By using dissolving pulp as a raw material, textile companies can play an active role in the transition towards a more sustainable and circular economy. By investing in research and development of dissolving fibers and production methods, the industry can contribute to promoting a more sustainable future for textile production and consumption.

The quality of dissolving pulp is crucial for the resulting fiber's properties, such as strength, elasticity, and color fastness. Therefore, it is important to carefully characterize and test the pulp before it is used in the production process to ensure that it meets specific requirements and standards for the intended use.

RISE has extensive experience and expertise in the characterization and testing of dissolving pulp and can assist companies in the textile and cellulose industries in evaluating and optimizing their raw materials for the production of high-quality fibres and products.

In the viscose pilot plant, along with the analyses mentioned below, individual pulps, as well as the suitability of various cellulose blends for viscose production, can be evaluated. Screening experiments can be conducted to investigate the influence of different process parameters on various dissolving pulps and to test how well a cellulose performs under given process settings. It is also possible to evaluate different process chemicals, test various additives for fibre properties, and so on.

Common pulp analyses:

• α-, β- och γ-cellulose – A widely used course measurement of the distribution of the degree of polymerisation (DP) of the pulp. High values of α-cellulose is seen as favourable.
• Acetone Extract – Low content of material extracted with acetone is favourable, but constant levels can be more preferable to ensure stabile processing. Many surface active additives will show up here.
• Carbonhydrates –Characterisation of the sugar moieties of which the pulp consists, which provides information about e.g. the hemicellulose content.
• Ash content – Measurement of the inorganic content in the pulp.
• Metals (Ca, Mg, Mn, Fe, Cu) – Measurement of the metal content in the pulp (specifically those found to have effect on the processability).
• SiO₂ content –Often measured on pulps to ensure levels are below a set threshold, as too much silica can disturb the spinning.
• Lignin content (Klason or acid soluble) – Measurement of the lignin content of the pulp.
• Molecule weight distribution

RISE offers a report that includes data in Excel format along with relevant images and diagrams. It is carefully compiled using standard methods for the analyses performed.

If a more detailed report is required, RISE has the capacity to provide a comprehensive scientific report based on the results and background information supplied by the customer, available upon request and quotation.

The delivery of results is scheduled based on our order backlog and the scope as well as the complexity of your assignment. We aim to ensure that your results are delivered on time, taking into account the specific requirements of your project. Thank you for your understanding and patience as we work to provide you with the best possible service.

We offer the possibility of express delivery for analysis results to our customers. With our express delivery service, you can receive your results even faster, enabling you to take action or make decisions without unnecessary delay. Please note that express delivery is available at an additional cost. Feel free to contact us for more information on pricing and availability for the express delivery option. We are here to assist you and provide your analysis results in a timely manner according to your preferences.

ISO 14453, SCAN CM 49, SCAN-CM 71, ISO 1762, ISO 692

OEKO-TEX® LEATHER STANDARD is a certification for leather products and accessories that have been tested for harmful substances. Ready to get started on certifying your leather products? RISE is the official OEKO-TEX® institute for Sweden and Norway, and also certifies OEKO-TEX® LEATHER STANDARD in the Baltic countries and Finland.

Certification from fiber to Product

Leather and leather articles from all processing levels can be certified: from semi-finished leather products to finished articles. This includes leather fiber materials, leather clothing, leather accessories such as e.g. leather gloves, leather bags and leather shoes and also leather (e.g. sheepskin, lambskin, cowhide). We do not certify the leather from exotic or protected animals such as crocodiles, snakes and armadillos. We test textile or non-textile components in a leather article in accordance with the criteria in the current STANDARD 100 of OEKO-TEX®.

The tests are only performed at one of the prestigious and renowned textile research and test institutes connected to the OEKO-TEX® Association. RISE is the only institute in Sweden and Norway authorized to certify according to OEKO-TEX® LEATHER STANDARD.

Test criteria

OEKO-TEX®  LEATHER STANDARD does not only include substances that are banned or that have legally established limits, but also includes other substances that have been scientifically proven or are suspected to have adverse health effects.
Examples of parameters that are included in  OEKO-TEX® LEATHER STANDARD are prohibited azo dyes, carcinogenic and allergenic dyes, phthalates, formaldehyde, pesticides, heavy metals, perfluorinated compounds, organic tin compounds, biologically active products, and flame-retardant materials etc.

The parameters included in the requirements are based on:

• Legally prohibited and controlled substances (REACH related and CPSIA-adapted regarding lead.
• Substances that may be harmful to health.
• Product quality
• Biologically active substances and flame retardants (according to an "approved" list).

