ISO 12947-3 Mass-Loss Abrasion Test by Martindale Abrasion Tester

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ISO 12947-3 Martindale Abrasion Mass Loss Tester | UnitedTest

UnitedTest supplies ISO 12947-3 Martindale abrasion testing machines for textile fabrics and nonwovens, measuring specimen mass loss after controlled abrasion cycles to evaluate fabric abrasion resistance.

ISO 12947-3 Textiles — Determination of the abrasion resistance of fabrics by the Martindale method — Part 3: Determination of mass loss

ISO 12947-3 applies to all textile fabrics including nonwovens, and is used to determine the mass loss of specimens after controlled abrasion. It is explicitly not intended for fabrics where the specifier states the end performance is a deliberately low abrasion wear life.

Core Test purpose / principle

A circular textile specimen is clamped in a specimen holder. Under a defined vertical load, the specimen rubs against a standard abrasive fabric. The holder executes a Lissajous‑figure planar motion and can freely rotate around its vertical central axis. After preset abrasion cycles (rubs), the mass difference of the specimen (before‑versus‑after abrasion) is calculated as mass loss to characterise fabric abrasion resistance.

Specimens with areal mass ≤ 500 g/m² are backed by foam; specimens heavier than 500 g/m² are tested without foam backing.
Cord and pile fabrics tested without foam shall receive defined pre‑abrasion treatment prior to formal testing.

Test Equipment required of ISO 12947-3 Mass-Loss Abrasion Test by Martindale Abrasion

Martindale abrasion‑testing machine

as specified in ISO 12947-1 — abrading tables, specimen holder assemblies, guide plate, spindles, clamping rings, Lissajous drive mechanism.

ISO 12947-3 Mass-Loss Abrasion Test by Martindale Abrasion Tester

Analytical balance

accuracy of 1 mg, for specimen mass measurement.

Auxiliary consumables

Standard woven wool abrasive fabric;
Wool felt substrate for the abrading table;
Foam backing for low‑mass specimens;
Mounting hardware, pressing weight (2.5 ± 0.5 kg, diameter 120 ± 10 mm), forceps, soft brush for fibre‑debris removal, mounting jigs for stretch fabrics.

Test Specimen Information:

Specimens taken at least 100 mm from the edge, distributed across the whole laboratory sample.
Woven fabrics: each specimen must contain different warp and weft threads. Patterned/textured fabrics: specimens must include all characteristic parts of the pattern, especially abrasion-sensitive ones.

Dimensions

Test specimen: 38,0 ⁺⁰·⁵₀ mm diameter (7.4.1, corrected by Cor.1; the original 1998 text read 38 ⁺⁵₀)
Abradant: ≥ 140 mm diameter or length × width
Felt underlay: 140 mm
Foam backing: 38 mm

Test Parameters & Stipulations

Loads (two abrasion parameters, total effective mass of holder assembly + loading piece):

Parameter	Total effective mass	Nominal pressure	Typical end uses
a	(795 ± 7) g	12 kPa	Workwear, upholstery, bed linen, technical fabrics
b	(595 ± 7) g	9 kPa	Apparel and household textiles, excluding upholstery and bed linen

Test intervals — chosen according to the number of rubs at which specimen breakdown occurred in ISO 12947-2

Series	Rubs at which breakdown occurs	Mass loss determined at (rubs)
a	≤ 1 000	100, 250, 500, 750, 1 000, (1 250)
b	> 1 000 ≤ 5 000	500, 750, 1 000, 2 500, 5 000, (7 500)
c	> 5 000 ≤ 10 000	1 000, 2 500, 5 000, 7 500, 10 000, (15 000)
d	> 10 000 ≤ 25 000	5 000, 7 500, 10 000, 15 000, 25 000, (40 000)
e	> 25 000 ≤ 50 000	10 000, 15 000, 25 000, 40 000, 50 000, (75 000)
f	> 50 000 ≤ 100 000	10 000, 25 000, 50 000, 75 000, 100 000, (125 000)
g	> 100 000	25 000, 50 000, 75 000, 100 000, (125 000)

Values in brackets are optional and must be agreed between the interested parties.

Other parameters: balance readability 1 mg; foam rule at 500 g·m⁻²; pressing weight 2,5 ± 0,5 kg / 120 ± 10 mm; preparatory rubs 1 000 (apparel) / 4 000 (upholstery).

