tbs             TDC8 (5629 )P3 
 
 
 
 
 
Draft  
Tanzania Standard  
Textiles – Twines – Specification s: Part 2. Twines made from man -
made multifilament fibres.  
 
(First edition)  
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
TANZANIA BUREAU OF STANDARDS  
 
 
1 
 0. FOREWORD  
 
0.1 This Draft Tanzania Standard is being issued to set up  performance  specifications on Man-made 
multifilament fibre twines  for different applications . 
 
0.2 In the preparation of this Draft Tanzania Standard assistance was derived from  
 Local company specification s 
 
 International Bureau for the Standardization of Man -made Fibers  (BISFA) - 2014  
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
  
2 
 Tanzania Bureau of Standards  
Draft Tanzania Standard                  TDC8 ( 5629 )P3 
Textiles – Twines Specifications: Part 2.Twines made from man -made 
multifilament fibres.  
1. SCOPE  
 
This Draft Tanzania Standard describes materials; manufacturing and a performance requirement for 
man-made multifilament fibre twines  for different applicati ons.  
 
2. NORMATIVE  REFERENCES  
The following referenced documents are indispensable for the application of this document. For dated 
references, only the edition cited applies. For undated references, the latest edition of the referenced 
document (including any amendments) applies  
3TZS 3: Atmospheric conditions for testing;  
a) TZS 4: Rounding off numerical values.  
3. TERMS AND DEFINITIONS  
For the purpose of this Draft  Tanzania Standard the following terms and definitions shall apply:  
3.1 Breaking strength – nominal force (or load) expected  to break or rupture a single specimen in a 
tensile test conducted under a specified procedure.  
3.2 Decitex – mass of yarn in grams per 10,000 metre.  
3.3 Linear density – mass per unit length of textile products such as ropes, cords and twines. In the 
universal count system, it i s expressed in Tex or kilotex (s ee annex A).  
3.4 Multifilament yarn – filament yarn consisting of many fine continuous filaments produced by the 
spinning of a polymeric material suitable for fiber production.  
 
3.5 Tenacity – force divided by linear density  of the unstrained specimen, the maximum specific stress 
that is developed in a tensile test to rupture.  
3.6 Package – container, as a box or  case, in which something is or may be packed in.  
4. MATERIALS  
4.1 Man-made  multifilament fibre twines for all three types of materials mentioned above, shall be 
fabricated from continuous flat multifilament fibre of suitable strength to meet all the requirements of thi s 
Draft Tanzania Standard ( see annex C).  
4.2 No extraneous mat erials for all material shall be added for the purpose of weighting the multifilament 
fibre twines. Extractable matter of the finished multifilament fibre twine shall not exceed 5%.  
  
3 
 5. REQUIREMENTS  
5.1 Requirements of man -made multifilament fibres shall i nclude the fol lowing as given in Tables 1 , 2 and 
3; 
5.2 Linear density and runnage – They are subject to a tolerance of ± 5% and sh all be as describe d in 
annex A;  
5.3 Minimum breaking force – Shall be as specified from  Table s 1, 2 and  3 above . Any tolerance  to be 
allowed shall be agreed between the purchaser and the supplier. Breaking force shall  be determined as 
described in a nnex B;  
5.4 Mass of package – A tolerance of +10%, -5% shall be allowed on the specific mass of any package 
provided that the variati on from the gross specified mass of any delivery of one size and  description does 
not exceed 5%;  
5.5 Requirements b eyond the scope of this Draft Tanzania Standard  shall be established by a mutual 
agreement between the buyer and the seller . 
Table 1: Perform ance r equirements of Polyester fibre twine  
Linear density  
 (Dtex)  Number of  
Filaments  Breaking Strength Min,  
(N) Tenacity  
(cN/Dtex)  Elongation  
at break %  
145 – 222 45 – 48 10.0 – 18.0 5.5 – 6.5 15 
235 – 470 48 – 96 19.0 – 38 6.5 – 7.0 16 
550 – 930 96 – 192 45 – 60 7.0 – 7.5 13 
1100  72 – 192 60 – 90 7.0 – 8.0  13 
1440  192  115 8.2  13 
1670  192-384 120 7 13  
2200  384  162  7 13  
3300  384  243  7.5 13  
 
