ASTM F903-18

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it may not be technically possible to adequately depict all changes accurately, ASTM recommends that users consult prior editions as appropriate. In all cases only the current version
of the standard as published by ASTM is to be considered the official document.
Designation: F903 − 17 F903 − 18
Standard Test Method for
Resistance of Materials Used in Protective Clothing to
Penetration by Liquids
This standard is issued under the fixed designation F903; the number immediately following the designation indicates the year of original
adoption or, in the case of revision, the year of last revision. A number in parentheses indicates the year of last reapproval. A superscript
epsilon (´) indicates an editorial change since the last revision or reapproval.
INTRODUCTION
Workers involved in the production, use, and transportation of liquid chemicals can be exposed to
numerous compounds capable of causing harm upon contact with the human body. The deleterious
effects of these chemicals can range from acute trauma such as skin irritation and burn, to chronic
degenerative disease,disease such as cancer. Since engineering controls may not eliminate all possible
exposures, attention is often placed on reducing the potential for direct skin contact through the use
of protective clothing that resists permeation, penetration, and degradation.
This test method determines resistance of protective clothing materials, seams, and closures to
liquid penetration only. Resistance of protective clothing materials to permeation is determined by Test
Method F739 or F1383. While degradation resistance is not directly determined by this test method,
the degradation of a material can be a contributing factor to the observed penetration of a liquid.
Test Method F1359 assesses the liquid penetration of full protective clothing items or ensembles of
clothing and equipment.
1. Scope
1.1 This test method is used to test specimens of protective clothing materials, assemblies such as seams and closures, or
interfaces used in the construction of protective clothing. The resistance to visible penetration of the test liquid is determined with
the liquid in continuous contact with the normally outside (exterior) surface of the test specimen.
1.2 This test method includes different procedures for maintaining the liquid in contact with the test specimen in terms of the
length of exposure and the pressure applied. Suggestions are provided for how to select an appropriate procedure for liquid contact.
1.3 In some cases, significant amounts of hazardous materials will permeate specimens that pass the penetration tests. For more
sensitive analyses, use either Test Method F739 or F1383 to determine permeation.
1.4 This test method does not address penetration of vapors through protective clothing materials.
1.5 This test method is not applicable to non-planar protective clothing materials, interfaces, or assemblies such as the finger
tips fingertips or crotch areas of gloves, which are possible failure points.
1.6 This test method does not address the liquid penetration resistance of full protective clothing items or ensembles. Use Test
Method F1359 for this purpose.
1.7 The values as stated in inch-pound units are to be regarded as the standard. The values in parentheses are for information
only.
1.8 This standard does not purport to address all of the safety concerns, if any, associated with its use. It is the responsibility
of the user of this standard to establish appropriate safety safety, health, and healthenvironmental practices and determine the
applicability of regulatory limitations prior to use. Specific hazards are given in Section 7.
1.9 This international standard was developed in accordance with internationally recognized principles on standardization
established in the Decision on Principles for the Development of International Standards, Guides and Recommendations issued
by the World Trade Organization Technical Barriers to Trade (TBT) Committee.
This test method is under the jurisdiction of ASTM Committee F23 on Personal Protective Clothing and Equipment and is the direct responsibility of Subcommittee
F23.30 on Chemicals.
Current edition approved Feb. 1, 2017July 1, 2018. Published March 2017July 2018. Originally approved in 1984. Last previous edition approved in 20102017 as
F903 – 10.F903 – 17. DOI: 10.1520/F0903-17.10.1520/F0903-18.
