ISO 3342:2011

Textile glass - Mats - Determination of tensile breaking force

ISO 3342:2011 specifies a method for the determination of the tensile breaking force of textile glass mats. The method is intended for chopped-strand mat but is equally applicable to certain types of continuous-strand mat usually intended for pultrusion.

Verre textile — Mats — Détermination de la force de rupture en traction

General Information

• Status: Published
• Publication Date: 24-Nov-2011
• ICS: 59.100.10 - Textile glass materials
• Technical Committee: ISO/TC 61/SC 13 - Composites and reinforcement fibres
• Drafting Committee: ISO/TC 61/SC 13/WG 1 - Reinforcements and reinforcement products
• Current Stage: 9093 - International Standard confirmed
• Start Date: 05-Oct-2021
• Completion Date: 13-Dec-2025

Relations

• Consolidated By: ISO 20346:2021 - Personal protective equipment - Protective footwear
• Effective Date: 06-Jun-2022
• Revises: ISO 3342:1995 - Textile glass - Mats - Determination of tensile breaking force
• Effective Date: 12-Feb-2011

Overview - ISO 3342:2011 (Textile glass mats - Tensile breaking force)

ISO 3342:2011 specifies a standardized laboratory method to determine the tensile breaking force of textile glass mats. The procedure is primarily intended for chopped‑strand mats and is also applicable to certain continuous‑strand mats (typically those used for pultrusion). The standard describes specimen preparation, conditioning, tensile‑testing machine requirements, test procedure, calculation of results and reporting details.

Key topics and technical requirements

• Scope: Determination of maximum force required to break a mat specimen in a tensile test (expressed in newtons).
• Specimen dimensions:
  • Chopped‑strand mat: template 150 mm × 316 mm (major axis parallel to mat longitudinal direction).
  • Continuous‑strand mat (pultrusion): template 75 mm × 316 mm (longitudinal specimens only).
• Tensile‑testing machine:
  • Clamps: 160 mm wide, minimum 25 mm depth; faces plane and parallel; initial clamp separation 200 mm.
  • Recording mechanism with accuracy within ±1% of true force; length error ≤ 2 mm.
  • Reference machine: constant rate of extension. Other machine types may be used by agreement.
• Test speed and setup:
  • Rate of clamp separation: 200 mm/min ± 10 mm/min.
  • Free specimen length: 200 mm; align specimen axis with machine axis.
  • Discard results if specimen breaks within 10 mm of clamp or slips.
• Conditioning and atmosphere:
  • Use ISO 291 standard laboratory atmospheres.
  • Conditioning: 16 h for an elementary unit; 1 h for test specimens/laboratory samples.
• Number of specimens: Default determination based on five specimens or more.
• Results: Report mean tensile breaking force (rounded to nearest 1 N); note non‑clean breaks. Precision statement: not available (no interlaboratory data at publication).

Practical applications and users

ISO 3342:2011 is used by:

• Manufacturers of glass‑reinforcement mats for quality control and specification verification.
• Composite fabricators and pultrusion producers assessing reinforcement strength.
• Materials testing laboratories performing contract or compliance testing.
• R&D teams comparing mat constructions or processing effects (e.g., roll winding vs. pre‑winding differences).

Benefits:

• Provides repeatable test procedure for procurement/specification acceptance.
• Helps ensure consistent mechanical performance of reinforcement mats used in composites.

Related standards

• ISO 291 - Plastics: standard atmospheres for conditioning and testing (referenced for conditioning/test environment).
• ISO 3374 - Reinforcement products: determination of mass per unit area (useful when specimens are taken from mass-per-area tests).

Keywords: ISO 3342:2011, textile glass mats, tensile breaking force, chopped‑strand mat, pultrusion, tensile testing, conditioning, ISO 291, specimen preparation, material testing.