Table 2: Requirements of Polypropylene fibre twines  
Linear density  
 (Dtex)  Number of  
Filaments  Breaking Strength Min, 
(N) Tenacity  
(cN/Dtex)  Elongation  
at break %  
950 98 40 4.5 18 
 
1100  110  60 5.5 20  
 
1440  140 70 5.5 20 
 
2200  230  120 6 20  
 
3300   
360   
90  
6  
20   
4 
 Table 3: Requirements of Polyamide (Nylon) fibre twine  
Linear density  
(Dtex)  Number of  
Filaments  Breaking Strength  min, 
(N) Tenacity  
(cN/Dtex ) Elongation  
at break %  
750 100 60 6.8 17 
940 140 76 7.5 18 
1440  192/210  117  7.8 20 
1870  280  152  8.0 20 
2100  300 170 8.0 20 
 
Notes: 
Converting Measurements of Tenacity  
cN/dtex  = g/den  divided by  1.1325  
cN/tex = g/den divided by 0.11325  
g/dtex = g/den multiplied by 0.9  
g/tex = g/den multiplied by 9  
Table 4 – Conversion Formulas for the various numbering systems  
Convert into 
known  tex Decitex 
(dtex)  Denier  
(den)  Metric No.   
(Nm)  English Cotton No. 
(Ne) 
 
tex   
10 x tex   
9 x tex   
1000/tex   
591/tex  
Decitex  
(dtex )  
Dtex/10    
0.9 x dtex   
10000/dtex   
5910/dtex  
Denier  
(den)   
Den/9   
Den/0.9    
9000/den   
5314/den  
Metric No.  
(Nm)   
1000/Nm   
10000/Nm   
9000/Nm   
  
0.59 x Nm  
English Cotton 
No. (Ne)   
591/Ne   
5910/Ne   
5314/Ne   
Ne x 1.69   
 
6. PACKING, PACKAGING AND MARKING  
6.1 Packing  
The identity of the material, qu ality and origin of multifilament fibre conforming to this Draft Tanzania 
Standard shall be marked alongside the package  so as to remain visible  during usage.   
6.2 Packaging  
6.2.1 The packaging unit may be a reel, a coil, a box or a bag or as specified by the purchaser.  
6.2.2 The finished multifilament  fibre shall be supplied in a package, so that it can be distribut ed freely 
without entanglement of any kind.  
  
5 
 6.2.3 Either the unit mass or the length may be used to invoice the multifilament fibre . When the gross 
mass is used for invoicing, the mass of the packaging shall not exceed 1.5% of the gross mass of t he 
multif ilament fibre . 
6.3 Marking  
Each coil shall have a label securely attached on which shall be clearly and legibly marked the following:  
a) constituent material;  
b) identification of manu facturer and country of origin;  
c) reference number and  
d) delivered length.  
7. SAMPLING  
 
Sampling shall be as representative as possible of the batch that is to be subjected to the measurements 
and tests, and samples shall be selected away from the ends of the packages at points where they are in 
true lay.  
7.1 Lot - A quantity of packages  of the same linear density, same type, and same dimensions, 
manufactured under similar conditions and delivered to a buyer against a dispatch note shall constitute a 
lot. 
7.2 The conformity of the lot shall be determined on the basis of test carried out on the same sample 
selected from it.  
7.3 The number of package  to be selected at random from a lot shall be as give n in Table 5 : 
          Table 5 – Sampling plan  
 
