Laundry Care Products Performance Testing

dell tech laboratories ltd. 1

LAUNDRY CARE PRODUCTS PERFORMANCE TESTING

Joe McCarthyLab Services Manager/Senior Regulatory Affairs Specialist

www.delltech.comProduct Safety - Regulatory Affairs – Lab Services


WHY Test?

Formula development & screening

Evaluate performance of new product formulations.Set a benchmark to compare future reformulations against.

Claims validation/support

Does is actually work?Are you making specific marketing or performance claims?National Brand Equivalency (NBE), how does it compare to other products?


3rd party certification

WHY Test?

The Green Seal Certification Mark:


It all starts and ends with customer.

Why buy a product that does not work?

Why sell a product that does not work?

WHY Test?

So why NOT test?


Commonly used or cited methods for Cleaning Products

ASTM D4265 - Evaluating Stain Removal Performance in Home LaunderingASTM D5343 - Cleaning Performance of Ceramic Tile CleanersASTM D3556* Deposition on Glassware During Mechanical DishwashingASTM D4009* Foam Stability of Hand Dishwashing DetergentsASTM D4488 - Cleaning Performance of Products Intended for Use on Resilient Flooring & Washable Walls

WHERE can we find Test Methods?

www.astm.org


Consumer Specialty Products Association http://www.cspa.org/product-category/publications/

Includes 17 different Methods across a range of product categories such as All Purpose Cleaners, Glass Cleaners, Bathroom Cleaners, Laundry Detergents, Pre-Spotter, Fabric

Softeners, Oven Cleaners & Dish Detergents.

WHERE can we find Test Methods?

http://www.cspa.org/product-category/publications/


ASTM D3050 Standard Guide for Measuring Soil Removal from Artificially Soiled Fabrics

A laboratory scale bench top evaluation of detergents.Allows for rapid screening of formulations and/or water conditions.

Automatic control of agitation and water temperaturesWash/rinse cycle typically finished 10-13 minute range

TERG-O-TOMETER


Pros ConsQuick assessment Terg-o-Tometer $$$

Run multiple product/test conditions simultaneously Reflectometer (Colorimeter) $

Recommends use of standard soiled fabrics Evaluates performance Instrumentally using only Reflectance value of the stain

Less specific on testing considerations (fabric types, soils, orientations, pretreatment of

fabrics for ballast of soiled swatches)

% Improvement in Reflectance =

Reflectance of soil swatch after washing - Reflectance of soil swatches before washing X 100Reflectance of unsoiled swatch before washing - Reflectance of soil swatches before washing

ASTM D3050 Standard Guide for Measuring Soil Removal from Artificially Soiled Fabrics


ASTM D4265 – Standard Guide for Evaluating Stain Removal Performance

in Home Laundering

A full scale evaluation of performance with Household Washers & Dryers. Correlates more closely with the Consumer Experience

Allows flexibility in the choice of testing conditions including:

• Washing Machines (Traditional Top loader, HE Front Loader, HE Top Loader)• Fabric Selection (Cotton, Cotton/Poly blend, synthetics, knits, woven)• Stains (Proteins, Starchy, Bleachable, Fats, Oils, Grease)• Water Temperature & Hardness• Evaluation (Visible, Instrumental)


Pros ConsUses Household machines Longer times to run product/test condition

Evaluation visually or Instrumentally Infrastructure to support multiple machines

Instrumental evaluation uses compete color scale More effort required to adjust water conditions (Temperature and hardness)

More detailed guidance on test conditions such as fabric types, soils, orientation, pretreatment of

fabrics for ballast & soiled swatches.

Reproducibility. Different machines have inherent variables. Wash

times, wash & rinse volumes, agitation size etc.

Guidance for preparing stained fabrics


in Home Laundering



in Home Laundering

Stain considerations – manually prepared stains

ASTM D4265 includes 2 annexes to provide guidance on manually preparing stains.

Presents a challenge for

1) Repeatability: different individuals will prepare stains slightly differently (time/volume/pressure)2) Reproducibility: different Labs will have different sources of stains, particularly natural stains like grass

& blood 3) Time/Labour Intensive: Takes time precondition/cut/stains and cure swatches.