Copyright © ASTM International, 100 Barr Harbor Drive, PO Box C700, West Conshohocken, PA 19428-2959. United States
F903 − 18
2. Referenced Documents
2.1 ASTM Standards:
D1777 Test Method for Thickness of Textile Materials
D3776 Test Methods for Mass Per Unit Area (Weight) of Fabric
E105 Practice for Probability Sampling of Materials
F104 Classification System for Nonmetallic Gasket Materials
F739 Test Method for Permeation of Liquids and Gases through Protective Clothing Materials under Conditions of Continuous
Contact
F1359 Test Method for Liquid Penetration Resistance of Protective Clothing or Protective Ensembles Under a Shower Spray
While on a Mannequin
F1383 Test Method for Permeation of Liquids and Gases through Protective Clothing Materials under Conditions of Intermittent
Contact
2.2 NFPA Standards:
NFPA 1951 Standard on Protective Ensembles for Technical Rescue Incidents
NFPA 1952 Standard on Surface Water Operations Protective Clothing and Equipment
NFPA 1971 Standard on Protective Ensembles for Structural Fire Fighting and Proximity Fire Fighting
NFPA 1991 Standard of Vapor-Protective Ensembles for Hazardous Materials Emergencies
NFPA 1992 Standard on Liquid Splash-Protective Ensembles and Clothing for Hazardous Materials Emergencies
2.3 Military Standard:
MIL-STD-105E Sampling Procedures and Tables for Inspection by Attributes
2.4 ANSI/ASQ Standard:
ANSI/ASQ Z1.4 Sampling Procedures and Tables for Inspection by Attributes
2.5 ISO Standard:
ISO 2859-1 Sampling Plans for Inspection by Attributes
3. Terminology
3.1 Definitions:
3.1.1 degradation, n—a deleterious change in one or more properties of a material.
3.1.2 penetration, n—for chemical protective clothing, the movement of substances through voids in a protective clothing
material or items on a non-molecular level.
3.1.2.1 Discussion—
Voids include gaps, pores, holes, and imperfections in closures, seams, and interfaces between protective clothing items.
Penetration does not require a change of state; solid chemicals move through voids in the material as solids, liquids as liquids, and
gases as gases. Penetration is a distinctly different mechanism from permeation.
3.1.3 permeation, n—for chemical protective clothing, the movement of chemicals as molecules through protective clothing
material or items by the processes ofof: (1) absorption of the chemical into the contact surface of the material, (2) diffusion of the
absorbed molecules throughout the material, and (3) desorption of the chemical from the opposite surface of the material.
3.1.3.1 Discussion—
Permeation is a distinctly different mechanism from penetration and does not require a void in the material to occur.
3.1.4 protective clothing, n—an item of clothing that is specifically designed and constructed for the intended purpose of
isolating all or part of the body from a potential hazard; or, isolating the external environment from contamination by the wearer
of the clothing.
3.1.4.1 Discussion—
For referenced ASTM standards, visit the ASTM website, www.astm.org, or contact ASTM Customer Service at service@astm.org. For Annual Book of ASTM Standards
volume information, refer to the standard’s Document Summary page on the ASTM website.
Available from National Fire Protection Association (NFPA), 1 Batterymarch Park, Quincy, MA 02169-7471, http://www.nfpa.org.
Available from DLA Document Services, Building 4/D, 700 Robbins Ave., Philadelphia, PA 19111-5098, http://quicksearch.dla.mil.
Available from American Society for Quality (ASQ), 600 N. Plankinton Ave., Milwaukee, WI 53203, http://www.asq.org.
Available from International Organization for Standardization (ISO), ISO Central Secretariat, BIBC II, Chemin de Blandonnet 8, CP 401, 1214 Vernier, Geneva,
Switzerland, http://www.iso.org.
F903 − 18
The potential hazard addressed by this test method is penetration by liquids.
4. Summary of Test Method
4.1 A protective clothing specimen is placed in a specialized test cell where its normal exterior side is contacted by a liquid.
The interior side of the specimen is open to viewing and is observed for evidence of visible penetration of the liquid.
4.2 This test method provides different procedures for length of times and pressures applied by the liquid during its contact with
the specimen. For most procedures, the observation of visible liquid penetration is indicated as a failing result. In one procedure,
the pressure is sequentially increased to specified levels and the test result is the specific pressure when visible liquid penetration
was observed. This test method also allows for other methods of liquid contact.
