Martindale (unit)

{{Short description|Measure of textile abrasion resistance}}

The Martindale is a unit for quantifying the abrasion resistance of textiles, especially when used for upholstery.

The Martindale method, also known as the Martindale rub test, simulates natural wear of a seat cover, in which the textile sample is rubbed against a standard abrasive surface with a specified force. The test equipment works in intervals of 5000 cycles, totalling the wear number (unit: Martindale) of abrasion cycles that leads to the material being worn to a specified degree. The higher the value, the more resistant the material is to abrasion.[http://www.uni.edu/csbs/sites/default/files/Abrasion_Resistance-Martindale.pdf Abrasion Resistance by the Martindale Method ASTM D4966-98 Standard Test Method for Abrasion Resistance of Textile Fabrics (Martindale Abrasion Tester Method)] (PDF)

The national German textile institute specifies a minimum requirement for various applications, and here are some examples:

class="wikitable" ! !!Soft padding [Martindale] !! Hard padding [Martindale]
Private use	10,000	15,000
Office use	25,000	35,000
For public transportation	30,000	40,000

Material for use by police or emergency services may require values of 200,000 to 500,000.

In the US, the Wyzenbeek test is often used instead of the Martindale.

The Martindale machine also tests for fabric pilling.