IULTCS Standards

IULTCS – International Standards for Leather Testing

The International Union of Leather Technologists and Chemists Societies (IULTCS) is a globally recognized professional organization dedicated to the development and harmonization of testing methods for leather, leather chemistry, and related materials. It brings together scientific societies from numerous countries and, together with ISO and CEN, forms the basis for internationally standardized test methods. Many procedures originally developed by IULTCS have since been established as ISO and EN standards and are used worldwide.

A key feature is the close cooperation with the International Organization for Standardization (ISO). Through a formal agreement, IULTCS is recognized as a standardization body in the field of leather testing, enabling many methods to be jointly developed and published under dual designation (IULTCS/ISO).

Numerous procedures have been fully or partially transferred into ISO standards during their development, ensuring high international comparability and industrial relevance.

FILK Freiberg Institute – Testing Laboratory for IULTCS Methods

Our testing laboratory, with long-standing experience in leather testing, performs analyses according to selected IULTCS methods as well as the corresponding ISO standards.

Selected IULTCS standards with corresponding ISO equivalents offered by our laboratory as ISO tests:

Mechanical Testing (IUP → ISO)

• IUP 6 → ISO 3376 (tensile strength and elongation of leather)

• IUP 8 → ISO 3377-2 (tear strength – double edge tear)

• IUP 9 → ISO 3379 (burst strength / ball burst test)

• IUP 10-1 → ISO 5403-1 (water resistance – static test)

• IUP 10-2 → ISO 5403-2 (water resistance – dynamic test)

• IUP 15 → ISO 14268 (water vapour permeability)

• IUP 20-1 → ISO 5402-1 (flex resistance – Vamp Flexometer)

• IUP 36 → ISO 17235 (surface crack resistance / grain crack resistance)

Chemical Testing (IUC → ISO)

• IUC 4 → ISO 4048 (determination of soluble matter / extractable substances in organic solvents)

• IUC 5 → ISO 4684 (determination of volatile matter)

• IUC 6 → ISO 4098 (determination of water-soluble substances)

• IUC 7 → ISO 4047 (determination of fat content / extractable substances)

• IUC 8 → ISO 5398 (determination of nitrogen content / Kjeldahl nitrogen)

• IUC 11 → ISO 4045 (pH value determination of leather)

Contaminants and Residue Analysis (IUC → ISO)

• IUC 18-1 / 18-2 → ISO 17075-1 / ISO 17075-2 (determination of chromium(VI))

• IUC 19-1 / 19-2 / 19-3 → ISO 17226-1 / ISO 17226-2 / ISO 17226-3 (formaldehyde content)

• IUC 20-1 / 20-2 → ISO 17234-1 / ISO 17234-2 (determination of certain aromatic amines from azo dyes)