Simulated Use Allergen Barrier Test (Ref SP305)
To prove the effectiveness of a fabric, zipper or seam as a barrier to the passage of indoor allergen.
The fabric, zipper or seam is placed between two glass chambers, one of which contains house dust with a known concentration of allergen and also steel bearings which are used to simulate the pressure of normal use. The dual chamber device is rotated for 20 hours at 25 rotations per minute. The amount of allergen transferred across the fabric, zipper or seam is then quantified using an ELISA kit specific for the type of allergen being measured.
The data generated by this test allows manufacturers and retailers to directly claim the ability of a fabric, zipper or seam to block a number of allergens. This test is important because there is a tendency to rely on pore size and thread count to demonstrate a fabric’s ability to block allergens. This can be very misleading. Pore size only loosely correlates with allergen filtration efficacy and there are a number of factors that contribute to this. A high thread count fabric may also be poorly constructed, allowing the passage of allergens.
Third Party Validation
On passing this test, the fabric can be labelled as having been tested by airmid in support of any claim relating to the test and data received.
1 square metre of fabric
15 working days from receipt of sample
airmid healthgroup ltd. is an INAB accredited laboratory Reg No. 284T for Derp1 and Feld1 ELISA testing, the SP305 process is not under the scope of accreditation.
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Textiles Informational PDF