Home >> Application >> By Standard >> ASTM >> ASTM D >> ASTM D5034 Grab Tensile Testing for Textile Fabrics Breaking Strength and Elongation

ASTM D5034 Grab Tensile Testing for Textile Fabrics Breaking Strength and Elongation

Share:

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 MachineConstant 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.

ASTM D5034 Grab Tensile Testing for Textile Fabrics Breaking Strength and Elongation

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 13934-2Textiles - Tear properties of fabrics - Part 2: Grab test method
ASTM D5035

Breaking force and elongation using strip test methods (full-width gripping)

ASTM D751Standard test methods for coated fabrics 
ASTM D1683Standard Test Method for Failure in Sewn Seams of Woven Fabrics


Related products and device

ASTM D5034 textile Tensile Testing Machine

WDW Series Computer Control Electronic Universal Testing Machine made by UNITEDTEST range from 100N to 600KN load capacity with various models like single columns, table type, door frame type etc., is used to perform tension, compression, flexure/bending, shearing, peeling etc., test for metal and nonmetal specimens.

ASTM D5034 fabric grab test grips

Textile fabric tensile fixtures complying with ASTM D5035 and ISO 13934.1 are specialized clamping devices for testing the tensile strength and elongation at break of textiles. They are designed based on the strip method specified by both standards, which guarantees the test accuracy.

Related Standard

ASTM D5035 Breaking Force and Elongation testing of Textile Fabrics (Strip Method)

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 Grab method tensile test fabrics

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 Tensile test of textiles and fabrics (strip methods)

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 Elmendorf Tear Strength Test for Fabric

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: Ball Burst Puncture Test for Bursting Strength of Nonwoven Barrier Fabrics

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 Textiles Determination the permeability of fabrics to air

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

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

< Previous: ASTM D4751 Geotextile apparent Opening Size Test of Dry sieving method

> Next: ASTM D5035 Breaking Force and Elongation testing of Textile Fabrics (Strip Method)

Require More Customized Solutions?

We offer customization to meet your specific needs. Our expert team will collaborate with you to develop the perfect product for you
Customize Now

Beijing United Test Co., Ltd.