DIN EN 1875-3 (accredited)

Our test laboratory carries out tests according to DIN EN 1875-3 in an accredited procedure for the determination of the tear resistance of rubber- or plastics-coated fabrics. The standard describes a test method using trapezoidal test specimens to determine a material’s resistance to the propagation of an initiated tear. The test is used to characterize the mechanical performance of coated sheet materials and is particularly relevant for artificial leather, technical textiles and other coated textile composites.

The test is applied in material development, quality control, material qualification and the assessment of the fitness for use of coated textiles. The resulting values provide important information on the behavior of materials subjected to local damage and mechanical loading and are particularly relevant for applications with high requirements regarding durability and tear resistance.

Test procedure

For testing, trapezoidal specimens with a defined cut are prepared and conditioned under specified climatic conditions. The specimens are then tested in a tensile testing machine at a constant crosshead speed. During the test, the tear propagates under tensile load while the forces generated are continuously recorded. According to the current version of the standard, the evaluation is based on the five highest force peaks occurring during tear propagation, from which the tear resistance is determined.