First, let’s take a look at “report qualifications”: this is a prerequisite for data validity
A testing report with reference value must first meet the requirements of “qualification compliance”, otherwise even the most beautiful data is meaningless. Core focus on three points:
Laboratory qualifications: Domestic reports must have the CNAS (China National Accreditation Service for Conformity Assessment) certification mark, and export related reports must be supplemented with A2LA (American Association for Accreditation of Laboratories) or ILAC-MRA (International Laboratory Accreditation Cooperation Organization Mutual Recognition Mark). Reports issued by unqualified laboratories may have problems such as data falsification and insufficient equipment accuracy, and cannot be used as a basis for product acceptance.
Standard compliance: The report must clearly indicate the standards on which the testing is based (such as GB/T 16422.2, ASTM G155), and the standard version must be the latest valid version (such as avoiding the use of old versions before 2014 for national standards, and prioritizing the 2021 version of ASTM G155 for American standards). If it is marked as “reference to a certain standard” or “similar to a certain standard” instead of explicitly “based on a certain standard”, the comparability of the data is questionable.
Integrity of sample information: the sample name, specification (gram weight, thickness, base material type such as PP/PET), production batch, and sampling method (random sampling/designated sampling) should be clearly marked. If the sample information is ambiguous (such as only writing “anti-aging spunbonded fabric” without specification), there may be a “special sample” test (specially preparing high-quality samples for inspection, rather than mass production products), and the data cannot reflect the true quality.
Interpretation of core indicators: grasp the key data of “anti-aging performance”
The test report of anti-aging spunbonded fabric focuses on “basic performance before aging+attenuation data after aging”, focuses on the interpretation of four types of indicators, and ignores the interference of secondary data:
1.Basic mechanical properties: determining the quality of the material itself
Tensile strength (warp/weft): The data before aging must meet the requirements of the product application (such as geotextile ≥ 800N/50mm, outdoor products ≥ 600N/50mm). If the basic strength is too low (such as geotextile only 500N/50mm), even if the retention rate is high after aging, it is easy to break in actual use. Attention should be paid to the testing parameters: tensile speed (usually 50mm/min for geotextiles and 100mm/min for fabrics), sample size (such as 50mm × 200mm). Inconsistent parameters can result in data comparability.
Fracture elongation: Before aging, it needs to reach 50% -80%. If it is lower than 30%, it indicates that the material is brittle and prone to stress cracking; If the elongation retention rate after aging is ≥ 70%, it is qualified. If only the strength retention rate meets the standard but the elongation rate drops below 50%, the product will still fail in actual use (such as dealing with base settlement and external pulling).
2.Anti aging core index: directly related service life
Tensile strength retention rate: This is the most critical indicator, which needs to be judged based on the aging duration and scenario. After 1000 hours of xenon lamp aging, engineering fabrics need to be ≥ 85%, and civilian products need to be ≥ 80%; After 2000 hours of aging, major projects require ≥ 80%. Be wary of the trap of “short-term high retention rate”: for example, a retention rate of 90% after 500 hours does not mean that 85% can be achieved after 1000 hours. It is necessary to observe the attenuation trend (such as whether the attenuation is uniform every 500 hours, rather than slow attenuation in the first 500 hours and sudden drop in the last 500 hours).
Appearance and color difference: After aging, there should be no cracking, powdering, or fuzzing, and the color difference Δ E should be ≤ 3.0 (for engineering use) or ≤ 2.5 (for outdoor products with high appearance requirements). If the report only states’ no significant appearance changes’ and does not indicate color difference values, there may be slight fading that has not been disclosed; In case of “slight pulverization” and “local micro cracking”, even if the strength reaches the standard, it also indicates that the anti-aging performance is insufficient.
Weather resistance additional indicators: Based on specific data for outdoor exposure scenarios, observe the “UV aging strength retention rate”; for water conservancy/underground engineering, observe the “wet heat aging strength retention rate” (≥ 85% qualified); for northern scenarios, observe the “strength retention rate after freeze-thaw cycles” (≥ 80% after 20 freeze-thaw cycles at -30 ℃). If additional testing for corresponding scenarios is missing, the product’s adaptability is questionable.
3.Environmental adaptability index: Avoid “laboratory data looks good but cannot be used in practice”
Gas permeability/water absorption: Outdoor products and building enclosure fabrics must have a gas permeability of ≥ 500g/m ² · 24h and a water absorption of ≤ 1.5%. If the gas permeability is too low (such as<300g/m ² · 24h), it can easily lead to the accumulation of condensed water and accelerate material aging; Excessive water absorption can increase self weight and cause mold growth.
Chemical resistance (optional): Geotechnical engineering fabrics need to be labeled with a strength retention rate (≥ 90% qualified) in acidic and alkaline environments. If used in saline alkali land or industrial pollution areas, the absence of this indicator will make it impossible to determine applicability.
