using the strip method. It defines two core procedures--raveled strip (for woven fabrics) and cut strip (for nonwovens, coated/felted fabrics)--and supports both dry and wet testing.
ISO 13934-2 Tensile properties of fabrics (grab method)
ISO 13934-2 specifies a procedure for the determination of the maximum force of textile fabrics known as the grab test. The method is mainly applicable to woven textile fabrics including fabrics which exhibit stretch characteristics imparted by the presence of an elastomeric fibre and mechanical or chemical treatment. It can be applicable to fabrics produced by other techniques.
It is not normally applicable to geotextiles, nonwovens, coated fabrics, textile-glass woven fabrics, and fabrics made from carbon fibres or polyolefin tape yarns. The method specifies the determination of the maximum force of test specimens in equilibrium with the standard atmosphere for testing and of test specimens in the wet state. The method is restricted to the use of constant-rate-of-extension (CRE) testing machines.
ISO 13934-1 Textiles -- Tensile properties of fabrics (strip methods)
ISO 13934-1 provides a testing procedure for determining the tensile properties of fabrics. This standard mainly applies to woven textile fabrics, but can also be applicable to fabrics produced using other techniques. it is not normally applied to woven elastic fabrics, geotextiles, nonwoven fabrics, coated fabrics, textile-glass woven fabrics, fabrics made from carbon fibers, or polyolefin tape yarns. This standard uses a strip method of testing to measure maximum force as well as elongation at maximum force. If required, it also records the force at rupture and elongation. Two sets of specimens are prepared, one in the warp direction and one in the weft direction.
ASTM D1424 Standard Test Method for Tear Strength of Fabrics by Falling-Pendulum (Elmendorf) Apparatus
ASTM D1424 specifies the procedure for determining the force required to propagate a single tear through a fabric using the Elmendorf (falling-pendulum) tester. The test method is a single-tear (tongue) test. A rectangular specimen is slit partway along its length to create two tongues. The tear propagates from the slit across the width of the specimen.
ASTM D6797 is a standard test method for measuring the bursting strength of woven and knitted textiles using a constant-rate-of-extension (CRE) tensile tester with a ball burst fixture, providing precise, repeatable data for fabric performance evaluation, quality control, and compliance, essential for validating high-elongation textiles in real-world applications.
ASTM D6797 titled "Test Method for Bursting Strength of Fabrics Constant-Rate-of-Extension (CRE) Ball Burst Test." While similar in name to ASTM D3787, it has a distinct focus and methodology.
ISO 9237 is a method of testing the breathability of a fabric. It can be applied to a wide range of fabrics, including woven, nonwoven, and industrial fabrics for technical reasons. In this method, the rate of airflow passing perpendicularly through a given area of fabric is measured. The differential pressure for the entire fabric test area and time has been determined. Nowadays, air permeability testers are very advanced because they require the machine to start and provide airflow values.
ISO 15630-2 Shear test machine and fixture for Welded steel fabric and lattice girders Steel are determined in tensile tests, flexure, node shear tests, high cycle fatigue tests.
Node shear test The welded joints (nodes) of reinforcing welded fabric and lattice girders are tested for shearing. This involves removing specimens from welded fabrics and lattice girders and placing them in special close-fitting specimen grips. Specimen grips used for this type of test must be accurately matched to the diameter and position of the ribbed wires, so that they do not influence the shearing forces.
FAQs about ASTM D5034 Test (Grab Test for Textile Breaking Strength & Elongation)
Q1. What is the primary purpose of ASTM D5034-21(2025)?
A: This standard establishes procedures for determining the breaking strength (force) and elongation of most textile fabrics (woven, nonwoven, felted) using two methods: the grab test(for general fabrics) and the modified grab test(for high-strength woven fabrics). It also includes provisions for wet testing (immersion in water) and supports three tensile testing machine types (constant-rate-of-extension [CRE], constant-rate-of-load [CRL], constant-rate-of-traverse [CRT]).
Q2. Why is the grab test (and modified grab test) important for the textile industry?
A: The procedures are widely used for acceptance testing of commercial shipments—the grab test for woven/nonwoven fabrics and the modified grab test for high-strength woven fabrics. They provide reliable data on fabric “effective strength” (yarn strength + inter-yarn support) to resolve disputes, validate quality, and meet commercial agreements. For modified grab tests, isolating a central yarn bundle prevents unraveling (common in high-strength fabrics), ensuring accurate results.
Q3. Which fabrics are applicable (and not applicable) for ASTM D5034?
A:Applicable: Woven, nonwoven, and felted fabrics. The modified grab test is primarilyfor woven fabrics (especially high-strength types).
Not applicable: Glass fabrics, knitted fabrics, and textile fabrics with high stretch (more than 11% elongation). For these, refer to ASTM D5035 (strip test method).
Q4: What is the difference between the grab test and modified grab test in D5034?
A:Grab test: Standard procedure for most woven, nonwoven, and felted fabrics.
Modified grab test: Uses a larger bottom grip to prevent fabric unraveling during testing, mainly for woven fabrics that tend to fray.
Q5: Which fabrics are NOT suitable for ASTM D5034?
A: It is not recommended for glass fabrics or fabrics with elongation > 11%. For these, use ASTM D5035 (strip method) instead.
Q6: What are common mistakes that affect D5034 results?
A:Misaligned specimens causing uneven tension
Slippage in grips or over‑tight clamping damaging the fabric
Insufficient conditioning
Testing too few specimens
Incorrect grip separation or crosshead speed
Require More Customized Solutions?