ASTM D1610-18(2023)

Standard Practice for Conditioning Leather and Leather Products for Testing

SIGNIFICANCE AND USE
5.1 Temperature and relative humidity have an influence on many of the physical properties of leather. Depending on environmental conditions the moisture content in leather may vary significantly. Standardized conditioning in part allows for reliable comparisons to be made among different leather and leather products, and among different laboratories.
SCOPE
1.1 This practice covers the conditioning of all units and specimens of leather and leather products prior to testing and the conditions under which they should be tested. This practice does not apply to wet blue.  
1.2 This standard does not purport to address all of the safety concerns, if any, associated with its use. It is the responsibility of the user of this standard to establish appropriate safety, health, and environmental practices and determine the applicability of regulatory limitations prior to use.  
1.3 This international standard was developed in accordance with internationally recognized principles on standardization established in the Decision on Principles for the Development of International Standards, Guides and Recommendations issued by the World Trade Organization Technical Barriers to Trade (TBT) Committee.

General Information

• Status: Published
• Publication Date: 31-Dec-2022
• ICS: 59.140.30 - Leather and furs
• Technical Committee: D31 - Leather
• Drafting Committee: D31.07 - Physical Properties

Relations

• Refers: ASTM D1517-15 - Standard Terminology Relating to Leather
• Effective Date: 01-Dec-2015
• Refers: ASTM D1517-10 - Standard Terminology Relating to Leather
• Effective Date: 01-Oct-2010
• Refers: ASTM E337-02(2007) - Standard Test Method for Measuring Humidity with a Psychrometer (the Measurement of Wet- and Dry-Bulb Temperatures)
• Effective Date: 01-Oct-2007
• Refers: ASTM D1517-06 - Standard Terminology Relating to Leather
• Effective Date: 01-Oct-2006
• Refers: ASTM D1517-04e1 - Standard Terminology Relating to Leather
• Effective Date: 01-Sep-2004
• Refers: ASTM D1517-04 - Standard Terminology Relating to Leather
• Effective Date: 01-Sep-2004
• Refers: ASTM D1517-99(2004) - Standard Terminology Relating to Leather
• Effective Date: 01-Apr-2004
• Refers: ASTM E337-02 - Standard Test Method for Measuring Humidity with a Psychrometer (the Measurement of Wet- and Dry-Bulb Temperatures)
• Effective Date: 10-Oct-2002
• Refers: ASTM D1517-99 - Standard Terminology Relating to Leather
• Effective Date: 10-May-1999
• Refers: ASTM E337-84(1996)e1 - Standard Test Method for Measuring Humidity with a Psychrometer (the Measurement of Wet- and Dry-Bulb Temperatures)
• Effective Date: 01-Jan-1996

Overview

ASTM D1610-18(2023): Standard Practice for Conditioning Leather and Leather Products for Testing provides guidelines for conditioning leather samples and finished leather products before testing. Developed by ASTM International, this standard establishes the temperature and humidity conditions required to achieve reliable and reproducible testing outcomes, enabling consistent comparison between different materials and test laboratories worldwide. Standardized sample conditioning is critical because leather’s moisture content and physical properties are significantly influenced by environmental factors such as temperature and relative humidity.

This practice applies to all leather types and leather products, except for wet blue (unfinished, wet-tanned hides).

Key Topics

• Standard Conditioning Environments:
  The standard specifies two main sets of conditioning atmospheres:

  • North America: 23°C ± 2°C (73.4°F ± 3.6°F) and 50% ± 4% relative humidity
  • Europe and Japan: 20°C ± 2°C (68.0°F ± 3.6°F) and 65% ± 4% relative humidity

• Importance of Conditioning:
  Proper conditioning allows leather samples to reach equilibrium in moisture content, reducing variability in test results due to environmental conditions.

• Apparatus and Procedures:

  • Conditioning and testing must be done in a controlled environment with specified temperature and humidity.
  • Specimens are conditioned until mass equilibrium is reached (when hourly weight changes are less than 0.25%).
  • Measurements of test specimens must be taken after conditioning.

• Reliability and Comparability:
  Consistent conditioning ensures that the testing of physical properties such as strength, flexibility, or resistance to wear is reliable and comparable across different labs and batches.

Applications

ASTM D1610-18(2023) is applicable to a wide variety of sectors within the leather industry, including:

• Leather Manufacturing and Processing:
  Ensures quality control by standardizing the preparation of samples before physical property testing.
• Product Development and Design:
  Enables designers and engineers to assess leather’s performance characteristics accurately under controlled environmental conditions.
• Comparative Analysis and Benchmarking:
  Facilitates reliable benchmarking between different types of leather or leather products.
• Testing Laboratories:
  Provides clear guidelines to achieve consistency and reliability in material testing, supporting both in-house and independent testing services.
• Regulatory Compliance and Trade:
  Supports compliance with international trade standards by adhering to globally recognized conditioning protocols.

Related Standards

• ASTM D1517: Terminology Relating to Leather - Standardizes terms used in the leather industry, essential for interpreting standards and test results.
• ASTM E337: Test Method for Measuring Humidity with a Psychrometer - Used for determining relative humidity in conditioning rooms.
• IUP/3 Conditioning: International Union of Leather Technologists and Chemists Societies (IULTCS) standard for leather conditioning, referenced for harmonization.

