NITRA launched Issue II of CoE-Protech Bulletin

October 18, 2011 - India

Center of Excellence for Protective Textiles (CoE-Protech) is set up at NITRA with the financial support of Ministry of Textiles, Government of India, with a view to promote the potential of technical textiles. A fire testing laboratory and an incubation centre is also set up.

The activities of CoE are Product Development; Preparation of standards /specifications; Testing; Training programs, workshops and seminars; and Resource center - Information Dissemination etc. in reference to protective textiles.

NITRA launched Issue II, Oct.-Dec.11 of CoE-Protech Bulletin in order to update the industry about the activities of CoE – Protech. This bulletin is electronically every updated quarterly. The details of this issue:

Update of centre of Excellence:

In July-August 2011 the following additional test facilities was created at Centre of Excellence (COE) – Protech, these are- weld spatter impact tester, contact heat tester, electric resistivity tester.

Testing carried out in NITRA:

Following is the list of facilities available to test for heat, flame and safety of textile material:

1. Personal Protective Clothing
• Ease of ignition of vertically oriented specimen - BS EN ISO 6940
• Flame spread properties of vertically oriented specimen - BS EN ISO 6941, BS EN 1103
• Night wear clothing- BS 5438, BS 5722
• 450 inclined specimen-16FR 1610, ASTM D 1230, NFPA 702, IS:11871
• Vertical flammability test-IS:11871, BS 3119, NFPA 1971
• Horizontal flammability test- IS:15061, ASTM D 4804
• Limited flame spread test- ISO 15025, BS 5438:1976 test 1, test 2 and test 3, IS:15758 (part-4)
• Convective heat test ISO 9151, IS:15758 (part-1)
• Radiant heat test ISO 6942, IS:15758 (part-2)
• Molten metal splash test ISO 9185, IS:15758 (part-5)
• Contact heat test ISO 12127
• Impact of spatter test ISO 9150, IS:15758 (part-1)
• Electrical resistance EN 1149-1&2
• High visibility EN 471, IS:15809

2. Upholsteries
• Ignitability of vertically oriented specimen-BS EN 1101, IS:15612, IS:15741
• Flame spread vertically-BS EN 1102, NFPA 701
• Smoldering cigarette test-IS: 15727, 16 CFR 1633 (ASTM D4723)

3. Automotive Fabrics
• Horizontal test-FMVSS 302, DIN 75200

4. Railways
• Limiting oxygen index-IS:13501, ISO 4589-2
• Smoke visibility test- UIC 564-20R appendix 15
• Toxicity Index- NCD 1409
• Fire resistance test- UIC 564 OR

5. Floor Coverings
• Methanamine tablet test- BS 6307, IS: 12722
• Hot metal nut test-BS 4790
• Vertically oriented-IS: 15764


White Paper:

Recently Center of Excellence (Protective Textiles), NITRA has prepared a draft white paper, Formulation of Regulations in Respect of Safety Industrial Work-wear (Heat & Flame). The paper is forwarded to Ministry of Textiles, GoI to implement the suggestions given in the paper by bringing it to the notice of concerned ministries. The detailed white paper can be accessed either from NITRA website or Textile Commissioner’s official website.