Data validity assessment: avoiding the three major pitfalls of “false data”
Laboratory data is not absolutely reliable and needs to be verified for authenticity through three dimensions:
Data consistency: The coefficient of variation (CV%) of parallel test data for the same batch of samples (usually 5 samples) should be ≤ 8% (national standard) or ≤ 5% (American standard). If a group of data has a significant deviation (such as the strength of the first 4 samples being 800-850N/50mm, and the strength of the fifth sample being only 600N/50mm), and no abnormal indication is marked, there may be data screening (excluding unqualified data); In addition, the performance changes before and after aging should be logical. For example, if the tensile strength retention rate is 85%, the elongation retention rate should be between 75% and 90%. If the strength retention rate is 85% and the elongation retention rate is only 60%, it may result in data falsification.
Test condition matching: The test conditions must be consistent with the actual usage environment of the product. For products used in direct sunlight outdoors, “xenon lamp+daylight filter+rain cycle” testing is required. If only “fluorescent ultraviolet lamp+dry exposure” is used, the simulated environment will differ greatly from the actual situation, and the data reference value will be low; For example, for products used in the north, if low-temperature freeze-thaw testing is not conducted and only room temperature aging data is labeled, it cannot prove the stability of winter use.
Report detail completeness: The qualified report should include “testing equipment model, calibration certificate number, tester signature, and report review date”. If these information are missing, it may be a “template report” (using a fixed data format without actual testing); In addition, it is necessary to check if there is a “disclaimer”, such as “This report is only responsible for the samples submitted for inspection, and the quality of bulk products is guaranteed by the supplier”. Although it is a routine statement, it needs to be judged based on the sampling method (random sampling is more representative than specified sampling).
Common Misconceptions and Avoiding Pitfalls: Don’t be misled by “beautiful data”
Misconception 1: Only focus on retention rate, not on basic strength
A certain product is labeled as having a strength retention rate of 90% after 1000 hours of aging, but the basic strength before aging is only 500N/50mm, and the actual strength after aging is 450N/50mm, which is far lower than the engineering requirement of 800N/50mm, and is still an unqualified product. Avoiding pitfalls: First check whether the basic strength meets the standard before aging, and then check the retention rate.
Misconception 2: The longer the duration, the better, ignoring the equivalence of acceleration
A certain report indicates “5000 hours xenon lamp aging, intensity retention rate of 80%”, but does not specify irradiance (such as using 1.0 W/m ² @ 340nm high irradiance acceleration). The actual equivalent natural aging time may only be 10 years, not 50 years. Avoiding pitfalls: It is required to supplement the calculation explanation of “irradiance parameters” and “equivalent natural aging years”. Under the conventional 0.35 W/m ² @ 340nm, 1000 hours ≈ 1-2 years of natural aging.
Misconception 3: Superstition in “multi standard certification” and not looking at testing projects
A certain report indicates that it complies with multiple standards such as GB, ASTM, and ISO, but the core xenon lamp aging test was only conducted for 500 hours, and the tensile strength retention rate was not tested. Only color difference was tested. Avoiding pitfalls: Focus on core testing items (aging duration, strength retention rate, elongation retention rate) rather than standard quantities.
Misconception 4: Confusing “different aging methods” data
A certain product is labeled with “85% strength retention rate after aging”, but the actual data is “wet heat aging”, not the “xenon lamp aging” data required for outdoor products. Wet heat aging cannot reflect aging caused by ultraviolet radiation. Avoiding pitfalls: Clearly define the aging method as “xenon lamp aging (including UV, visible light, and rain cycles)”, rather than single environmental aging such as “humid heat aging” or “ozone aging”.
Practical steps for report interpretation: Quickly judge product quality in 3 minutes
Step 1: Check qualifications (CNAS/A2LA identification, standard version, sample information) → Exclude invalid reports;
Step 2: Check the basic performance (tensile strength and elongation before aging) → determine whether the material itself is qualified;
Step 3: nuclear core indicators (strength retention rate, elongation retention rate and appearance corresponding to aging duration) → determine whether the anti-aging performance meets the standard;
Step 4: Verify data consistency (parallel sample coefficient of variation, matching test conditions and usage scenarios) → Exclude false data;
Step 5: Conduct specialized verification (such as freeze-thaw testing in northern scenarios and chemical resistance testing in water conservancy projects) → Confirm the suitability of the scenario.
Dongguan Liansheng Non woven Technology Co., Ltd. was established in May 2020. It is a large-scale non-woven fabric production enterprise integrating research and development, production, and sales. It can produce various colors of PP spunbond non-woven fabrics with a width of less than 3.2 meters from 9 grams to 300 grams.
Post time: Mar-02-2026