EN 12131-2017 pdf download.Feather and down – Test methods – Determination of the quantitative composition of feather and down (manual method).
EN 1885, Feather and down – Terms and definitions
EN ISO 139, Textiles – Standard atmospheres for conditioning and testing (ISO 139)
3 Terms and definitions
For the purposes of this document, the terms and definitions given in EN 1885 apply.
4 Principle
A known quantity of the tilling material, sampled according to EN 1883, is separated by hand into its elements. The elements are collected into separate containers, which are suitably marked.
The content of each container is weighed in order to determine the mass of the element concerned and therefore to calculate the relative percentages.
5 Apparatus
5.1 Box for the manual separation, usually consisting of the following parts:
— black and smooth base about 450 mm in length and about 300 mm in width, having a suitable fixture or area to insert the containers into;
— front part about 150 mm high open or provided with two openings wide enough to permit the operators’ hands to enter the box;
— back part about 300 mm high;
— two side parts fit for front and back parts;
— cover, to avoid air draughts during the execution of the test, made of glass or other transparent material to permit the separation of the elements;
— lamp to allow the illumination of the box.
5.2 WeIghing containers with cover, made of aluminium or other light antistatic material fit to contain and weigh the different elements of the filling, with a capacity up to 300 ml.
5.3 Tweezers, fit to pick the single elements.
5.4 Analytical balance, with an accuracy of 0, 1 mg.
5.5 Mixing container with base dimensions of 300 mm x 300 mm and iSO mm high.
6 Sampling, conditioning and preparation of the test specimens
6.1 Sampling is carried out according to EN 1883.
6.2 Conditioning of the samples is carried out according to EN ISO 139.
6.3 Draw a sample of no less than 30 g from the conditioned laboratory global sample. Put it into the
mixing container and mix carefully by hand to make it as homogeneous as possible. From different
places of this sample, draw three test specimens, each of them having a mass of about 5 g, weighed with
an accuracy of 1 mg, of about 5 g for fillings with an expected down content less than 60 % and of about
3 g for fillings with an expected down content of 60 % or more.
Each specimen is placed in a separate container.
6.4 Determination of the relative deviation:
It is necessary to analyse at least two test specimens. If the mean of the analysis of the components down, feathers and/or the sum of other elements differ more than 10 % relatively from the mean, a third test specimen shall be analysed.
The calculation of the relative deviation (difference between mean and measured value with regard to mean) i.e. down content is performed as follows.
Calculation of the mean:
7 Procedure
7.1 General
The separation procedure shall be camed out in a conditioned room in accordance with 1N ISO 139. 7.2 First separation
7.2.1 Mark the weighing containers (5.2) with the indication A. B. C. D. E and Q; weigh them with their cover, with an accuracy of 0.1 mg.
Put one of the weighed test specimens (6.3) into the separation box (5.1).
With tweezers, remove initially all feathers from the plumage; brush the feathers gently between thumb and index finger of one hand to remove any down fibre or residual matter caught therein.
Identify the single elements which are extracted from the test specimen and put them in the suitable weighing containers, as indicated in Table 1.
If the calculation gives a loss of more than 2 % of mEWT another test specimen should be analysed.
For the calculation of the results, see Clause 8.
7.3 Second separation
7.3.1 Place the contents of weighing container 0 in a clean mixing container (5.5); mix the contents by hand carefully to make it as homogeneous as possible. Take three test specimens, each one is at least 0,1 g.
7.3.2 Mark the weighing containers (5.2) with the indication F, G, H, 1,1< and L; weigh them with their cover, accuracy 0,1 mg.
During the second separation of the sub-test specimen. down, plumules and nestling down are separated from the non-entwined down fibres and the entwined feather fibres.
First, remove a down, plumule or nestling down with tweezers, and slightly shake it five times from an up position to a down position and up again with a short and fast shaking movements of the wrist.EN 12131-2017 pdf download.