ASTM D4265 – Standard Guide for Evaluating Stain Removal Performance in Home Laundering

Stain considerations – Standard Soiled Fabrics

Standard soiled fabrics in a wide range of stains and fabrics are commercially available

CFT CS-15 EMPA 111 CFT CS-32 EMPA 114

Fruit Juice Blood, not aged Sebum w. Carbon black Red Wine, not aged

www.testfabrics.com

http://www.sdlatlas.com/


Cotton-Jersey with 15 different stains: Make-up, Curry, Red wine, Tomato sauce, Blood, Dessert (chocolate), Peat, Tea, Beta-Carotene, Grass,

Animal fat/red dye, Baby-food, Clay, Butter, used Engine oil

EMPA (Swiss Federal Laboratories for Materials Science and Technology) Stain Monitor 102


How is Performance Evaluated?Instrumentally

Reflectometer (Colorimeter)

Measures Color, not reflectance (gloss)

L = Lightness (100 = Pure white, 0 = Pure Black)a = Red/green

b = Blue/yellow


How is Performance Evaluated?Instrumentally

Stain Removal Index (SRI)

The SRI is a 0-100 scale, with 0 = no stain removal and 100 = complete stain removal

SRI = 100 x ΔE*(US-UF) - ΔE*(WS-UF)

ΔE*(US-UF)

Where: US = Unwashed stain area UF = Unwashed (unstained) fabric area ΔE*(US-UF) = Delta-E color difference between the unwashed stain and the unwashed fabric Δ E*(WS-UF) = Delta-E color difference between the washed stain and the unwashed fabric.

The value ΔE (absolute color difference) is calculated as:ΔE* = √ΔL*2+ Δa*2+ Δb*2

Where: L = reflectance, a = redness/greenness, b = yellowness/blueness,


How is Performance Evaluated?Visually

Using a 1 to 5 Rating Scale by comparing stains after washing against the AATCC 130 Stain release Replica.

1 = Residual stain equivalent to Replica 12 = Residual stain equivalent to Replica 23 = Residual stain equivalent to Replica 34 = Residual stain equivalent to Replica 4

5 = No residue stain


Trick is to judge intensity of stain. Challenge is in applying a monochromatic scale to colored stains.

Original Intent of AATCC 130 was to evaluate the ability of fabrics to release oily stains (Corn oil)

Many stains are intensely colored or saturated and rate lower than 1.0

How do you rate these stains?

How is Performance Evaluated?Visually


How is Performance Evaluated?

Image Analysis

Uses a combination of digital scanning/photography along with Image Analysis software.



Summary of Techniques

Stain Before AfterASTM D4265Colorimeter

Stain removal index

AATCC 130 visual rating

(5 judges)

Image analysis(Lightness only using

D3050 equation)

Motor oil 76.6% 1.5 48.9%

Animal fat & red dye 64.4% 2 49.9%

Tomato Sauce 82.3% 3.5 74.4%



Summary of TechniquesMethod of Evaluation Pros Cons

Instrumental

Quantitative dataNIST traceable calibration

Used in published standard methodsHistory as Industry Standard

Factors measurement of stain before washing in calculations

Cost of ColorimeterLimited area of measurement without taking

multiple readings across stain area.

Visual EconomicalQuick

SubjectiveDoes not factor in stain before washing in

ratingMonochromatic scale

Requires a panel of judges (≥3)

Image AnalysisQuantitative data

Economical & AccessibleComplete Stain area selection

color scaleCalibration traceability?


Color loss susceptibility Dye swatch IDHeavy Nylon 6.6 dyed Acid red 151,

Medium Cotton Print Cloth Direct Blue 1Light Cotton Print Cloth Direct Blue 90

ASTM D5548 Standard Guide for Evaluating Color Transfer or Color Loss of Dyed Fabrics in Laundering

This test method evaluates the degree of color loss from a dyed fabric and or color transfer to undyed fabric.

Uses 3 different standard dyed swatches prone to heavy, medium or light color loss along with undyed cotton print cloth to accept released dye.

Each dyed swatch is washed separately in a Terg-o-tometerBut can be modified to use a household machine as in ASTM D4265


Color Loss & Transfer


Color Loss (or Color Transfer) is measured as absolute Color change ΔE

ΔE = √ (Lw - Lo)2 + (aw – ao)2 + (bw - bo)2

Where: L = reflectance, a = redness/greenness, b = yellowness/blueness w = fabric before washing o = fabric after washing


Color Loss & Transfer


Foam is not your Friend

It all starts and ends with customer.

Frustrates customer, wastes water, energy & time

FOAMING


FOAMINGASTM D1173 Standard Test Method for Foaming

Properties of Surface-Active Agents(Ross Miles Foam Test)

ASTM D3519-Standard Test Method for Foam in Aqueous Media (Blender Test)

Assess both how much foam is produced immediately and how quickly it knocks down


Looking for more on Formulation & Testing?

Consumer Specialty Products Association hosts a Cleaning Products Fundamentals Course every 2 years at its mid-year meeting.

CSPA is planning an Intermediate Course for May 2016 in Washington D.C.

Presented by leading Companies and industry ProfessionalsCurriculum includes surfactants, builders, additives, solvents, formulations,

testing, sustainability & regulatory issues.

Look for information & registration at http://www.cspa.org/events/cspa-event-directory/


Questions/Comments/Contact

Joe McCarthyLab Services Manager/Senior Regulatory Affairs Specialist

Dell Tech Laboratories

T: 519-858-5024

[email protected]

Product Safety - Regulatory Affairs – Lab Services