Textile Testing & Technical Services (3TS)

1.    What are the types of testing carried out? 

Physical, chemical and ecological tests either as package or individual parameter to assess the quality and performance characteristics of samples including defect analysis, etc

2.    Type of samples under taken for testing

Fibres, yarn, fabric, garments, Madeups, effluents and textile auxiliaries.

3.    Who can avail the testing services?

Any individual or organization (Private or governmental) involved in activities related to textile trade, marketing, export, manufacturing, procurement, etc., and desiring to ascertain the quality of product can avail the testing services.

4.    Official timing of the Laboratory :

Monday to Friday from 9.30 A.M. to 6.00 P.M. (Lunch time:1.30 to 2.00 P.M).   Additional working on Saturdays as per the workload requirement.

5.    How to submit the sample?

Samples can be submitted at the laboratories given at (link) by forwarding samples along with the covering letter of company  by hand, post or courier and clearly mentioning the parameters required to be tested along with standards (national/international) to be adopted, etc.

6.    Minimum size of the sample:

1. For basic fabric tests like fibre content, washing rubbing, shrinkage, sample size - 1 mtr x full width ;
2. In case of garment(s) two units
3. In case of multiple parameters test for fabrics (product specification type) minimum of 2  mtr x full width.  
4. For yarn samples – 10 mini/baby cone or 1 Cheese
5. For fibre sample 250 grams,
6. For effluents (BOD & COD) 2 liters of effluent liquid in sealed can/bottle  

7.  Mode of payment

Charges towards testing can be made either in Cash, Demand Draft (DD)/Cheque drawn in favor of TEXTILES COMMITTEE, Real Time Gross Settlement (RTGS), Electronic Clearance Service (ECS) to the account of Textiles Committee. Customers can avail PASS BOOK facility by depositin some minimum amount with Textiles Committee.  wherein the test charges will automatically be debited. 

8.  How to track the sample status in the Laboratory?

You can track the status of your sample by entering Sample Number in the appropriate column provided in the main menu

9.  Whether laboratories are accredited?

Yes, 14 of the Textiles Committee Laboratories are accredited as per ISO/IEC 17025 :  2005 by NABL.

10.  Why to select an accredited testing laboratory? 

The accredited Laboratories uses criteria and procedures specifically developed to determine technical competence.  The criteria are based on the international standards called ISO/IEC 17025 which are used for evaluating laboratories throughout the world.  In India NABL accredits recognition of the technical competence of the testing labs for a specific task following ISO/IEC 17025-2005 standard. It is associated with Asia Pacific Laboratory Accreditation Cooperation (APLAC), MRA and International Laboratory Accreditation Cooperation and hence certificates/test reports provided by an NABL accredited Laboratory are recognized in many countries under the Mutual Recognition Agreement (MRA) with them.

11.  What are all the other services provided by the Laboratory? : 

The other services provided by the Laboratory are

1. Consultancy services on implementation of ISO/IEC 17025 for securing NABL accreditation
2. Consultancy services for setting up of the Laboratory
3. Senior officials of the Textiles Committee are utilized by the NABL for external audit of laboratories
4. Training to the industry personnel and students from institutes on textile testing
5. Research and Developments,
6. Client oriented research Projects

12. What are banned amines ?

Banned amines are the chemicals which are released from some of the azo dyes on reductive clevage.

Following is the list of amines banned by Germany.

1. 4-Amino biphenyl (CAS-No.:92-67-1)
2. Benzidine (CAS-No.:92-87-5)
3. 4-Chlor-o-toluidine(CAS-No.95-69-2)
4. 2-Naphthylamine (CAS-No.:91-59-8)
5. p-Chloroaniline(CAS-No.106-47-8)
6. 2,4-Diaminoanisole(CAS-No.615-05-4)
7. 4,4'-Diamino diphenyl methane (CAS No.:101-77-9)
8. 3,3'-Dichloro benzidine (CAS-No.:91-94-1)
9. 3,3'-Dimethoxy benzidine(CAS-No.:119-90-4)
10. 3,3'-Dimethyl benzidine(CAS-No.:119-93-7)
11. 3,3'-Dimethyl-4,4'-diamino diphenyl methane (CAS-No.:838-88-0)
12. p-Cresidine (CAS-No.:120-71-8)
13. 4,4'-Methylene-bis-(2-chloraniline) (CAS No.:101-14-4)
14. 4,4'-Oxydianiline (CAS-No.:101-80-4)
15. 4,4'-Thiodianiline (CAS-No.:139-65-1)
16. o-Toluidine(CAS-No.:95-53-4)
17. 2,4-Diamino toluene(CAS-No.:95-80-7)
18. 2,4,5-Trimethyl aniline (CAS-No.:137-17-7)
19. o-aminoazotoluene (CAS-No.:97-56-3)
20. 2-amino-4-nitrotoluene (CAS No.:99-55-8)
21. p-amino azo benzene
22. 2-methoxy aniline

These are suspected to be carcinogenic and are being banned.