Test Procedures for ISO 12947-3 Mass-Loss Abrasion Test by Martindale Abrasion

Pre‑condition all specimens under standard atmosphere; weigh each conditioned specimen to 1 mg resolution and record initial mass.
Mount specimen (wear‑surface facing down); insert foam backing if fabric areal mass is below 500 g/m². Secure abradant and felt on abrading tables with clamping ring, using pressing weight during installation, then remove weight.
Install correct loading weight according to fabric end‑use category.
Select rub‑cycle intervals based on specimen failure cycles from ISO 12947‑2. Run separate specimen groups for each target rub‑count.
After finishing target rubs, demount specimens. Visually inspect for abnormal defects (neps, pilling, creases, pile tuft loss). Discard abnormal specimens and repeat testing as needed; record anomalies in the final report.
Gently brush loose fibre debris from both specimen surfaces (do not touch by bare fingers). Re‑condition specimens and measure post‑abrasion mass to 1 mg accuracy.
Calculate mass loss = initial mass − final mass for each replicate. Compute mean mass loss, standard deviation, confidence limits and coefficient of variation. Plot mass‑loss versus rub‑count curve as the fabric abrasion‑index diagram. Colour‑change evaluation may be performed referencing ISO 105‑A02 grey scale if requested.
Compile test report covering standard reference, sample details, test series, pre‑treatment settings, statistical results, curve graph, deviations and test date.

Industry Application Fields

ISO 12947‑3 applies to nearly all textile fabrics including nonwovens. It excludes fabrics where specification states an intrinsically short abrasion service‑life. Typical application sectors:

Apparel textiles (garment fabrics);
Work‑wear / protective textiles;
Upholstery, furniture fabrics;
Bed linen household textiles;
Technical industrial textiles.

Related Standard:

ISO 12947-1	Textiles - Determination of the abrasion resistance of fabrics by the Martindale method - Part 1: Martindale abrasion testing apparatus
ISO 12947-2	Textiles - Determination of the abrasion resistance of fabrics by the Martindale method - Part 2: Determination of specimen breakdown
ISO 12947-3	Textiles - Determination of the abrasion resistance of fabrics by the Martindale method - Part 3: Determination of mass loss
ISO 12945‑2	pilling & fuzzing on the modified Martindale apparatus — same machine family, different end point
ISO 5470-1	Rubber- or plastics-coated fabrics - Determination of abrasion resistance - Part 1: Taber abrader
ISO 5470-2	Rubber- or plastics-coated fabrics. Determination of abrasion resistance. Martindale abrader
ASTM D4966	Standard Test Method for Abrasion Resistance of Textile Fabrics (Martindale Abrasion Tester Method).
ASTM D4970	Standard Test Method for Pilling Resistance and Other Related Surface Changes of Textile Fabrics: Martindale Tester
GB/T 21196.3	Textiles-Determination of the abrasion resistance of fabrics by the Martindale method-Part 3:Determination of mass loss
JIS L 1096, M&S P19	other commonly referenced abrasion/pilling methods
GBT 4802.2	Textiles - Determination of fabric propensity to surface fuzzing and to pilling - Part 2: Modified Martindale method

Why This Test Matters for the Material

It is quantitative, not subjective. Unlike "cycles to breakdown" (a pass/fail count) or appearance grading (operator-dependent), mass loss gives a continuous, weighable number in milligrams — ideal for comparing constructions, yarns, blends, finishes or coatings with statistical confidence limits.

It reveals wear kinetics. The mass-loss-versus-rubs curve shows how fast a fabric degrades, not just when it fails — early-stage fibre shedding, the onset of accelerated loss, and the approach to breakdown can all be read from the graph.

It discriminates end-use fitness. The two load levels (9 kPa apparel / 12 kPa upholstery, workwear, technical) reproduce the real pressure the fabric sees in service, so a 20 000-rub upholstery claim is not tested under apparel conditions.

It protects against latent field failures. Abrasion is the dominant cause of garment and upholstery rejection (thinning, holes, pile flattening, pilling, shade change). Measuring mass loss predicts service life before bulk production or shipment.

It supports specification and trade. Because it is an ISO method adopted identically in Europe (EN ISO) and mirrored by GB/T and ASTM, the number is accepted across supply chains, contracts and tenders — buyers can write "max. X mg mass loss at 25 000 rubs, 12 kPa" into a purchase spec.

It drives product development. Finishers and mills use it to optimise resin/PU finishes, fibre blends, yarn twist, weave/knit density and nonwoven bonding; nonwovens and technical textiles, where appearance grading is meaningless, are often only comparable by mass loss.

It complements the other parts. Used after ISO 12947-2 and alongside ISO 12947-4, it turns a simple "how many rubs?" answer into a full durability profile: when it breaks, how much it loses, and how it looks.

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Martindale Abrasion Tester simulates real-world wear and friction in a controlled, accelerated manner to predict a material's durability and appearance retention over time. suitable for testing the abrasion resistance and pilling tendency of knitted fabrics, woolen fabrics.

A single column tensile tester is a sophisticated material testing instrument designed for measuring mechanical properties of various materials under tension, compression, bending, shear, and other loading conditions. As the name suggests, it features a single vertical column supporting a moving crosshead that applies force to test specimens.

