TEST PROCEDURE

D41 1126 / - - D

FABRICS - PLASTIFIED FABRICS

PLASTIC STRIPS - CARPETS - LEATHERS
TEARING

Renault Automobiles Standardisation

DMI/Department 65810
Standards and Product specifications Section
RENAULT D41 1126 / - - D

This document is to be considered as a whole; the parts of which must not be separated.

© RENAULT 2007.
No duplication without the consent of the issuing department.
No communication permitted without the consent of RENAULT.

FIRST ISSUE

September 1969 ---

REVISION

January 1978 --A

March 1999 - - B Deletion of paragraph 3.2
Change in numbering: index D41 added to previous number.
This issue originates from draft NC 98 345 / - - -.
November 2005 - - C Changes in the drafting of paragraph 6 and addition of annex 2.
This issue originates from draft NC 2005 0620/ - - -

September 2007 --D Changes in the drafting of paragraph 6 and addition of annex 2.
This issue originates from draft NC 2007 0684 / - - -

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FOREWORD

This document is equivalent to the PSA PEUGEOT CITROEN Group document D41 1126.

It must not be modified without first notifying the Standardisation Department of this Group.

It is in compliance with the agreement between this Group and RENAULT in July 2007.

1. SCOPE AND FIELD OF APPLICATION

This method defines the conditions for measuring the load necessary for the propagation of an
incipient tear by means of a tensile machine.

This method is applicable to fabrics and plastic-coated fabrics on which the tear is propagated in the
direction of the longitudinal constituents of the specimen. It is not valid if the material is destroyed by
slippage, unweaving or delamination. It is also applicable to knitted fabrics or plastic-coated knitted
fabrics, to plastic sheets and to textile, plastic or rubber carpets. In this case, the tear may propagate
in the same direction as the incipient tear or on the bias towards the edge of the specimen.

The method allows for tests in the dry condition and in the wet condition.

2. PRINCIPLE

The method consists in using a dynamometer to measure the force necessary for the propagation of
an incipient tear.

3. APPARATUS

3.1. INERTIA-FREE TENSILE MACHINE in compliance with the following conditions:

device for recording the load-elongation curve,

speed of movement of the mobile jaw constant and equal to 100 mm/min ± 10 mm/min,

jaw making the fastening of the specimen possible without damaging it or allowing it to slip (e.g.
screw-on clamp with grooved jaw).

3.2. CONDITIONED ROOM set to 23°C ± 2°C and 50 % ± 5 % relative humidity.

4. SPECIMENS

4.1. SHAPE AND DIMENSIONS

+1 +1
The specimens must be in the shape of 200 mm −1 mm × 50 mm −1 mm rectangle.

For the fabrics, take 210 mm × 60 mm specimens and fray them down to the definitive dimensions.

For knitted fabrics, leathers, textile layers, coated textiles, plastic sheets and carpets, cut the
specimens in the definitive dimensions.
+1
Cut an 80 −1 mm long incipient tear starting from the centre of the small side of the specimen, in
parallel to the big side.

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4.2. DIRECTION AND ORIENTATION

By definition, the so-called “long” (or warp) specimens are those whose smallest dimension is in the
lengthwise (or warp) direction of the material; in this case, the tearing force causes the rupture of
elements ensuring cohesion in the lengthwise direction. In the same way, the so-called “wide” (or weft)
specimens are those whose smallest dimension is in the crosswise (or weft) direction of the material.

If the material shows an orientation (e.g. knitted fabric or coated knitted fabric), it is necessary to tear
the material in both directions: lengthwise and crosswise; e.g. the incipient tear parallel to the
lengthwise direction is made either in the direction of feed or in the opposite direction; and the incipient
tear parallel to the crosswise direction is made either from right to left or from left to right.

For moulded materials, the so-called “long” specimens are sampled perpendicular to the vehicle axis
and the so-called "transverse" specimens are sampled parallel to the vehicle axis.

4.3. NUMBER OF SPECIMENS

Pick up five specimens in the lengthwise direction (warp) and five specimens in the crosswise direction
(weft).

