Renault Nissan RNES-B-20082 Test Method - Carpet Cleanability

The “Renault Nissan RNES-B-20082 Test Method - Carpet Cleanability” standard, jointly developed by the French automobile companies Renault and Nissan , describes a test method for carpet coverings (plain non-woven or dilour velvet, tassel) designed for or intended for floor mats. The purpose of this test method is to evaluate the carpet's behavior with respect to cleaning.

When performing the test, the inside of a drum is covered with a carpet sample and one of the three contaminant products at a time. Balls are placed inside the drum. The drum rotates at a constant speed around its axis. The sample is cleaned with a vacuum cleaner. The cleanability index is then measured.

The equipment used in these tests includes:

• Abrasive machine BTW (Blocking Tetrapod Walker): This machine is defined in the standard “Test bench and drums for BTW machine 39-01-027”.
• Drums: The inner diameter is 200 mm plus/minus 0,5 mm and the inner depth is 200 mm plus/minus 0,5 mm and are made of antistatic plastic material.
• Steel balls: Made of stainless steel material, diameter 15 mm plus/minus 0,1 mm, mass 13,7 g.
• Pollutant products: Pollutants include:
  • Banana fibers: Length: 18 mm
  • Wool type: Merino, diameter 21 µm, color white, length 20 mm plus/minus 20 percent
  • Sand granulometry: 0-0,5mm
• Weighing scale: It has a precision of plus/minus 0,1 g.
• Cleaning support: The support is preferably made of metal to have a stable support. Its dimensions are 240 mm x 670 mm. There is a wedge to adjust the carpet height with rails on both sides to guide the vacuum cleaner nozzle.
• Vacuum cleaner: This vacuum cleaner is equipped with an adjustment system that allows to regulate the suction power. It is equipped with a special cleaning nozzle to ensure constant suction across the entire sample width.
• Conditioned room: This room is set to a temperature of 23 degrees plus/minus 2 degrees and a relative humidity of 50 percent plus/minus 5 percent.
• Hot wire anemometer: A thermal anemometer is a device used to measure flow velocities and temperatures by means of a probe (hot wire probe).

Two samples are cut for each pollutant product at the beginning of the tests. The sample size is approximately 640 mm x 200 mm. If possible, it is cut so that the pile direction is in the direction of the sample length. The sample is placed in the conditioned room at least 24 hours before the test. The pollutant products (banana fibers, sand and wool fibers) are also placed in the conditioned room at least 24 hours before the test. The pollutant products must be in contact with the conditioned air of the room to be in contact with the humidity in the room.

For each test batch, the suction power of the vacuum cleaner (cleaner) should be checked. An instrument as shown in the standard is used. The hole diameter is 13 mm plus/minus 0,2 mm and there should be a gap of 27,5 mm plus/minus 0,5 mm between each hole. The hot wire anemometer is then placed in the center of each hole and it is verified whether the suction is 15 m/s plus/minus 1m/s.

During the test, the first sample is weighed and any possible contamination is removed by a compressed air jet. The sample is placed in the BTW antistatic drum. If the sample pile direction is long, this should be in the direction of rotation of the drum. Otherwise, the pile direction is directed towards the drum bottom. If it is not possible to identify the pile direction, the direction of rotation of the drum behind the sample is noted. The sample is held with the tools provided for this purpose. The drum is tilted slightly and one of the contaminants is dropped onto the carpet area with the relevant mass. A 600 g plus/minus 10 g ball is placed in the drum and the lid is closed.

All BTW rotations are operated at 52,3 rpm plus/minus 0,2 rpm. The sample is removed. All samples are cleaned. The sample is fixed to the support by means of double-sided adhesive. First the lower wedge is placed, then the middle wedge, then the upper wedge. The guides for the suction head are placed and then all are tightened. The suction head is placed upstream of the sample. Suction is continued. Finally, the sample is weighed.

The entire method is repeated with the other two pollutant products.

Among the numerous tests, measurements, analyses and evaluation studies that our organization has carried out for businesses in various sectors, it also provides testing services defined in the “Renault Nissan RNES-B-20082 Test method - Carpet cleanability” standard with its trained and expert staff and advanced technological equipment.