Vice Tensile test fixture for plastics is based on the test standatd ASTM D638, determination of the tensile properties of unreinforced and reinforced plastics in the form of standard dumbbell-shaped test specimens when tested under defined conditions of pretreatment, temperature, speed.

Q1: What is ISO 12947‑3 test for?

ISO 12947‑3 is part 3 of the Martindale abrasion‑resistance test series. It quantifies textile fabric abrasion performance by measuring specimen mass loss after defined rub cycles, instead of only observing fabric break‑through or visual appearance. It covers woven, knitted, pile, cord, non‑woven textiles, excluding fabrics specified for inherently low abrasion service‑life.

Q2. How is ISO 12947-3 different from ISO 12947-1, -2 and -4?

The ISO 12947 series has four parts, and they are designed to be used together:

Part 1 defines the Martindale abrasion testing apparatus itself.
Part 2 determines specimen breakdown — how many rubs until the fabric fails (an endpoint count).
Part 3 determines mass loss — how much material is lost at defined rub intervals (a continuous, weighable value).
Part 4 assesses appearance change — a visual/subjective grading.
In practice, you run Part 2 first to find the breakdown point, then use Part 3 to select the correct test series and quantify the loss curve.

Q3. Which fabrics does ISO 12947-3 cover?

It applies to all textile fabrics including nonwovens. It is not intended for fabrics where the specifier indicates the end performance as having a deliberately low abrasion wear life. Pile fabrics, cord fabrics and elastane-containing stretch fabrics have special preparatory procedures given in normative Annex A.

Q4. What does "mass loss" actually mean in this test?

Mass loss is the difference between the mass of the conditioned test specimen before abrasion and its mass after abrasion, measured to the nearest 1 mg after loose fibre debris has been brushed off and the specimen has been re-conditioned in the standard atmosphere. It is expressed in milligrams, and the mean of replicate specimens, standard deviation, confidence limits and coefficient of variation are reported.

Q5. What is an "abrasion index"?

When the test is run at several rub counts (as listed in Table 1), the mean mass losses are plotted against the number of rubs. This mass-loss-versus-rubs curve is called the abrasion index of the fabric. It shows not just whether a fabric fails, but how fast it degrades — the shape of the curve reveals early fibre shedding and the onset of accelerated wear.

Q6. Why is the Martindale mass-loss test important for a material?

Because abrasion is one of the most common causes of textile product failure, and mass loss is the most objective way to measure it. Unlike "cycles to breakdown" (a single pass/fail number) or appearance grading (operator-dependent), mass loss gives a continuous, quantitative, statistically analysable value in milligrams. This lets mills, brands and labs rank fabrics, validate durability claims, and set contractual limits such as "maximum X mg mass loss at 25,000 rubs under 12 kPa."

Q7. Why not just count rubs to breakdown (ISO 12947-2)?

Rubs-to-breakdown tells you the endpoint but hides the wear behaviour before it. Two fabrics can both fail at 30,000 rubs, yet one may lose three times more material along the way — meaning it thins, pills and looks worn much earlier. Mass loss distinguishes them, which is critical for apparel appearance life and for upholstery that must still look acceptable long before it actually holes.

Q8. Why is it especially important for nonwovens and technical textiles?

For these materials, appearance grading is often meaningless and a clean "hole" endpoint may never occur. Mass loss is frequently the only comparable, reproducible durability metric available, making it the preferred evaluation for nonwovens, coated fabrics, automotive interiors and industrial textiles.

Q9. How does the test help product development?

It provides a sensitive, repeatable signal for comparing fibre blends, yarn twist and count, weave or knit density, bonding methods, and chemical or mechanical finishes. A finisher can prove a resin or PU treatment improved abrasion performance by a specific percentage in milligrams — a much stronger development argument than a visual score.

Q10. Why does it matter for procurement and trade disputes?

Because ISO 12947-3 is adopted identically across regions — as EN ISO 12947-3 in Europe, GB/T 21196.3 in China (modified adoption), with ASTM D4966 as the mechanically near-identical US counterpart — the same number is accepted across supply chains. That makes it defensible in tenders, specifications and claims.

Q11. What size is the test specimen?

The test specimen diameter is 38,0 ⁺⁰·⁵₀ mm (corrected by Cor.1:2002; the original 1998 text read 38 ⁺⁵₀ mm). Specimens are stamped or cut, and the cut edges must be clean to prevent unwanted material loss during handling.

Q12. What are the sizes of the abradant, felt and foam?

Abradant (standard woven wool): at least 140 mm diameter, or length and width.
Woven wool abradant felt underlay: 140 ⁺⁵₀ mm diameter.
Foam backing (specimen holder underlay): 38,0 ⁺⁰·⁵₀ mm diameter.

Q13. When is foam backing used?