In the case of oriented material as defined in 4.2., double the number of specimens.

4.4. SAMPLING

In the case of rolled material, the specimens must be sampled at a distance of less than 0.15 m from
the selvedges (or edges) and at less than 3 m from the lead or end of the part.

4.5. PACKAGING

4.5.1. Dry tests

Leave the specimens to rest for at least 24 hours in conditioned room (3.2.) in compliance with the
indications of the product specifications such that the air has free access to both faces.

Conduct the tests in an identical atmosphere.

4.5.2. Wet tests

The tearing tests may be carried out under damp conditions if expressly specified in the specifications.
Immerse the specimens for 2 hours in a bath of distilled water at the same temperature as the
conditioned room (3.2.) of weight equal to about 20 times that of the material. If the material is difficult
to dampen, use an aqueous solution with 1% wetting agent such as 95° ethyl alcohol.

At the moment of the test, sponge the specimens between 2 strips of blotting paper. Carry out the test
in less than 2 minutes after each specimen has been removed from the water.

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5. PROCEDURE

Set the load scale and the elongation scale. Place the two jaws at 50 +−11 mm from each other.

Place a strip of the specimen in each jaw (see annex 1) with the untorn small side of the specimen
remaining free such that the incipient tear is parallel to the tensile direction and that the end of the
incipient tear is equidistant from both jaws; one strip is tightened in the left-hand half of one of the jaws
and the other strip is tightened in the right-hand half of the other jaw; the specimen must be hardly
tightened between the 2 jaws.

Start the machine (3.1.) and continue to tear the material over a distance of at least 80 mm.

6. EXPRESSION OF RESULTS

The recording device indicates a sawtooth curve whose peaks represent the rupture forces (e.g. of
the various fabric specimen threads).
Eliminate the start of the curve corresponding to the movement of the mobile jaw over 40 mm (i.e.
tearing of the material over a distance of about 20 mm) and carry on with the next 100 mm (i.e. tearing
of the material over a distance of about 50 mm).
For each specimen, the tear strength (N) is equal to the mean of the main rupture forces of various
threads (peaks) determined by any appropriate system (arithmetic mean, mean by Henry’s law,
calculator, etc.,) as per the diagram in Annex 2.
Definition of main breaking load (peaks):
Definition of the peak

To be identified as a peak, the load variation

must be at least equal to 2% of the max.
load value of the last recorded peak.

When the material is torn in bias:

- if the curve can be used on at least 75 mm of the mobile jaw movement: Eliminate the start of the
curve corresponding to a mobile jaw movement over a distance of 40 mm (i.e. tearing of the material
over a distance of about 20 mm). Eliminate the end of the curve corresponding to a movement of 5
mm and calculate the tear strength on the remaining minimum 30 mm.
- if the curve can be used over a distance of less than 75 mm: Restart the test:

For each series of specimens, calculate the arithmetic mean and standard variations, record the
minimum and maximum values of the five results obtained in both directions: warp (length) and weft
(or transverse).

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7. TEST REPORT

In addition to the results obtained, the test report must include:

the reference of the method,

references of the material tested and the name of the Supplier,

any particular observation such as: bias tearing, pulling off of the strip, coating/support delamination,
etc.

procedural details not anticipated in the method as well as any possible incidents which might have
affected the results.

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ANNEX 1
TEAR TEST PRINCIPLE

Jaw clamping Zones serrées dans les

areas

25
mors

25

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ANNEX 2
Example of use of curve
1.- Curve with a mobile jaw movement of at least 145 mm.

French English
Eprouvette Specimen
Force en N Force in N

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Définition du pic Definition of the peak
Paramétre d’exploitation de la courbe Usage parameters of the curve
Course Travel
Ne pas exploiter le début de course Do not use the start of travel
Ne pas exploiter la fin de course Do not use the end of travel
Pics sup Upper peaks
Moyenne pics Sup Upper mean peaks

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2.- Example of curve with a mobile jaw movement of less than 145 mm and greater than 75 mm.

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