AATCC 107 Colorfastness to Water Test Method

In a fabric testing laboratory, a fabric must pass a series of tests that replicate the conditions it would face if worn or used in wet areas to determine how durable a fabric is against water. This article will discuss AATCC 107, a colorfastness to water test.

A fabric can be soaked, washed, or sprayed for this purpose. After that, tests are carried out to determine the degree of dye bleed and change, and they get evaluated using standards. For fabrics that will be used in contact with water, like swimsuits and rainwear, a higher percentage of colorfastness is essential.

What does color fastness mean?

Colorfastness meaning is a material’s capacity to hold onto its color and spread its colorants to adjacent materials. Colorfastness is a crucial factor in the textile business that must be considered to guarantee that a fabric or garment will remain in top condition for a long. In this article, we go over the specifics of the AATCC 107- Colorfastness of water, in-depth.

An Overview of AATCC 107

The colorfastness of water includes the effects of water spots, fabric immersion in water, and exposure to rain. Using this procedure, you may determine the amount of cross-staining that might result from leaving damp clothes in contact with one another.

The test evaluates a dyed fabric’s ability to withstand water. The sample is placed in a unique holding device at a certain pressure after being thoroughly wetted in water that meets AATCC 107 specifications and coming into touch with a piece of multifiber strip. After the time and conditions are given, the perspirometer is removed from the oven, and the sample and multifiber strip are dried separately. The greyscale ratings for the sample’s color change and the multifiber fiber staining are then evaluated.

Perspiration Tester is also used in other international standards, including AATCC 15 (Color Fastness to Perspiration), AATCC 106 (Color Fastness to Water: Sea), and Color Fastness to Water ISO 105 E01.

Apparatus for AATCC 107

• Perspiration Tester (with Acrylic, Plastic, or Glass plates)

perspiration tester

• Wringer
• Test Solution
• Lab Drying Oven
• Multi-Fiber Test Fabric (Containing 6 Fabric bands including Acetate, Cotton, Nylon, Polyester, Acrylic and Wool)
• AATCC Grayscale for Colorfastness rating

lab drying oven

AATCC 107 Colorfastness to Water Test Method

Preparation of Test Solution

Take distilled, freshly boiled, or de-ionized water from an ion-exchange device.

Preparation of Test Specimen

1. If the specimen is a fabric, cut it with dimensions 6 X 6 ± 0.2 cm and attach a multi-fiber size 5 X 5 ± 0.2 cm. Sew them together with shorter sides.
2. If there are loose fibers or yarns for testing, adjust them between multi-fiber and non-dyeable fabric and sew along 4 sides.

Testing Procedure

1. Place the test specimen over the weighing scale and note the weight of the test specimen.
2. Place the test specimen in the test solution and remain there for about 15 minutes for even wetting. Meanwhile, agitate the solution or water occasionally.
3. Pass the specimen through the wringer until the extra solution moves out. Also, remember that a wet specimen should have 2.5-3.0 times the weight of a dry specimen.
4. Place the specimen between the plates of the perspirometer. Put all the plates with specimens and 21 other plates regardless of the number of specimens.
5. Place 10 lbs weight on the tester and lock the pressure plate.
6. Place the perspiration tester in the lab drying oven and start heating.
7. Heat the laboratory oven with a perspirometer for about 18 hours at 38 ± 1 °C (100 ± 2 °F).
8. Occasionally, check the temperature so that it remains constant throughout the test.
9. After 18 hrs, remove the perspirometer from the drying oven. Separate the multi-fiber and test fabric, and, if used, loose fibers or yarn, leave them overnight under a conditioned environment as per ASTM D1776, i.e., 21 ± 1°C (70 ± 20°F) and 65% relative humidity.

Textile Lab Report Formation

1. Use the AATCC Gray Scale for Color change and compare the difference in color before and after the test.
2. Keep in mind while evaluating the test specimen and multi-fiber.

• Grade 5 = negligible or no change
• Grade 4.5 = change comparable to step 4-5
• Grade 4 = change comparable to step 4
• Grade 3.5 = change comparable to step 3-4
• Grade 3 = change comparable to step 3-0
• Grade 2.5 = change comparable to step 2-3
• Grade 2 = change comparable to step 2-0
• Grade 1.5 = change comparable to step 1-2
• Grade 1 = change comparable to step 1-0

3. Describe details about the specimen’s material. (e.g., knit or woven, yarn type, etc.)
4. Also, mention the type of color fastness scale used for staining and color change.
5. Note the color change grade of each specimen and multi-fiber with it.
6. State that this test is by AATCC 107.

Conclusion

The American Association of Textile Chemists and Colorists (AATCC), a professional organization for textile experts in the US, created standard AATCC 107. This standard emphasizes the impacts of water on garments, but it is also used to evaluate how resistant fabrics are to water. This test is really important because every garment in daily use somehow has interacted with water.

FAQs

1. What are color Fastness and color bleeding?

Colorfastness and color bleeding are not the same concepts in textiles. Color bleeding is the process of color transferring to a secondary cloth. In contrast, color fastness is the capacity of a fabric’s resistance to hold onto its color or prevent its pigments from transferring to adjacent fabric.

2. What is color fastness to water AATCC 107?

Colorfastness to water is widely used to measure the resistance of dyed or printed fabrics against water.

3. What is the color fastness to perspiration machine?

The color fastness to perspiration machine, also known as a perspirometer, is a particular type of instrument used to evaluate the colorfastness of textile when exposed to water or in a perspiration test. Different other tests, including colorfastness to seawater and storage, can also be performed on it.

4. Can tap water be used in the test?

This test method uses distilled water because tap water’s composition varies from place to place.

5. What is the difference between ISO 105 E01 and AATCC 107?

Although both tests are used worldwide for examining colorfastness to water tests, they are apart in terms of conditioning and rating and have different test method times. For example, the ISO procedure is 4 hours in the oven, while AATCC says to keep it in the oven for 18 hours. ISO procedure involves 12.5 kpa pressure on perspirometer while AATCC uses 10 lbs weight. Other differences play a crucial role in test results. You need to understand the differences between them before a test.

Related Resources

Comprehensive Guide on AATCC 15 Color Fastness to Perspiration

Comprehensive Guide on AATCC 15 Color Fastness to Perspiration

Infiltration Instrument to Perspiration YG(B)632

Oven for Perspiration Tester Y(B)902G

AATCC 15/AATCC 107 Perspirometer YG(B)631