Colour fastness:

Colour fastness is a term that describes the propensity of

an article to change or lose colour when treated in a
certain way.
The quality of a dyed material possessing resistance
against washing, bright light exposition, gas or by
rubbing.
When exposed to light, gas, water, use, the dyed material
does not lose the color.
The property of dye that enables it to retain its original
colour in its original depth and tone throughout the wear
life of the product to which it has been applied

Standard organization

AATCC
ASTM
BSI
BIS
ISO

Factor
Washing
Rubbing
Daylight
Artificial light
Perspiration
Dry cleaning
Heat setting
Sublimation

Assessment of colour fastness

Change in colour ( of the test- specimen)
Staining( of adjacent fabric)
Grey Scales
Before talking about any textile test or test method, it is
very necessary to have the knowledge about Gray
scales.
Two types of gray scales are used below are the types
and usage of them:

Grey Scale for Assessing Change in Shade

Assessing the degree of change in shade caused to a dyed
Textile fabric / yarn in color fastness tests
The scale consists of nine pairs of gray color chips each
representing a visual difference and contrast
The fastness rating goes step-wise from:
Note 5 = no visual change (best rating)
Note 1 = a large visual change (worst rating).
The gray scale has the 9 possible values:
5, 4-5, 4, 3-4, 3, 2-3, 2, 1-2, 1.

GREY SCALE FOR ASSESSING STAINING

This Grey Scale is for assessing the degree of staining
caused by a dyed Textile / yarn in color fastness tests.
The scale consists of nine pairs of gray color chips each
representing a visual difference and contrast
The fastness rating goes step-wise from:

Note 5 = no visual change (best rating) to

Note 1 = a large visual change (worst rating).

The grey scale has the 9 possible values:
5, 4-5, 4, 3-4, 3, 2-3, 2, 1-2, 1.

Principle
A specimen of the textile in contact with one
or two specified adjacent fabrics is
mechanically
agitated
under
specified
conditions of time and temperature in a soap
solution, then rinsed and dried.
The change in colour of the specimen and the
staining of the adjacent fabric (s) are assessed
with the grey scales

If first piece is

Cotton
Wool
Silk
Linen
Viscose
Acetate
Polyamide
Polyester
Acrylic

Second piece to be

Wool
Cotton
Cotton
Cotton
Wool
Viscose
wool or viscose
wool or cotton
wool or cotton

 Colour fastness to rubbing, Crockmeter

(textiles), dry and wet
Colour fastness to perspiration
Colour fastness to chlorinated water
Colour fastness to sea water
Colour fastness to laundry
Colour fastness to xenon light, dry sample

Colorfastness to Crocking or Rubbing

Purpose and Scope
This test method is used to determine the amount of color
transferred from the surface of colored textile materials to other
surfaces by rubbing.
It is applicable to textiles made from all fibers in the form of
yarn or fabric, whether dyed, printed or otherwise colored and
especially to prints where the singling out of areas smaller than
possible to test with the standard AATCC Crockmeter (AATCC
Method 8)
Crock master (Crockmeter) is used to determine colour fastness
to wet and dry rubbing.
Crock master is suitable for colour fastness testing for all types
of textiles, including carpets and floor coverings.

Principle
A test specimen held at the base of the Rotary Vertical
Crockmeter is rubbed with standard test squares under
controlled conditions
Color transferred to the test squares is assessed by a
comparison with the Gray Scale for Staining or AATCC
Chromatic Transference Scale
Terminology
Crocking, a transfer of colorant from the surface of a
colored yarn or fabric to another surface or to an
adjacent area of the same fabric principally by rubbing.

Apparatus and Materials

Rotary Vertical Crockmeter
Crockmeter Cloth. standard 51 51 mm (2 2 in.) test
squares
AATCC Chromatic Transference Scale
Gray Scale for Staining
White AATCC Blotting Paper
Test Specimens
. Materials of nearly any construction presenting a
surface area of approximately 25 mm (1 in.) square or
more can be tested

Procedure
Dry Crocking Test.
Place a test square on the end of the vertical rod and fasten it with
spring clip.
Hold the test specimen on the machine base at the point the
vertical rod contacts the base.
Place the weight supplied with the Crockmeter on the vertical
shaft to give the rubbing finger a downward force of 11.1N
10% (40 oz 10%).
With the left hand, hold the test specimen in position on the base.
Turn the crank 20 turns with the right hand. This produces about
40 reciprocal turns of the vertical shaft.

Colour fastness to washing

To determine the effect of washing only on the colour fastness of
the textile
Scope:
It prescribes a method for determination of colour fastness of
textile material like fibre, yarn and fabric to the action of soap
solution at 40C
Principle
The fabrics mechanically agitated in soap solution , rinsed and
dried
The change in colour and staining are assessed with the std. grey
scale
Fabric preparation
Size is 10 x 4 cm
Three size composite specimen

500 ml container, speed 40+2 rev/mins

Thermostat is used for to control the temp
Fabric sample size is 10 4 cm
MLR 1:50
TIME 30 mins

Colorfastness to Heat: Hot Pressing

This test method is intended for determining the resistance of the color
of textiles of all kinds and in all forms to color change, and color transfer
when subjected to ironing or pressing of hot cylinder
Tests are given for hot pressing when the fabric is dry, damp and wet.
The textile end use usually determines which tests should be made.
The iron should be capable of giving a pressure of 0.43lb/sq inch and temp
of:
cotton and linen

190-210 C

wool, silk, and viscose

140-160 C

Cellulose acetate, polyamide

115-120C

Polyester

180-190C

The cloth is pressed for 15sec with a hot iron in three conditions.

Principle
Dry Pressing
- Dry specimen placed on dry cotton cloth
Damp Pressing - Dry specimen placed on dry cotton cloth ,
another wet squeezed cloth placed on
dry specimen
Wet Pressing - wet squeezed specimen placed on wet
squeezed cotton cloth

Hot Pressing, a process for smoothing and possibly

shaping textile products by applying mechanical
pressure with heat, either dry or in the presence of
moisture.