Product classes

In order for the limits values to be relevant for different types of products, there are four different types of product classes based on the certified product's intended area of use:

• Product Class I – Products for children up to 3 years
• Product Class II – Products that mostly come in direct contact with skin
• Product Class III – Products which do not come in contact with the skin, or do so only to a small extent
• Product Class IV – Furnishing and decorative materials

Type of certificates

• Standard certificate, annex 4 & 5
• Special articles
• Special articles PPE
• Comission dyeing- finishing certificate
• Marketing certificate

A OEKO-TEX® LEATHER STANDARD certificate with related test report. The certificate is valid for one year.

In case of quotation request

Fill in an application by clicking the button above or by reaching out to us and we will guide you.

Our OEKO-TEX® LEATHER STANDARD experts

• Helena Hjärtnäs
• Ingegerd Hartmann
• Olha Kvasko
• Gabrielle Skelte
• Ann Stare
• Sofien Boukhedimi

Complaints and feedback regarding OEKO-TEX®

Do you have views on our work with OEKO-TEX® certifications, on the OEKO-TEX® standards, or on RISE as a member institute of OEKO-TEX®? We welcome your feedback via the complaint form on the OEKO-TEX® website.

OEKO-TEX®  LEATHER STANDARD

Some textiles are given an increased product performance by adding a water-repellent treatment to their functional surfaces. The method can be used to assess the effectiveness of such finishing.
At our Textile Laboratory, "spray test" is one of the methods we can offer to evaluate water-repellent ability.

The method aims to analyse the ability of fabrics to reject water.
For materials that are to have a water-repellent surface, the method is a guide for assessing the suitability of the material for its intended application. The higher the class, the better the material resists splashes of water and water-like liquids.

The method can also be used to compare different treatments and provide information about the durability of such a treatment after, for example, washing.

The method is not intended to be used to evaluate waterproof properties of fabrics, as it does not measure the penetration of water through the fabric

A specified volume of distilled or fully deionized water is sprayed on a test specimen that has been mounted

on a ring, placed at an angle of 45° so that the centre of the specimen is at a specified distance below the spray nozzle. The spray rating is determined by comparing the appearance of the specimen with a rating scale in text and a photo scale.

3 test specimens/material are required.

A report in Swedish or English with the received results.

Normal delivery time is 5-10 working days. A more accurate delivery time is stated in the order confirmation which is sent after received order and test material.

SS-EN ISO 4929

SS-EN 29865

SS-EN ISO 6330

SS-EN ISO 15797

The test can be used to assess the effectiveness of finishing procedures to make fabrics water-repellent and to assess the ability to absorb and resist water penetration.
At our Textile Laboratory we can offer testing of water repellency properties by Bundesmann.

The method is applicable to use for garments and materials with water repellency or which are to be waterproof, for the purpose of analysing its ability to wet, absorb and let water through in rain.

The Bundesmann equipment consists of specimen holders in the form of circular cups with a rotating element that rubs the back of the fabric during the test. Artificial rain is produced to imitate rain in a natural environment. The water falls from a height of 150 cm for a defined time.
The samples are then evaluated in three steps.
1. Visual assessment of water repellency by comparing the appearance of the sample against reference photographs, scale 1-5, where 5 is best.
2. The amount of water absorbed. The specimen is weighed before and after the test and the amount of water absorbed in % is calculated.
3. The amount of penetrated water is measured and stated in ml.

Four test specimens are required for the test

A report in Swedish or English with the received results.

Normal delivery time is 5-10 working days. A more accurate delivery time is stated in the order confirmation which is sent after received order and test material.

SS-EN 29865

SS-EN ISO 6330

SS-EN ISO 15797

RISE has an equipment that can make yarn from textile fibres and create staple fibre yarns. This method is called Open End or rotor spinning and is suitable for short fibres. We have different kinds of rotors that fits different kinds of fibres and several blends.

Here at RISE we work a lot with mechanical recycled fibres that often is shorter than corresponding virgin fibres. Therefore this particular method of yarn spinning is suitable, but the method can also handle fibres up to about 50 mm length. Open End spinning maintains a high production capacity and with different settings we optimize strength and twist in the yarn.  

Short fibers in the span of about 15-50 mm are well suited to this particular method, as they do not work in, for example, a ring-spinning process. Yarn knots etc is optimized to get as strong a yarn as possible. 

Staple fibre yarn production in form of Open-End method.    

Fibres are separated, carded and stretched into a sliver or tow. This sliver is fed into the euipment. Inside the equipment there is a rotor that rotates quickly and in this way orients the fibres, gives them a twist and stretches so that a yarn can be formed and wound up on the bobbin on the top of the machine. 