Apart from Germany, Netherlands has also banned the presence of these amines and this is applicable to clothing, bed linen and footwear. As per the latest information received, the European Commission has circulated a working document relating to the restrictions on the marketing and use of dangerous substances and preparation (azo dyes), for the consideration of the European parliament and the Council. The draft proposal aims to restrict the use of 22 amines in textiles and leather articles.

13. What is Eco-Labeling of Textiles?

In order to promote the concept of eco-friendly textiles, a comprehensive system of eco labels is advocated by European and other Western countries. For the purpose of issuing eco labels, certain norms/criteria are stipulated in respect of textile products, on the basis of Cradle-to-Grave approach. i.e. These criteria are developed on analysing the product's entire life cycle commencing with extraction of raw materials, progressing through the stages of production, distribution and utilisation and disposal after use. The norms are also referred to as Eco Standards. By and large, these standards are voluntary in nature.

While formulating eco-norms for the issuance of eco labels, at present the use of 7 different classes of chemicals in textile production and processing are taken into consideration. These are:

1. Formaldehyde
2. Toxic pesticides
3. Pentachlorophenol (PCP)
4. Heavy metal traces
5. Azo dyes which release carcinogenic amines
6. Halogen carriers
7. Chlorine Bleaching

The eco standards stipulated by (i) MST, the German Textile Association, (ii) OTN 100,the famous OEKOTEX Institute from Austria, (iii) Clean fashion and (iv) Steilmann, the two private eco-label issuing organisations in Germany are popular in European countries. In addition to the four eco labels specified above, a number of private and national labels are operating in Europe. In some cases these labels are used solely as a marketing instrument and have little factual and technical substance. In the face of the proliferation of eco labels, the Coordination Committee for the Textiles Industries in the EEC (COMITEXTIL), supports a single European label. Further, it is learnt that the European Union is finalizing the criteria for a common "European Community Eco label" (EC-Eco label) after taking into consideration the criteria specified by other eco labels.

The Government of India has also evolved eco standards for the eco labeling of the textile items in consultation with the Indian Textile Trade and Industry. The criteria for the environmentally friendly textiles including Cotton, Woolen, Man-made, Jute and Silk products was notified in the Gazette on October 8, 1996 by Ministry of Environment and Forests. The eco labeling of textiles notified in the Gazette is a voluntary scheme. This scheme aims at distinguishing through the agency of Eco-Mark, any product which is made, used or disposed of in a way that significantly reduces the adverse effect, it would otherwise have on the environment. The Earthen Pot is being used as the logo of this scheme.

A comparison of the norms/criteria stipulated for eco parameters in the popular eco labels operating in Europe and in the Indian Eco Mark Scheme for textiles are as under:

S. No	Eco Parameter	Criteria/Norms stipulated in ppm
		M.S.T		OTN 100		Clean Fashion		Steil-mann	COMIT-EXTIL	Indian Eco Label
	Formaldehyde (i) Baby Clothing (ii) Close to skin (iii) Outer wear	20 75 300		20 75 300		20 75 300		50 300 500	20 75 300	20 75 300
	Toxic Pesticides	1		5		1		1	0.1 to 1	1
	Pentachlorophenol	0.5		--		0.5		Ban	0.05 to 0.5	0.5
	Heavy Metals (i) Arsenic (ii) Lead (iii) Cadmium (iv) Mercury (v) Copper (vi) Chromium (vii) Cobalt (viii) Zinc (ix) Nickel	0.001 to 0.01 0.004 to 0.04 0.0005 to 0.005 0.0001 to 0.1 0.3 to 100.0 1 to 20 2 to 20 0.5 to 5.0 0.02 to 10.0								10.0 (for all heavy metals)
	Azo dyes containing carcinogenic amines	Ban	Ban		Ban		Ban		Ban	50.0
	Halogen Carriers	Ban	---		---		Ban		Ban	200.0
	Chlorine Bleaching	___	___		___		To avoid		Ban	___

14. Which are the agencies which have accredited Textiles Committee Laboratories?

Accreditation is a formal recognition that a Testing /Calibration Laboratory is competent to carry out specific test/s. Such an accreditation is granted only after the accrediting body ( Govt. /non Govt. body or any third party) is satisfied with a particular laboratory seeking Accreditation. In India, the National Accreditation Board for Testing and Calibration Laboratories (NABL) is accrediting the laboratories. Apart from this there are a number of accrediting bodies operating at international level including A2LA (American Association for Laboratory Accreditation, USA) and RvA (Raad Voor Accreditate), Dutch Accreditation Council, Netherlands.

Textiles Committee Laboratories, Mumbai is accredited by Raad Voor Accreditate, the Dutch Accreditation Council, Netherlands and National Accreditation Board For Testing and Calibration Laboratories (NABL) on the basis of its compliance to the relevant criteria which are based on ISO /IEC Guide 25 and EN-45001. This is the first Textile Laboratory in India accredited by a reputed Accreditation Board from abroad.