Standards Content (Sample)

INTERNATIONAL ISO
STANDARD 3342
Fourth edition
2011-12-01
Textile glass — Mats — Determination of
tensile breaking force
Verre textile — Mats — Détermination de la force de rupture en traction
Reference number
©
ISO 2011
All rights reserved. Unless otherwise specified, no part of this publication may be reproduced or utilized in any form or by any means,
electronic or mechanical, including photocopying and microfilm, without permission in writing from either ISO at the address below or ISO’s
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ii © ISO 2011 – All rights reserved

Foreword
ISO (the International Organization for Standardization) is a worldwide federation of national standards bodies
(ISO member bodies). The work of preparing International Standards is normally carried out through ISO
technical committees. Each member body interested in a subject for which a technical committee has been
established has the right to be represented on that committee. International organizations, governmental and
non-governmental, in liaison with ISO, also take part in the work. ISO collaborates closely with the International
Electrotechnical Commission (IEC) on all matters of electrotechnical standardization.
International Standards are drafted in accordance with the rules given in the ISO/IEC Directives, Part 2.
The main task of technical committees is to prepare International Standards. Draft International Standards
adopted by the technical committees are circulated to the member bodies for voting. Publication as an
International Standard requires approval by at least 75 % of the member bodies casting a vote.
Attention is drawn to the possibility that some of the elements of this document may be the subject of patent
rights. ISO shall not be held responsible for identifying any or all such patent rights.
ISO 3342 was prepared by Technical Committee ISO/TC 61, Plastics, Subcommittee SC 13, Composites and
reinforcement fibres.
This fourth edition cancels and replaces the third edition (ISO 3342:1995), of which it constitutes a minor
revision. The main changes are as follows:
a) the normative references have been updated;
b) former Subclauses 5.2, 5.3 and 5.6 have been deleted;
c) explanatory footnotes concerning the terms “elementary unit” and “laboratory sample” have been added.
INTERNATIONAL STANDARD ISO 3342:2011(E)
Textile glass — Mats — Determination of tensile breaking force
1 Scope
This International Standard specifies a method for the determination of the tensile breaking force of textile
glass mats.
The method is intended for chopped-strand mat but is equally applicable to certain types of continuous-strand
mat usually intended for pultrusion.
2 Normative references
The following referenced documents are indispensable for the application of this document. For dated
references, only the edition cited applies. For undated references, the latest edition of the referenced document
(including any amendments) applies.
ISO 291, Plastics — Standard atmospheres for conditioning and testing
3 Terms and definitions
For the purposes of this document, the following terms and definitions apply.
3.1
tensile breaking force
maximum force required to break the test specimen in a tensile test carried to rupture
NOTE It is generally expressed in newtons.
4 Principle
A pre-conditioned test specimen of standard dimensions is subjected to tension by a suitable mechanical
device which indicates the tensile breaking force on a recorder or scale.
NOTE The test results might vary significantly depending on whether they are obtained on rolls of mat or on the mat
prior to winding into rolls (normally, the result is higher prior to winding). The method specified in this International Standard
describes the procedure for testing rolls of mat.
5 Apparatus
5.1 Tensile-testing machine.
5.1.1 All testing machines shall include the following elements.
a) A pair of suitable clamps to grip the specimen. They shall have a width of 160 mm and a minimum depth
of 25 mm. The faces of the clamps shall be plane and parallel, shall ensure uniform pressure over the
whole width of the test specimen and shall prevent it from slipping. The clamps shall also ensure, at all
times, alignment of the axis of the test specimen with the direction of the applied force. The initial distance
between the clamps shall be 200 mm.
b) A means for applying tension to the specimen.
c) A mechanism that will continuously indicate or record the force sustained by the specimen. The mechanism
shall be practically free from inertia at the specified speed of testing and shall indicate the force with an
accuracy within 1 % of the true value.
The reference machine is one having a constant rate of extension. Other types of test machine exist, e.g.
with constant rate of loading or constant rate of traverse. If only such machines are available, they may be
used subject to agreement between interested parties, but the results from different types of machine cannot
necessarily be compared.
5.1.2 The maximum error in the indicated force, at any point in the range in which the machine is used, shall
not exceed 1 % of the true force. The error in the length of specimen exposed between the clamps shall not
exceed 2 mm. The accuracy of the tensile-testing machine shall be verified, for example by means of calibrated
springs with appropriate characteristics.
5.2 Template for cutting out specimens.
For chopped-strand mat: polished template 150 mm wide and 316 mm long.
For continuous-strand mat for pultrusion applications:
...