Testing Cut-Resistance of Protective Textiles: ISO 13997 and ASTM F 2992

Injuries due to sharp-edged objects are common in most industries. Cut-resistant materials such as para-aramid, high performance polyethylene (HPPE) with or without the inclusion of steel and glass strands are used to protect industrial personnel from such injuries. Before commercialization, products made of these cut-resistant materials need to be tested for compliance as per the specified standards of either static or dynamic cut testing. BS EN 388:2016 + A1:2018, ISO 13997 and ASTM F2992/F2992M-15 describes static and ISO 13998, ISO 13999 describes dynamic cut testing procedures. Variations in test reports of samples tested in different laboratories are common and can be attributed to experimental errors and inconsistency arising from operators and machine make and settings. In this manuscript, cut testing on Tomodynamometer (TDM) as per ISO13997 and ASTM F2992/F2992M-15 has been discussed by highlighting the basic differences in the testing method. The HPT FLEX® W30-44 and HPT FLEX® E200 samples were manufactured using ultra high molecular weight polyethylene (UHMwPE), stainless steel wire (30 μ), glass multifilament (200 denier) and polyester. The stainless-steel wire (30 μ) and glass multifilament (200 denier) were in the core of HPT FLEX® W30-44 and HPT FLEX® E200 respectively. The samples were subsequently tested and analyzed as per the procedure described in the aforementioned standard. The load required to cut through the samples, HPT FLEX® W30-44 and HPT FLEX® E200 was found to be 10.7 N and 22.9 N.