15. What are the advantages of testing of textiles in an accredited laboratory ?

In an accredited laboratory, a documented Quality System is implemented and its effectiveness is assured. Consequently, the test reports/certificates issued by the laboratory is readily accepted by the trade, industry and exporters. The testing services rendered by the laboratory is qualitatively better than a non-accredited laboratory due to the following reasons :

• The accuracy, repeatability and reproducibility of the test results are assured;
• Qualified and trained man power is employed for the testing various parameters;
• Standard and validated methods only are used for testing;
• The accuracy and precision of the equipments used is ascertained by periodical calibration using devices traceable to National Standards; and,
• The testing of various parameters is carried out under conditions which does not affect the accuracy and precision of the test results.

16. State the list of dyes banned by Government of India?

The Ministry of Environment and Forests, Government of India has prohibited the handling of benzidine based dyes vide the notification published in the Gazette in January, 1990. As per this notification, handling of all the 42 benzidine based dyes are prohibited from 1993 onwards. These are related to banned amines.

The Ministry of Environment and Forests has further prohibited the handling of 70 more azo dyes which came under the banned category as per the notification published in the Gazette on 26th March, 1997. Thus, the Ministry of Environment and Forests has prohibited the handling of 42+70=112 dyes which are capable of releasing any of the harmful amines.

17.  List of 42 BENZIDINE Based Dyes Prohibited from 1993

S.No.	CI Generic Name	CI Constn. No.
1.	Acid Orange 45	22195
2.	Acid Red 85	22245
3.	Acid Black 29	-
4.	Acid Black 94	30336
5.	Azoic Diazo Compo.112	37225
6.	Direct Yellow 1	22250
7.	Direct Yellow 24	22010
8.	Direct Orange 1	22370
9.	Direct Orange 8	22130
10.	Direct Red 1	22310
11.	Direct Red 10	22145
12.	Direct Red 13	22153
13.	Direct Red 17	22150
14.	Direct Red 28	22120
15.	Direct Red 37	22240
16.	Direct Red 44	22500
17.	Direct Violet 1	22570
18.	Direct Violet 12	22550
19.	Direct Violet 22	22480
20.	Direct Blue 2	22590
21.	Direct Blue 6	22610
22	Direct Green 1	30280
23.	Direct Green 6	30295
24.	Direct Green 8	30315
25.	Direct Green 8:1	--
26.	Direct Brown 1	30045
27.	Direct Brown 1:2	30110
28.	Direct Brown 2	22311
29.	Direct Brown 6	30140
30.	Direct Brown 25	36030
31.	Direct Brown 27	31725
32.	Direct Brown 31	35660
33.	Direct Brown 33	35520
34.	Direct Brown 51	31710
35.	Direct Brown 59	22345
36.	Direct Brown 79	30056
37.	Direct Brown 95	30145
38.	Direct Brown 101	31740
39.	Direct Brown 154	30120
40.	Direct Black 4	30245
41.	Direct Black 29	22580
42.	Direct Black 38	30235

18. List of 70 AZO Dyes prohibited from June 1997

S.No.	CI Generic Name	CI Constn. No.
1	Acid Red 4	14710
2	Acid Red 5	14905
3	Acid Red 24	16140
4	Acid Red 26	16150
5	Acid Red 73	27290
6	Acid Red 114	23635
7	Acid Red 115	27200
8	Acid Red 116	26660
9	Acid Red 128	24125
10	Acid Red 148	26665
11	Acid Red 150	27190
12	Acid Red 158	20530
13	Acid Red 167	--
14	Acid Red 264	18133
15	Acid Red 265	18129
16	Acid Red 420	--
17	Acid Voilet 12	18075
18	Acid Brown 415	--
19	Acid Black 131	--
20	Acid Black 132	--
21	Acid Black 209	--
22	Basic Red 111	--
23	Basic Red 42	--
24	Basic Brown 4	21010
25	Developer 14 = Oxidation Base 20	76035
26	Direct Yellow 48	23660
27	Direct Orange 6	23375
28	Direct Orange 7	23380
29	Direct Orange 10	23370
30	Direct Orange 108	29173
31	Direct Red 2	23500
32	Direct Red 7	24100
33	Direct Red 21	23560
34	Direct Red 22	23565
35	Direct Red 24	29185
36	Direct Red 26	29190
37	Direct Red 39	23630
38	Direct Red 46	23050
39	Direct Red 62	29175
40	Direct Red 67	23505
41	Direct Red 72	29200
42	Direct Violet 21	23520
43	Direct Blue 1	24410
44	Direct Blue 3	23705
45	Direct Blue 8	24140
46	Direct Blue 9	24155
47	Direct Blue 10	24340
48	Direct Blue 14	23850
49	Direct Blue 15	24400
50	Direct Blue 22	24280
51	Direct Blue 25	23790
52	Direct Blue 35	24145
53	Direct Blue 53	23860
54	Direct Blue 76	24411
55	Direct Blue 151	24175
56	Direct Blue 160	--
57	Direct Blue 173	--
58	Direct Blue 192	--
59	Direct Blue 201	--
60	Direct Blue 215	24115
61	Direct Blue 295	23820
62	Direct Green 85	30387
63	Direct Blue 222	30368
64	Direct Black 91	30400
65	Direct Black 154	--
66	Disperse Yellow 7	26090
67	Disperse Yellow 23	26070
68	Disperse Yellow 56	--
69	Disperse Orange 149	--
70	Disperse Red 151	26130