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IS 7903 (2011): Textiles - Tarpaulines Made From High

Density Polyethylene Woven Fabric [TXD 23: Textile
Materials made from Polyolefins]

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IS 7903 : 2011

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Indian Standard
TEXTILES TARPAULINS MADE FROM
HIGH DENSITY POLYETHYLENE WOVEN
FABRIC SPECIFICATION
( Fourth Revision )

ICS 59.060.20; 59.080.40

BIS 2011

BUREAU OF INDIAN STANDARDS

MANAK BHAVAN, 9 BAHADUR SHAH ZAFAR MARG
NEW DELHI 110002
October 2011

Price Group 3

Textile Materials Made from Polyolefins (Excluding Cordage) Sectional Committee, TXD 23

FOREWORD
This Indian Standard (Fourth Revision) was adopted by the Bureau of Indian Standards, after the draft finalized
by the Textile Materials Made from Polyolefins (Excluding Cordage) Sectional Committee had been approved by
the Textile Division Council.
The tarpaulins manufactured from laminated high density polyethylene (HDPE) woven fabric are in use as these
tarpaulins are light weight and have high mechanical strength and long useful life.
This standard was first published in 1976 and revised in 1984, 1995 and 2005. In this standard the varieties
covered have been dispensed with and the quality is based on the mass of the fabric used in the manufacture of
tarpaulin.
The composition of the Committee responsible for the formulation of this standard is given in Annex C.
For the purpose of deciding whether a particular requirement of this standard is complied with, the final value,
observed or calculated, expressing the result of a test or analysis, shall be rounded off in accordance with IS 2 : 1960
Rules for rounding off numerical values (revised). The number of significant places retained in the rounded off
value should be the same as that of the specified value in this standard.

IS 7903 : 2011

Indian Standard
TEXTILES TARPAULINS MADE FROM
HIGH DENSITY POLYETHYLENE WOVEN
FABRIC SPECIFICATION
( Fourth Revision )
1 SCOPE

desired shade such that the finished tarpaulin meets the

requirements of UV stability and colour fastness to light
as given in Table 1.

This standard prescribes constructional and other

requirements for tarpaulins made from high density
polyethylene woven fabric having minimum mass
of 200 g/m2.

3.3.2 In case two or more layers of HDPE fabric are

used to manufacture tarpaulins, they shall be joined by
sandwich lamination. The lamination as given above
shall be such that the finished tarpaulin meets the
requirements given in Table 1. The minimum thickness
of the sandwich lamination shall be 40 m.

2 REFERENCES
The standards listed in Annex A contain provisions
which through reference in this text, constitute
provisions of this standard. At the time of publication,
the editions indicated were valid. All standards are
subject to revision and parties to agreements based on
this standard are encouraged to investigate the
possibility of applying the most recent editions of the
standards indicated in Annex A.

3.4 Eyelets

3 MATERIALS

Unless otherwise agreed to between the buyer and the

seller, metallic eyelets provided with reinforcement
pieces conforming to dimensions as per size 28 or 30
of IS 4084 shall be used. Plastic eyelets having similar
dimensions may also be used, if agreed to between the
buyer and the seller.

3.1 HDPE Tapes

3.5 Line/Cord Beading

Tapes shall be manufactured from HDPE granules

(see IS 6192), which shall be UV stabilized by adding
suitable UV stabilizer or carbon black. The tape, if
manufactured by using carbon black shall contain
minimum 2.5 percent of carbon black by mass when
tested as per IS 2530 and the finished tarpaulin shall
meet the requirements of UV stability and colour
fastness to light as given in Table 1.

A line/cord beading of minimum 2.5 mm diameter shall

be provided along the length and width of the tarpaulin.
4 MANUFACTURE
4.1 Construction
The tarpaulins shall be constructed by heat sealing
laminated pieces of woven fabric of the desired
dimensions. The panels shall be flat (lap) joined. The
ends and sides of the tarpaulins shall be hemmed by
heat sealing or lock type double stitching. The width
of the hem shall be minimum 40 mm. Cross joint may
be used at the rate of one in every third panel and no
piece less than 900 mm in length shall be used for
making the panel. The cross-joint shall be made by lapjoint method. A combination of panel width not less
than 1 800 mm may be used to obtain the desired width
of tarpaulin. Narrow width panels, not less than 250 mm
at rate of one per tarpaulin may be used with other
panels to obtain the required width. In all cases, the
end panels shall be of full width except where the width
of the tarpaulin is less than 2 m, in which case one of
the end panels may be less than the full width. The
alternate short panels for cross-joint shall be in the
opposite ends.

3.2 HDPE Fabric

Tarpaulins shall be manufactured from HDPE woven
fabric (see IS 6899) so that finished tarpaulin meets
the requirements given in 5.2, 5.3 and Table 1.
3.3 Laminating Film
3.3.1 The fabric shall be laminated on both sides with
the low density polyethylene (LDPE) or suitable
combination of LDPE and linear low density
polyethylene (LLDPE) melt of coating grade. Coating
thickness shall not be less than 25 m and the film shall
be suitably UV stabilized by incorporating UV
stabilizer or carbon black. The film, if manufactured
by using carbon black, shall contain minimum
2.5 percent of carbon black by mass when tested as
per IS 2530 along with colour master batch to get the
1

IS 7903 : 2011
4.2 Bonding

5.3 Water Proofness

If two or more pieces of fabrics are used for the

manufacture of tarpaulin, the fabrics shall be bonded
together by a suitable heat sealing process keeping an
overlap of at least 2.5 cm.

