IULTCS Standard Tests

IULTCS (International Union of Leather Technologists and Chemists Societies) is a worldwide organization and together with the International Standards Organization (ISO), it develops standards for test methods for leather products other than ready-made products. In this joint work, ISO recognizes IULTCS as an international standardization body. IULTCS applies a consultation process similar to ISO when developing standards in its industry. In this regard, IULTCS may submit a developed standard to a vote as a final draft international standard without undergoing the ISO review procedure.

This joint work of the two organizations is only about test methods for leather. In addition, standard development studies for raw hides and leather products and their test methods, including brined hides, tanned hides and hides and leathers, are carried out by ISO.

Identification of leather is most accurately and precisely done by advanced laboratories experienced in material identification using microscopy. It is not always easy to definitively determine that the material is leather by other methods such as chemical analysis. Leather physical testing ensures that products meet quality and safety standards. It also reduces the risk of costly recalls if products are found to be defective.

The standards published by IULTCS to date are:

• ISO 2417 Leather - Physical and mechanical tests - Determination of static absorption of water
• ISO 2418 Leather - Chemical, physical, mechanical and fastness tests - Positioning and preparation of samples for testing
• ISO 2419 Leather - Physical and mechanical testing - Sample preparation and conditioning
• ISO 2420 Leather - Physical and mechanical tests - Determination of apparent density and mass per unit area
• ISO 2588 Leather - Sampling - Number of items per gross sample
• ISO 2589 Leather - Physical and mechanical tests - Determination of thickness
• ISO 3376 Leather - Physical and mechanical tests - Determination of tensile strength and percent elongation
• ISO 3377-1 Leather - Physical and mechanical testing - Determination of tear load - Part 1: Single edge tear
• ISO 3377-2 Leather - Physical and mechanical testing - Determination of tear load - Part 2: Double-edged tear
• ISO 3378 Leather - Physical and mechanical tests - Determination of resistance to vein cracking and vein cracking index
• ISO 3379 Leather - Determination of surface tension and strength (Ball burst method)
• ISO 3380 Leather - Physical and mechanical tests - Determination of shrinkage temperature up to 100 °C
• ISO 4044 Leather - Chemical tests - Preparation of chemical test samples
• ISO 4045 Leather - Chemical tests - Determination of pH and difference figure
• ISO 4047 Leather - Determination of sulfated total ash and sulfated water-insoluble ash
• ISO 4048 Leather - Chemical tests - Determination of solute and free fatty acid content in dichloromethane
• ISO 4098 Leather - Chemical tests - Determination of water-soluble matter, water-soluble inorganic matter and water-soluble organic matter
• ISO 4684 Leather - Chemical tests - Volatile substance determination
• ISO 5397 Leather - Determination of nitrogen content and "skin matter" - Titrimetric method
• ISO 5398-1 Leather - Chemical determination of chromium oxide content - Part 1: Quantification by titration
• ISO 5398-2 Leather - Chemical determination of chromium oxide content - Part 2: Quantification by colorimetric determination
• ISO 5398-3 Leather - Chemical determination of chromium oxide content - Part 3: Quantitation by atomic absorption spectrometry
• ISO 5398-4 Leather - Chemical determination of chromium oxide content - Part 4: Quantitation by inductively coupled plasma (ICP)
• ISO 5400 Leather - Determination of total silicon content - Reduced molybdosilicate spectrometric method
• ISO 5402-1 Leather - Determination of flexural strength - Part 1: Flexometry method
• ISO 5402-2 Leather - Determination of flexural strength - Part 2: Vamp flex method
• ISO 5403-1 Leather - Determination of water resistance of flexible leather - Part 1: Repeated linear compression (penetrometer)
• ISO 5403-2 Leather - Determination of water resistance of flexible leather - Part 2: Repeated angular compression (Maeser)
• ISO 5404 Leather - Physical test methods - Determination of water resistance of heavy leathers
• ISO 7906 Leather - Color fastness tests - General test principles
• ISO/AWI 7979 Leather - Color fastness tests - Extremely resistant to hydroalcoholic disinfectants
• ISO 10195 Leather - Chemical determination of chromium (VI) content in leather - Thermal pre-aging of leather and determination of hexavalent chromium
• ISO 11640 Leather - Color fastness tests - Color fastness to back and forth rubbing cycles
• ISO 11641 Leather - Color fastness tests - Color fastness to perspiration
• ISO 11642 Leather - Color fastness tests - Color fastness to water
• ISO 11643 Leather - Color fastness tests - Color fastness of small samples to solvents
• ISO 11644 Leather - Adhesion test of varnish
• ISO 11646 Skin - Area measurement
• ISO/FDIS 11936 Leather - Determination of the total content of certain bisphenols
• ISO 13365-1 Leather - Chemical determination of preservative content in skin (TCMTB, PCMC, OPP, OIT) by liquid chromatography - Part 1: Acetonitrile extraction method
• ISO 13365-2 Leather - Chemical determination of preservative content in skin (TCMTB, PCMC, OPP, OIT) by liquid chromatography - Part 2: Artificial sweat extraction method
• ISO 14087 Leather - Physical and mechanical tests - Determination of bending force
• ISO 14088 Leather - Chemical tests - Quantitative analysis of tanning agents by filter method
• ISO 14268 Leather - Physical and mechanical tests - Determination of water vapor permeability
• ISO 15700 Leather - Color fastness tests - Color fastness to water stain
• ISO 15701 Leather - Color fastness tests - Color fastness to migration to polymeric material
• ISO 15702 Leather - Color fastness tests - Color fastness to machine washing
• ISO 15703 Leather - Color fastness tests - Color fastness to light washing
• ISO 17070 Leather - Chemical tests - Determination of tetrachlorophenol-, trichlorophenol-, dichlorophenol-, monochlorophenol-isomers and pentachlorophenol content
• ISO 17071 Leather - Physical and mechanical tests - Determination of fogging properties
• ISO 17072-1 Leather - Chemical determination of metal content - Part 1: Extractable metals
• ISO 17072-2 Leather - Chemical determination of metal content - Part 2: Total metal content
• ISO 17074 Leather - Physical and mechanical tests - Determination of resistance to horizontal spread of flame
• ISO 17075-1 Leather - Chemical determination of chromium (VI) content in leather - Part 1: Colorimetric method
• ISO 17075-2 Leather - Chemical determination of chromium (VI) content in leather - Part 2: Chromatographic method

These standards are prepared by IULTCS commissions. These commissions are international working groups of experts in various test methods and analyzes on leather and tanning chemicals for chemical, physicomechanical, fastness, metrological or terminology definition.

Our organization also provides testing services for leather and leather products with its trained and expert staff and advanced technological equipment, among the numerous test, measurement, analysis and evaluation studies it provides for businesses in various sectors.