Adhering to ASTM D1610-18(2023) in conditioning leather products for testing not only assures reliability and repeatability in test outcomes but also aligns manufacturers, laboratories, and clients with best practices recognized worldwide. By establishing controlled humidity and temperature, this standard offers objective, reproducible benchmarks vital for material research, quality assurance, and international commerce.

Keywords: ASTM D1610, leather conditioning, standardized testing, sample preparation, humidity, temperature, comparative testing, leather industry standards.

Standards Content (Sample)

This international standard was developed in accordance with internationally recognized principles on standardization established in the Decision on Principles for the
Development of International Standards, Guides and Recommendations issued by the World Trade Organization Technical Barriers to Trade (TBT) Committee.
Designation: D1610 − 18 (Reapproved 2023)
Standard Practice for
Conditioning Leather and Leather Products for Testing
This standard is issued under the fixed designation D1610; the number immediately following the designation indicates the year of
original adoption or, in the case of revision, the year of last revision. A number in parentheses indicates the year of last reapproval. A
superscript epsilon (´) indicates an editorial change since the last revision or reapproval.
This standard has been approved for use by agencies of the U.S. Department of Defense.
1. Scope (2) a temperature of 20 °C 6 2 °C (68.0 °F 6 3.6 °F) and
a relative humidity of 65 % 64%.
1.1 This practice covers the conditioning of all units and
Condition set (1) is used as the standard for leather testing in
specimens of leather and leather products prior to testing and
NorthAmerica and condition set (2) is used as the standard for
the conditions under which they should be tested.This practice
leather testing in Europe and Japan.
does not apply to wet blue.
1.2 This standard does not purport to address all of the
4. Summary of Test Method
safety concerns, if any, associated with its use. It is the
4.1 The conditioning prescribed in this practice is designed
responsibility of the user of this standard to establish appro-
to obtain reproducible test results on leather and leather
priate safety, health, and environmental practices and deter-
products by the standardization of the relative humidity and
mine the applicability of regulatory limitations prior to use.
temperature conditions to which the leather or leather product
1.3 This international standard was developed in accor-
is subjected prior to and during testing.
dance with internationally recognized principles on standard-
ization established in the Decision on Principles for the
5. Significance and Use
Development of International Standards, Guides and Recom-
mendations issued by the World Trade Organization Technical 5.1 Temperature and relative humidity have an influence on
Barriers to Trade (TBT) Committee.
many of the physical properties of leather. Depending on
environmental conditions the moisture content in leather may
2. Referenced Documents
vary significantly. Standardized conditioning in part allows for
reliable comparisons to be made among different leather and
2.1 ASTM Standards:
leather products, and among different laboratories.
D1517 Terminology Relating to Leather
E337 Test Method for Measuring Humidity with a Psy-
6. Apparatus
chrometer (the Measurement of Wet- and Dry-Bulb Tem-
peratures)
6.1 Room, in which the standard atmosphere is automati-
2.2 IU Standards:
cally maintained.
IUP/3 Conditioning
6.2 Psychrometer—Eitheraslingpsychrometer,orastation-
ary type psychrometer having the air circulated over the
3. Terminology
thermometer bulbs.
3.1 Definitions:
NOTE 1—It is preferable to draw air over the thermometer bulb rather
3.1.1 For definitions of leather terms used in this practice,
than blow air, from a fan source, over them. Heat from the fan may cause
refer to Terminology D1517.
errors in the readings.
3.1.2 standard atmospheric conditions—for leather and
6.3 Thermometers—The thermometers should conform ap-
leather testing, one of two sets of conditions:
proximatelytothefollowingrequirements:range0 °Cto52 °C
(1) a temperature of 23 °C 6 2 °C (73.4 °F 6 3.6 °F) and
(32 °F to 122 °F); graduation 0.2 °C (0.5 °F). They should be
a relative humidity of 50 % 64%.
matched to within 0.1 °C (0.25 °F) throughout the range used.
Calibrate thermometer in accordance with manufacturer’s in-
This practice is under the jurisdiction ofASTM Committee D31 on Leather and
structions.
is the direct responsibility of Subcommittee D31.07 on Physical Properties. This
practice was developed in cooperation with the American Leather Chemists Assn. NOTE 2—Under ordinary conditions, an error of 1 % in relative
Current edition approved Jan. 1, 2023. Published January 2023. Originally
humidity corresponds to an error of approximately 0.1 °C (0.2 °F) in the
approved in 1984. Last previous edition approved in 2018 as D1610 – 18. DOI:
wet-bulb depression.
10.1520/D1610-18R23.
6.4 Chamber for maintaining 65 % relative humidity—A
Journal of the Society of Leather Trades’ Chemists, Vol XLII, No. 12, pp
386–387. relative humidity of 65 % 62%at20°C 6 2 °C can be
Copyright © ASTM International, 100 Barr Harbor Drive, PO Box C700, West Conshohocken, PA 19428-2959. United States
D1610 − 18 (2023)
NOTE6—Thewet-bulbtemperature,T ,indegreesCelsiuscorrespond-
maintained in a closed space by the use of a saturated solution
w
ing to a relative humidity of 50 % at a given air temperature, t, in degrees
of certain salts in water (in which the solid phase is present in
Celsius (dry-bulb) and a given barometric pressure, B, in centimetres of
...