New International fabrics and nonwovens standard

German companies Textechno – a testing equipment supplier – and Saertex – a leading company in non-crimp fabrics (NCFs –  have developed international standard ISO 21765:2020 together to assess material behaviour as to drapability and deformability.

The new ISO 21765 will enable global comparable parameter measurement of all kinds of fabrics, including woven, knitted and NCFs, as well as nonwovens, on Textechno’s Drapetest precision testing equipment. This can be very useful in carbon fibre recycling, since one of the most efficient applications for recycled carbon fibres will be in nonwovens. Drapetest is the first testing instrument to not only quantify the force which is required for deforming a fabric, but also the various defects such as gaps, undulation, or wrinkles which can arise due to the deformation.

Dietmar Möcke – CTO at Saertex stated that with ISO 21765, a standardised testing method with world-wide validity has been finally developed, providing customers with comparable and reproducible measurement values regarding the draping characteristics of their products.

Textechno managing director Ulrich Mörschel confirmed that the standard finally fills a gap in the testing methods for fabrics, both in the fields of textiles and composites. Dr Michael Effing –  managing director of AMAC GmbH and senior advisor to Textechno explains that this new standard for nonwovens from recycled carbon fibres is perfectly timed for this market sector and will increasingly gain in importance within the next few years.