Lot size   
Sample size  
 
0 to 10 packages   
1 
 
11 to  100packages   
10 
 
101 and above   
100 
  
7.4 For evaluating the length, linear  density, breaking load and  the number o f packages  selected 
according to 7.3 shall constitute the test sample.  
For evaluating the gross mass of the lot all the package  in the lot shall constitute the test sample.  
7.5 Criteria for conformity – The lot shall be declared as conforming to this D raft Tanzania Standard if 
the condition s below are satisfied:  
a. The length of each package  is not less than the specified length and  
b. The average values of the test results in resp ect of other requirements conform to the 
requirements specified in the standard.   
6 
 ANNEX A  
DETERMINATION OF LINEAR DENSITY  
A-1 Principle  
Weigh, under specified conditions, specimens of specified length, then followed by ca lculation of the 
linear density.  
A-2 Apparatus  
A-2.1 Balance, accurate to 0.5g.  
A-2.2 Wrap – reel of known perimeter  
A-3 Specimen  
Selection  
Select 10 m (heavier twine) or 20m (lighter twine)  from each package , proceeding in the following manner : 
Directly from the center of each package , in a n anti – clockwise direction, draw the first 10m of twine and 
discard them. The n draw 10m of twine (for 1000m/kg and heavier) or 20m of twine (for lighter than 
1000m/kg) and wind them as adjacent turns (without overlapping) on the wrap – reel, exercising j ust 
sufficient tension on the twine to maintain straightness.  
Each of 10m or 20m thus obtained constitutes a test piece.  
A-4 Procedure  
Weigh each specimen nearest to 0.5g (let m, be the mass obtained in grams).  
A-5 Expression of results  
A-5.1 Calculation of linear density  
For each specimen; calculate the linear density T, in Tex, using the following formula:  
 T =      
  
Where  
m, is the mass, in grams, of the specimen and  
l, is the length, in meters of the specimen.  
A-5.2 Calculation of runnage  
Calculate the runnage L, in meters per kilogram of twine, using the following formula:  
  L =    
  
          Where T, is the linear density   
7 
 ANNEX B  
METHOD FOR DETERMINATION OF BREAKING LOAD  
B-1 Apparatus  
Use a power driven constant rate of extension or constant rate of traverse testing machine, which 
includes a pair of suitable devices to hold the specimen, a means of elongating the specimen at a suitable 
rate and a load – indicating mechanism to indicate or record continuously the load applied to the 
specimen.  
The machine shall comply with the specified requirements for grade A machine, that is; the maximum 
permissible error shall not exceed 1% of the applied load or 0.2% of the maximum of the scale, whichever 
is the greater. Subject to agreement between  the purchaser and the supplier a power -driven machine of 
the constant rate of loading type may be employed.  
B-2 Specimens  
Take ten or more than 10 specimens per sample length. The free length of the test specimen between the 
holding devices at the start o f the test shall be 500 mm. 
B-3 Speed  
The rate of traverse of the straining head of Constant rate of extension ( CRE ) and Constant rate traverse 
(CRT) machines shall be 500mm ± 50 mm per minute.  
If a Constant rate of loading ( CRL) machine is used, the rate of  loading shall be that the time to break is 
60 ± 10 seconds.  
B-4 Procedure  
Insert the specimen carefully between the holding devices, set the machine in operation and increase the 
load continuously until the specimen breaks. Record the maximum load attaine d. Should any specimen 
slip in either of the holding devices or break in or at either of the holding devices at a load less than the 
appropriate minimum breaking load specified in the schedule, disregard the result and test a fresh 
specimen.  
B-5 Results  
Express the result for the breaking  load of each specimen in N or K g or decanewton (daN) to the nearest 
1% 
The SI unit for force is the newton (N). A load of 1kg = 0.981 decanewton (daN)  
 
 
 
 
  
8 
 ANNEX C  
MET HODS FOR DETERMINATION OF NUMBE R OF FILAMENTS  
C-1 Apparatus  
 C-1.1 Microscope  
C-1.2 Microscopic Slides  
C-1.3 Glycerol/Water  
C-1.4 Cutter & Measuring Scale  
C-2 Principle  
The specimens in the form of filament yarn are cuttings from different places so as to cover the entire 
surface in each direction/dif ferent cone . Mount those specimens on the microscopic slides using glycerol / 
Water.  
C-3 Procedure  
C-3.1 Take 5 specimens of yarn cuttings from separated different places so as to cover the entire surface 
in each direction/different cone .   
C-3.2 Mount the specimens on the microscopic slides using glycerol and tease the strands so as to 
achieve maximum separation of all individual filaments.   
C-3.3 Mount the slides on the microscope.  
C-3.4 Count the individual number  of filaments visually.  
C-3.5 Write or note down the number  of filaments on the work sheet.  
C-3.6 Repeat the same process for all the specimens.  
C-3.7 Then report the number  of filaments average of five readings as the direction wise in case of fabric.