VIT 310C – Dry Cleaning and Washing Cylinder

Testing Method

What is Color Fastness to Chlorinated Water?
Color fastness to chlorinated water refers to a fabric’s ability to retain its color when exposed to chlorinated water, commonly found in swimming pools and disinfectant solutions. In the AATCC 162 standard, the effective chlorine concentration is 5 mg/L. The test evaluates how well textiles retain their color when exposed to chlorinated water, which is essential for ensuring the longevity and appearance of fabric in real-world environments like pools.

Principle
The yarn or fabric is immersed and stirred in diluted chlorinated water at a specific temperature, pH, and time. After drying, the color change of the sample is evaluated to determine its color fastness.

Sample Preparation

• Sample size: 60 mm x 60 mm
• Total weight: 5.0 ± 0.25 g
• If the sample weighs less than 5.0 g, additional samples are added to meet the required weight.

Operating Procedure

1. Clean the dry cleaning container: Add approximately 5000 ml of distilled water and 0.5 ml of Clorox (or a solution with a 5.25% chlorine concentration) and run for 10 minutes. Pour out the solution. If the container has not been used in two weeks or contains other reagents, it must be cleaned.
2. Solution Preparation: Prepare a hardness concentrate and dilute it with distilled or deionized water to achieve a chlorine concentration of 5 ppm and a salt concentration of 10 ppm. Adjust the pH to 7.0 using sodium carbonate or acetic acid, and set the temperature to 21°C.
3. Test Method: Place the test sample and a control sample into the container, cover, and run for 60 minutes. After the test, remove the sample, rinse thoroughly with distilled water, and dry using absorbent paper at room temperature.

This equipment provides accurate and standardized testing for color fastness to dry cleaning and chlorinated water, ensuring the durability and color integrity of textiles in everyday use, particularly in environments like swimming pools.