Specimens are mounted with foam backing, except those with a mass per unit area greater than 500 g·m⁻², which are mounted without foam. A new piece of foam is used for every abrasion test. Pile and cord fabrics tested without foam receive a special preparatory treatment.

Q14. How often must the abradant, felt and foam be replaced?

Abradant: renewed for every test; for tests exceeding 50,000 rubs, change every 50,000 rubs.
Felt: inspected for soiling and wear after every test; replace if either is detected. Both sides may be used.
Foam: a new piece for every abrasion test.
This is a strict stipulation — worn consumables silently change the abrasion severity and invalidate comparisons.

Q15. How are stretch fabrics handled?

Per Annex A.1, elastane-containing fabrics are cut as 60 mm × 60 mm squares, mounted on a 45 mm × 45 mm table with four 30 mm clamps each carrying 100 g, extended and released three times, then bonded while extended to a PVC foil (~0,2 mm thick) with a 30 mm central hole using double-sided tape. The 38 mm specimen is then stamped out and held in a lightly extended state by a 4 mm foil ring, and must be mounted immediately.

Q16 How are pile and cord fabrics handled?

Per Annex A.2, a piece at least 140 mm in size is mounted with the fabric back facing upwards over the felt, with a 38 mm piece of abradant in the specimen holder with foam backing. The back is abraded for 1,000 rubs for apparel (595 g) or 4,000 rubs for upholstery (795 g). Then 4–6 specimens are taken from the treated piece and tested normally. A fresh abradant is used for each preparatory treatment, and any notable change must be recorded. The end point for a pile fabric is when the pile is fully worn off.

Q17. How many specimens are needed?

The standard requires "a sufficient number of test specimens to be in accordance with statistical rules" (referring to ISO 2859-1), and for pile/cord fabrics after preparatory treatment it specifies between four and six specimens. Specimens must be taken at least 100 mm from the fabric edge, distributed across the whole laboratory sample. For woven fabrics, each specimen must contain different warp and weft threads; for patterned fabrics, all characteristic pattern parts must be represented.

Q18. What are the most common causes of poor repeatability?

Insufficient or inconsistent conditioning (humidity drift between weighings).
Not removing all loose fibre debris — or removing too much by over-brushing.
Dirty or worn abradant, felt or foam reused beyond their specified life.
Poorly cut specimen edges shedding fibre.
Fabric distortion during mounting (especially stretch and knitted fabrics).
Weighing a warm specimen straight off the machine.
Using the wrong load (9 kPa vs 12 kPa) for the end use.

Q19. Can a single Martindale tester run the whole ISO 12947 series?

Yes — provided it meets ISO 12947-1 for the drive mechanism (Lissajous motion), loading pieces and holder geometry. Part 3 then only adds the 1 mg balance and the consumables/specimen preparation rules. That is why one properly specified Martindale tester can cover ISO 12947-2/-3/-4, ISO 12945-2 pilling, ASTM D4966 and GB/T 21196 work.

Q20. Why choose UnitedTest Martindale Abrasion Tester for ISO 12947‑3 Mass‑Loss Abrasion Test?

UnitedTest is professional manufacturer of Martindale Abrasion Tester complying with ISO 12947‑1/‑2/‑3/‑4, ASTM D4966. Ideal for textile mass‑loss abrasion test, fabric wear‑resistance, pilling test for upholstery, apparel, non‑woven fabrics. Multi‑station, stable Lissajous motion, CE certified.

UnitedTest is a trusted manufacturer of Martindale abrasion and pilling testing machines built to satisfy ISO 12947‑series international standards including ISO 12947‑3 for textile mass‑loss determination.

Our Martindale tester provides accurate Lissajous‑figure movement as required by ISO 12947‑1. Combined with a 1 mg‑precision analytical balance, this complete test system enables laboratories and factories to perform full ISO 12947‑3 mass‑loss abrasion resistance testing for woven, knitted, pile, cord and non‑woven textiles.

Available in 4‑station, 6‑station, 8‑station, 9‑station configurations, UnitedTest Martindale abrasion tester supports two standard test loads (595 g / 795 g) matching ISO 12947‑3 requirements for apparel, household textiles, upholstery, bed linen, workwear and technical textiles. It also supports specimen pre‑treatment for pile fabrics, cord fabrics and stretch elastane fabrics as specified in Annex A of ISO 12947‑3.

This textile abrasion‑resistance testing machine can run coordinated tests covering ISO 12947‑2 specimen‑breakdown and ISO 12947‑4 appearance‑change assessment, delivering full‑set fabric‑durability data for quality‑control labs, third‑party inspection houses, textile R&D departments and production‑line incoming‑material inspection.

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

ISO 12947-3 Mass-Loss Abrasion Test by Martindale Abrasion Tester

ISO 12947-3 Mass-Loss Abrasion Test by Martindale Abrasion Tester