We have the possibility at RISE to perform all steps from tearing material, release the fibres, carding and make sliver and then spin yarn. We can also make some knitting trials in a small circular knitting machine.  

Please contact us to learn more of the possibility for us to help you and your company with making yarns in small scale trials.   

Report in Swedish or English

Material consumption and possible pre-treatment.

Commonly used methods are i.a.

• Color fastness to household laundry, SS EN ISO 105 C06 - SS EN ISO 105 C06 (A) *
• Color fastness to dry cleaning, SS-EN ISO 05 D01
• Color fastness to industrial washing, SS-ISO 105-C12: 2005
• Color fastness to water coverage, SS ISO 105-E16
• Color fastness to water, SS EN ISO 105 E01 (A) *
• Color fastness to chlorinated water, SS-EN ISO 105 E03
• Color fastness to sweat, SS EN ISO 105 E04 (A) *
• Color fastness when rubbing, SS EN ISO 105 X12 (A) *
• Color fastness to artificial light, SS-EN ISO 105 B02, (A) *
• Artificial weathering, ISO 105-B10
• Color fastness to migration, SS-EN ISO 105 X10

* (A) Acredited method

FTIR analysis is valuable for batch analysis to ensure consistent quality over time.
It can be used to verify materials that do not behave as expected, helping confirm that the correct material has been supplied.
Recycled material streams often require inspection to ensure proper sorting and that the plastic type is correct.

By FTIR spectroscopy an unknown sample may be determined by comparing the sample spectrum with a reference spectrum from a database. Sometimes it is difficult to interpret spectra from plastics since they often contain additives affecting the spectra. Therefore we often combine FTIR-analyses with DSC (Differential Scanning Calorimetry) to measure the melting point, since polymers have specific melting points. 

FTIR-technique can also be used to follow chemical reactions, for example oxygen containing degradation products with a characteristic absorption band increasing with time. In polymerisation reactions the absorption band from the reactants disappear.  

The instruments we use are equipped with microscope where the IR beam may be focused on small regions in a sample. This allow analyzes of contaminants in a sample. Cross sections of 5 micrometers may be analysed.  

In IR spectroscopy we use the interactions between molecular vibrations and the IR light, which absorb or transmit the the light at specific so called resonance frequencies. The resonance frequencies are specific for different chemical bonds.  

The technique may be used for solid samples as well as liquids or gas samples. Usually we analyse solid samples. Plastic samples may be compression moulded to thin films wich are illuminated by the IR light. An ATR (Attenuated Total Reflection) device allow analysis on the sample surface and no sample preparation is needed. 

Results are reported in a report containing the interpreted spectra. 

Within two weeks from sample arrivaI, but usually earlier if no sample preparation is needed. 

The TGA instrument measures weight change of a sample as a function of temperature.

Composition of basically any material may be determined between 50°C and around 1000°C. Typically we analyse plastic- and rubber materials, but we are also pleased to analyse fibers, textiles, varnish, adhesives, biofuels or other materials. The most common analyses are composition of a material or a product. 

 TGA is used for: 

• Analysis of composition
• Determination of residue, ash content or inorganic filler
• Thermal stability or oxidation stability 

Information from TGA analyses are for example moist content in a material (water evaporate at 100°C), presence of low molecular oils and plasticizers in polymers or inorganic fillers, i.e. residual ash. 

A small sample is placed in the instrument chamber, an oven equipped with a scale and controlled temperature and atmosphere. Oxygen, air or nitrogen is chosen as purge gas and the temperature program may be either dynamic or isothermal, depending on the analysis. 

The test samples are small, only 5-15 mg is needed and the analysis takes a couple of hours depending on the chosen temperature program. In nitrogen atmosphere a plastic sample is pyrolyzed, i.e. thermally decomposed. If the purge gas is shifted to air or oxygen organic (carbon containing) substances are incinerated. 

We use standard test methods as well as tailor-made analyses. We have long experience in designing test methods. 

TGA instruments are found at different locations within RISE and we collaborate to give you as a client the best service and delivery time. In Mölndal we have long experience and expertise on recycled plastics and material development, in Borås we have expertise in anlayses of plastic construction materials, rubber  and durability, in Göteborg plastic pipe materials are analysed, and in Stockholm/Kista the expertise on plastic materials in chemical corrosive applications are found.

A report containg information about test method, used equipment, with enclosed thermograms and explanation of the results.

Delivery time is within two weeks from sample arrival at RISE laboratory. 

ISO 11358-1, SP method 1390

Technical descriptions of our available melt spinning lines