5. Significance and Use
5.1 This test method is normally used to evaluate the barrier effectiveness against penetration of liquids through materials,
seams, closures, or other planar assemblies used in protective clothing and specimens from finished items of protective clothing.
5.1.1 Finished items of protective clothing include gloves, arm protectors, aprons, coveralls, suits, hoods, boots, and similar
items.
5.1.2 The phrase “specimens from finished items” is permitted to include continuous regions of protective clothing items as well
as seamed or other discontinuous regions of protective clothing.
5.1.3 The types of specimens are limited to those that are relatively flat (planar) that are capable of being sealed in the test cell
specified in this test method without peripheral leakage.
5.2 A substitute challenge liquid (for example, water or isopropanol) is appropriate in some cases to generalize material
penetration resistance to liquids. However, it is possible that differences in chemical and molecular properties (for example, surface
tension) may lead to different results.
5.3 In addition to the failure mode where a liquid finds a pathway for penetration through a void, imperfection, or defect in
material or clothing subassembly, some selected chemicals cause degradation of barrier material, film, or coating, leading to
penetration over extended periods of contact.
5.4 Five different procedures for how the specimen is exposed to the liquid are provided in Table 1. In this test method, all
procedures involve liquid exposure that is continuous over the duration of the test. These procedures entail different hydrostatic
pressures and durations of liquid exposure.
5.4.1 Procedures A, B, and C apply a set pressure (6.9 or 13.8 kPa [1 or 2 psig]) for a specified period of time (1 or 10 min)
over a 15- or 60-min liquid exposure time.
5.4.2 Procedures A and B represent the originally established methods of liquid contact developed by the National Institute for
Occupational Safety and Health, where Procedure A involves the application of a test pressure (13.8 kPa [2 psig]) that has been
found to discriminate the liquid barrier performance of materials, while a lower pressure (6.9 kPa [1 psig]) is used for Procedure
8,9
B to accommodate materials that exhibit ballooning or extension when the 13.8 kPa (2 psig) pressure is applied. Both procedures
entail exposure of the specimen for 5 min at ambient pressure followed by 10 min of exposure of the specimen to the test pressure.
5.4.3 Procedure C was developed to account for potentially longer exposures where failure may also occur as the result of
material or assembly degradation. Procedure C uses a 13.8 kPa (2 psig) test pressure for a portion of the test where the specimen
is first exposed to the liquid at ambient pressure for 5 min, followed by 1 min at 13.8 kPa (2 psig), and continuing for 54 additional
minutes at ambient pressure.
5.4.4 Procedure D involves the sequential increase of pressure from ambient (0 kPa [0 psig]) to 68.9 kPa (10 psig) in increments
of 3.5 kPa (0.5 psig) in 1-min intervals until liquid penetration is observed at a specific test pressure. The time interval between
changes in pressure is set at 1 min to coincide with the time of applied pressure in Procedure C.
5.4.5 Procedure E permits the test method user to specify the pressures and duration of the specimen’s exposure to the liquid.
5.5 Different results are reported by the different procedures.
5.5.1 Procedures A, B, and C results are reported as pass“pass” or fail“fail” for each replicate. Passing results indicate that no
liquid penetration was observed over the duration of the test exposure.
5.5.2 Procedure D results are reported as the test pressure at which liquid penetration was observed for each replicate.
5.6 The choice of pressure/time sequence and type of test result are dependent on the objectives of the testing.
Stull, J. O., White, D. F., and Greimel, T. C., “A Comparison of the Liquid Penetration Test with Other Chemical Resistance Tests and its Application in Determining
the Performance of Protective Clothing,” Performance of Protective Clothing: Fourth Volume, ASTM STP 1133 (J. McBriarity and N. Henry, Eds.), ASTM International, West
Conshohocken, PA, 1992, pp. 123–140.
