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Crib 5 is the short name for the test known as BS5852 Ignition Source 5.
Wooden Crib Structure made up of 5 layers.
Alcohol is added to a small piece of lint at the that bottom of the crib. This is then placed on the fabric and ignited within 2 minutes.
For a pass result to be recorded, all flaming should cease within 10 minutes.
PFCs (Perfluorocarbons) are artificial substances that have been used in the textile industry because they are efficient at repelling water, oil, grease and dirt in general.
PFCs or Perfluorinated compounds are frequently applied to fabrics in order to make them stain resistant. They are considered to be persistent and bioaccumulative, meaning they accumulate in the tissues of living organisms.
They are also a hazard for the environment because they are not biodegradable and have an extremely long-life span.
The European Commission is currently drawing up a proposal to reduce the use of PFCs while listing them as hazardous substances which should no longer be used.
Phthalates are a group of chemical compounds used in the production of plastics such as PVC to make them softer and more flexible. Phthalates were first introduced in the 1920s and are used in a wide variety of products from building materials, personal-care products, medical devices to pharmaceuticals, food products, and textiles. Essentially they are contained in a multitude of everyday plastic products.
When present in these products, phthalates can be released because they are not chemically bound to the plastics.
It is imperative that any vinyl fabric that is specified be manufactured without the use of phthalates as they have been found to have “endocrine disrupting properties”.
Contract grade fabrics undergo the Martindale Test to check their durability and suitability for use. The test is also known as the Rub Test and it tests for abrasion to the fabric, simulating use in a real world application.
The test gives a score in thousands of rubs. Domestic grade fabrics typically have a rating of up to 20,000 rubs where contract grade tends to be much higher, circa 100,000+
Typical classifications include:
Light domestic use 15,000 rubs
General domestic use 25,000 rubs
Heavy domestic use 30,000 rubs
General contract use 40,000 to 50,000 rubs
Extreme or severe contract use 75,000 rubs and above
To see our Martindale machine in action, check out this Vine clip.
Just Colour and Chieftain have both passed the ‘Tropical Test’ / ‘Jungle Test’. This is a well-known test in the upholstery market and while its actual name is the Tropical Test, it can also be referred to as the Jungle Test.
Vinyl fabric can be affected by moisture as well as elevated temperatures, and in certain applications very high humidity is experienced with relatively high temperatures. In order to ensure that the vinyl fabric in question will perform under these conditions, the Tropical / Jungle test was developed.
This test involves placing vinyl sample into a test chamber. This test chamber is an oven pre-heated to 70˚C and at least 95% relative humidity. The test pieces are then placed in the oven and exposed to free passage of air on both sides. It is important to remember that the pressure inside the oven does not exceed atmospheric pressure.
The test sample is then examined against a control sample at the end of each week for a number of weeks or until the product breaks down and fails. Failure of the test sample would be in the form of surface cracking, delaminating of the lacquer layer from the backing cloth or extreme changes in colour and gloss levels.
It is accepted that a product designed for domestic purposes should withstand 3 weeks in the test chamber, and a product designed for contract upholstery should withstand 5 weeks in the test chamber.
The result for Just Colour and Chieftain is 5 weeks, which in test time is the equivalent of 5 years. This means, that in real terms, Just Colour and Chieftain can withstand extreme conditions over a period of 5 years.
We use a combination of in house testing in our own lab and a number of UKAS accredited labs to prove our own findings. All of the certificates which we provide to back up our fabric come from one of these UKAS accredited labs.
Chieftain is a worldwide supplier of performance fabric, headquartered in Ireland and with offices in the UK, and partners around Europe. Our R&D, quality control, distribution and marketing all takes place in Ireland. All our fabric is manufactured in Europe, but is hand inspected at our facility in Ireland before dispatch.
You can purchase fabric directly from us by emailing:
orders@chieftainfabrics.com
Alternatively, we have distributors across the UK and Europe. You will find their details here:
We use recycled sources for our backing cloths whenever possible. These can either be recycled PVC sources, recycled polyester or sustainable cotton. We have reduced the PVC content of all of our fabrics. We can recycle used fabrics which have reached the end of their useful life and are active members of the Vinyl PLus Organisation. We know plastics are not renewable, and we recognise that in an ideal world we would not use them, but we’re doing as much as we can … and more than most.
For our full story on our sustainability efforts please see here:
It is most important to care for your fabric in the correct way. Incorrect cleaning products and procedures will damage the fabric over time. Please find cleaning guidelines here:
All of our collections are guaranteed. If you require further information on this, please contact us at enquiries@chieftainfabrics.com
Absolutely.
All we need is a small sample of the colour / design you want matched. Whether that is a vinyl, a Pantone number or an RAL code, we can match it. Our minimum run depends on the product ordered but is as little as 500m.
Width is between 1.37 and 1.41 metres. Usable width is at least 1.37 metres wide.
Minimum order quantity is 1 linear metre.
The Teflon™ brand is mostly known for its non-stick protection, however Teflon™ fabric protector provides the same invisible force field for fabrics. It forms a molecular shield around fibres, guarding against oil and water-based stains, dust and dry soil, all without impacting the look, touch, feel or colour of the fabric.
Aquaclean® is an innovative fabric manufacturing process which allows stains to be removed using water only. Aquaclean’s® unique stain release technology ensures that the majority of stains including wine, ink, sauce, fat, mud, chocolate and cream can easily be removed. Carousel, treated with Aquaclean® is a high performance fabric composed of 2 efficient parts. The base layer is composed of almost 60% recycled cotton. The top layer consists of many polyamide fibres which are drawn to the base layer using magnetic attraction. These tiny fibres are pretreated with a miro detergent which prevents dirt from penetrating the fabric.
Crib 7 is the short name for the test known as BS5852 Ignition Source 7 – wood crib.
Wooden Crib Structure made up of 7 layers.
Alcohol is added to a small piece of lint at the that bottom of the crib. This is then placed on the fabric and ignited within 2 minutes. For a pass result to be recorded, all flaming should cease within 10 minutes.
Crib 7 fabric is a type of material that is specifically designed for use in high-risk environments such as hospitals, prisons, and oil rigs. It is known for its durability and resistance to wear and tear, making it a popular choice for applications where the fabric will be subjected to heavy use.