ISO 3340 Textile Glass Fiber - Woven Roves - Determination of Breaking Strength and Elongation at Break by Strip Method

ISO 3340 Textile Glass Fiber - Woven Roves - Determination of Breaking Strength and Elongation at Break by Strip Method

The ISO 3340 Textile glass fiber - Woven rovings - Determination of breaking strength and elongation at break by the strip method standard, published by the International Organization for Standardization (ISO), describes the method for determining the breaking strength and elongation at break of woven glass fiber rovings using the strip method. This standard is widely used in the fiberglass and composite materials industries to evaluate the tensile performance of woven glass fiber fabrics before their incorporation into composite structures.

ISO 3340 Textile Glass Fiber - Woven Roves - Determination of Breaking Strength and Elongation at Break by Strip Method

The described test method provides manufacturers and quality control laboratories with a reliable way to verify the mechanical integrity of woven rovings and ensure that reinforcement materials meet design and manufacturing requirements.

The ISO 3340 standard establishes a standardized tensile testing procedure for woven rovings made from textile glass fibers. This standard applies to fabrics designed for use in the following applications:

  • Glass fiber reinforced plastics
  • Marine composites
  • Wind turbine blades
  • Automotive composite parts
  • Aerospace components
  • Construction materials
  • Electrical insulation laminates

This standard measures the following:

  • Fracture force
  • Fracture elongation
  • Tensile behavior in warp and weft directions

The main objectives of the ISO 3340 standard are:

  • Measuring the tensile strength of woven glass fiber rovings.
  • To determine the elongation at break.
  • Comparing reinforcement materials from different manufacturers.
  • To support product development and quality assurance.
  • Verifying compliance with customer specifications.
  • To provide replicable testing procedures worldwide.

The strip method involves preparing a woven roving sample with a specific width and length. Results are reported separately for the warp and weft directions, as woven rovings generally exhibit different mechanical properties in each direction.

The following equipment is generally used in tests:

  • Universal tensile testing machine
  • Suitable grippers to prevent slipping.
  • Force measurement system
  • Strain measuring device (cross head or extensometer)
  • Sample cutting tools
  • Conditioning room (if needed)

The testing machine must comply with accepted force calibration requirements.

Test samples are carefully prepared to avoid damaging the glass fibers. Typical considerations include:

  • Standard lane width
  • Defined measurement length
  • Warp samples
  • Scarf samples
  • Multiple replicates for statistical validity.

The edges must remain clean because damaged threads can significantly reduce the measured strength.

Before testing, samples are conditioned under controlled laboratory conditions. Typical conditioning includes:

  • Standard temperature
  • Controlled relative humidity
  • Sufficient stabilization time

Proper conditioning minimizes humidity-related variability.

Before starting the tests, the samples are conditioned. Sample dimensions are measured if necessary. The strip is placed centered in the holders. Tensile load is applied at the specified speed. Loading continues until the breaking point is reached. The following points are recorded:

  • Maximum breaking strength
  • Fracture elongation
  • Fracture site

This procedure is repeated for all samples.

The values ​​typically reported at the end of the test include the following:

  • Average breaking strength
  • Maximum breaking strength
  • Minimum breaking strength
  • Fracture elongation
  • Standard deviation
  • Coefficient of variation
  • Warp results
  • Scarf results

The ISO 3340 standard emphasizes testing a sufficient number of samples to obtain representative averages. Several variables influence the measured tensile properties:

  • Fiber type
  • Glass composition
  • Thread texture
  • Textile pattern
  • Fabric density
  • Fiber sizing
  • Moisture content
  • Sample preparation
  • Holding pressure
  • Test speed
  • Environmental conditions

Proper control of these factors increases repeatability.

The ISO 3340 standard is widely applied in industries that rely on woven glass fiber reinforcements, including:

  • Composite production: Manufacturers verify the reinforcing materials before production begins.
  • Wind energy: Glass fiber fabrics for wind turbine blades require consistent tensile properties.
  • Marine industry: Boat hull laminates are bonded to strong woven fibers.
  • Automotive: Composite body panels and structural reinforcements are evaluated using tensile data.
  • Aviation: Although carbon fiber is commonly used in aviation, fiberglass fabrics are still used for insulation and secondary structures.
  • Civil engineering: Fiberglass fabrics used in reinforcement systems and infrastructure repairs benefit from standardized tensile evaluation.

The ISO 3340 standard offers several advantages:

  • Internationally accepted procedure
  • Excellent repeatability.
  • Simple sample preparation
  • Suitable for routine quality control.
  • Reliable comparison among suppliers.
  • It can be applied to a wide range of woven fiberglass fabrics.
  • Supports material certification.
  • It helps identify manufacturing defects.

In contrast, while the ISO 3340 standard is quite effective, it has some limitations:

  • This applies only to woven cords.
  • It does not evaluate the strength of composite laminate.
  • It does not measure fatigue performance.
  • It does not determine impact resistance.
  • It does not evaluate properties between layers.
  • Results depend on proper sample preparation.

Additional testing is usually required for complete characterization of composites.

The ISO 3340 standard is often used in conjunction with many other standards for the comprehensive characterization of textile glass materials:

  • ISO 3341 Determination of breaking strength and elongation of glass fibers.
  • ISO 4602 Determination of the number of threads per unit length in woven fabrics.
  • ISO 4603 Determination of the thickness of textile glass woven fabrics.
  • ISO 4605 Determination of the mass per unit area of ​​woven glass fabrics.
  • ISO 2559 Preparation of test specimens for textile glass materials.
  • ISO 3597 (series) Mechanical properties testing of glass fiber reinforced plastics.

Together, these standards provide a comprehensive framework for evaluating both the reinforcing fabric and the resulting composite material.

The ISO 3340 standard is commonly used by the following sectors:

  • Fiberglass manufacturers
  • Suppliers of composite materials
  • Wind turbine manufacturers
  • Marine equipment manufacturers
  • Automotive original equipment manufacturers and suppliers
  • Aerospace manufacturers
  • Construction material manufacturers
  • Research laboratories
  • Independent testing laboratories
  • Certification bodies

In short, the ISO 3340 standard provides a standardized and repeatable method for measuring the breaking strength and elongation at break of textile glass fiber woven rovings using the strip method. This standard enables consistent evaluation of tensile properties in both warp and weft directions, helping manufacturers maintain material quality, compare products among suppliers, and verify compliance with specifications. Although this standard focuses solely on the tensile performance of the reinforcing fabric rather than the final composite, it remains a vital quality assurance tool in industries reliant on reliable glass fiber reinforcements, including automotive, aerospace, marine, wind energy, and construction.

For many years, our organization, with its competent and experienced staff, has been understanding the needs of its clients, providing the advanced testing services they require, and assisting them in the establishment, implementation, and improvement of management systems. Within this framework, we also provide testing services compliant with the ISO 3340 standard.

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