Mansdorf, S. Z., and Berardinelli, S. P., “Chemical Protective Clothing Standard Test Method Development Part 1: Penetration Test Method,” American Industrial
Hygiene Association Journal, Vol 49, No. 1, 1988, pp. 21–25.
Berardinelli, S. P. and Cottingham, L. “Evaluation of Chemical Protective Garment Seams and Closures for Resistance to Liquid Penetration,” Performance of Protective
Clothing, ASTM STP 900 (R. L. Barker and G. C. Coletta, Eds.), ASTM International, West Conshohocken, PA, 1986, pp. 263–275.
F903 − 18
TABLE 1 Pressure/Time Sequences and Conditions for Selected
Circumstances
A
Procedure Pressure/Time Sequence Circumstance
A 0 psig for 5 min followed by Used for selecting protective
2 psig (13.8 kPa) for 10 min clothing materials, seams, and
closures to limit exposure to
liquid splashes.
B 0 psig for 5 min followed by Used for selecting extensible
1 psig (6.9 kPa) for 10 min protective clothing materials
(such as gloves) to limit
exposure to liquid splashes.
B
C 0 psig for 5 min followed by Used for selecting protective
2 psig (13.8 kPa) for 1 min clothing materials, seams, and
followed by 0 psig for 54 min closures to limit exposure of
fire-service personnel to liquid
splashes during emergency
responses.
D 0 psig to 10 psig (68.9 kPa) in Used when the pressure where
0.5-psig (3.5-kPa) increments penetration occurs is sought
at 60-s intervals without a set pressure pass/
fail criteria limit. Can also be
used for quality control
purposes on the assurance of
material or seam liquid
holdout.
E Include in the report the time Used for other specified needs
and pressure sequence used or circumstance.
if different from Procedure A,
B, C, or D
A
Use of a retaining screen is optional. If a retaining screen is used, indicate its use
in the report.
B
Procedure C is specified in several standards for emergency response protective
clothing, including NFPA 1951, NFPA 1952, NFPA 1971, NFPA 1991, and NFPA
1992, available from NFPA, Batterymarch Park, Quincy, MA 02269.
5.6.1 Procedure C is specified in several different National Fire Protection Association standards for establishing the minimum
barrier performance of protective clothing materials, seams, and closures of first responder protective clothing.
5.6.2 Procedure D may be used when the pressure where penetration occurs is sought without a set pressure pass/fail criterion.
Procedure D also has utility for assessing the robustness of protective clothing materials and assemblies as part of quality systems.
It is also possible to use Procedure D to supplement the pass/fail results provided by Procedures A, B, and C.
5.6.3 Procedure E permits setting a specific sequence of pressure/time exposures based on the specific needs for the testing.
5.6.4 In this test method, a hydrostatic pressure is applied but does not necessarily correlate with a mechanical pressure against
a semi-rigid or rigid surface.
5.6.5 It is recommended that a human factors investigation, hazard/risk exposure assessment, or similar study be conducted to
determine the most suitable procedure for relating the choice of a specific procedure for measuring protective clothing material
liquid penetration resistance to the intended protective performance of the clothing material.
5.7 This test method permits the use of a retaining screen for preventing the overextension of a specimen as pressure is applied.
However, it is important that the selected retaining screen does not interfere with the observation of liquid penetration or affect
the sealing of the specimen in the test cell.
5.8 A critical feature of the test is how the specimen is sealed in the test cell. Inadequate sealing of the specimen can lead to
a false result (observed liquid penetration that is due to the method of sealing rather than penetration through the specimen). It is
recommended that any special means used to seal specimens in the test cell be validated for providing sufficient integrity of the
specimen in the test cell, not contribute to specimen damage, and not interfere with the observation of liquid penetration. Special
means used to seal specimens in the test cell should be documented in the report.
5.9 A minimum number of three test specimens is established for this test method. However, it is also appropriate to establish
sampling plans based on a specific acceptable quality limit using a larger number of specimens, depending on the application of
the test method. Potential sampling plans for this approach are found in MIL-S
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