5.3.1 The fabric and joints of the tarpaulins shall be

tested before and after ageing for water repellency by
cone test according to IS 7941 and for resistance to
water penetration by the pressure head test according
to IS 7940 keeping the height of water column as
900 mm and the time of exposure being 1 h. The test
specimen shall be so selected that at least one joint is
covered. There shall be no leakage when tested by cone
test and water does not leak through the tarpaulin when
tested for resistance to water penetration by the pressure
head test from any test specimen.

4.3 Fixing of Eyelets

The number and position of metal/plastic eyelets shall
be as agreed to between the buyer and the seller. The
eyelets shall be provided with the reinforcement pieces.
The outer edge of the eyelet shall be as close as possible
to the line/cord beading.

5.3.2 The ageing shall be done at 70 for 168 h as per

the method given in IS 7016 (Part 8).

5 REQUIREMENTS
5.1 The tarpaulins shall meet the requirements as given
in Table 1. Besides the tarpaulins shall also meet the
requirements stated in 5.2 and 5.3.

6 MARKING
6.1 Each tarpaulin shall be legibly marked with the
following information at one corner on one side either
with tag or by printing on it with the indelible ink:

5.2 Dimensions and Mass

a)
b)
c)
d)

The tarpaulins shall be made to the shade and

dimensions as specified in the contract or order. The
following tolerance shall be permissible for length,
width and mass:
Dimension

Name and address of manufacturer;

Dimensions and mass;
Month and year of manufacture; and
Any other information as required by the law
in force.

Tolerance, Percent
6.2 BIS Certification Marking

Length
Width

1
1

Mass (g/m2)

+5 on declared mass subject

2.5 to minimum mass of 200 g/m 2

The tarpaulins may also be marked with the Standard Mark.

6.2.1 The use of the Standard Mark is governed by the
provisions of the Bureau of Indian Standards Act, 1986
and Rules and Regulations made thereunder. The details
of the conditions under which the licence for the use of
the Standard Mark may be granted to manufacturers or

Table 1 Requirement of Tarpaulins Made from HDPE Woven Fabrics

(Clauses 3.1, 3.2, 3.3.1, 3.3.2 and 5.1)
Sl
No.
(1)

Characteristics

Requirement

(2)

(3)

i) Mass, g/m , Min

ii) Breaking strength before UV exposure, N, Min:
a) Warp
b) Weft
iii) Elongation at break, percent (warp and weft)
iv) Retention of breaking strength after UV exposure
for 150 h, percent, N
v) Welded seam strength before UV exposure, N, Min
vi) Retention of welded seam strength after UV
exposure, percent, N
vii) Tongue tear strength, N, Min
viii) Puncture resistance, N, Min
ix) Colour fastness to light (For coloured tarpaulins)

200

981
750
20
85 percent of original value (fabric),
that is of Table 1 Sl No. (ii)
65 percent of original value (fabric),
that is of Table 1 Sl No. (ii)
85 percent of original value, that is of
Table 1 Sl No. (v)
120
200
4 or better

Tolerance Method of Test, Ref to

Percent
IS No.
Annex
(4)
(5)
(6)
+5
2.5

IS 1964

IS 1969

IS 1969
IS 13162
(Part 2)
IS 1969

IS 13162
(Part 2)
IS 14293

IS 2454

IS 7903 : 2011
producers may be obtained from the Bureau of Indian
Standards.

manufactured under similar conditions and delivered

to a buyer against one dispatch note shall constitute a
lot.

7 PACKING
The tarpaulins shall be packed as agreed to between
the buyer and the seller.

8.2 Unless otherwise agreed to between the buyer

and the seller, the number of tarpaulins to be selected
at random from a lot shall be as given in col 3 of
Table 2.

8 SAMPLING AND CRITERIA OF CONFORMITY

8.1 Lot
The quantity of tarpaulin of same size and mass (g/m2)
Characteristic
(1)

8.3 Criteria of Conformity

No. of Tarpaulins/Criteria of
Conformity
(2)

Test Specimens
(3)

Dimensions, average
According to col 3 of Table 2
mass (g/m2)
Water proofness
According to col 4 of Table 2
All other requirements According to col 4 of Table 2

The defective tarpaulins not to exceed the

corresponding number given in col 5 of Table 2
All the test specimens shall pass the test
The test specimens shall meet the requirements as
given in Table 1

Table 2 Sampling
(Clauses 8.2 and 8.3 )
Sl No.
(1)

No. of Tarpaulins in Lot

(2)

Sample Size
(3)

Sub-sample Size
(4)

Permissible No. of Defective Tarpaulins

(5)

i)
ii)
iii)
iv)
v)

Up to 50
51-150
151-300
301-500
501 and above

3
5
8
13
20

2
2
3
5
5

0
0
1
2
3

ANNEX A
(Clause 2)
LIST OF REFERRED INDIAN STANDARDS
IS No.

Title

IS No.

Title

1964 : 2001

Textiles

Methods
for
determination of mass per unit length
and mass per unit area of fabrics
(second revision)
Methods for determination of
breaking strength and elongation of
woven textile fabrics (second
revision)
Methods for determination of colour
fastness of textile materials to artificial
light (Xenon lamp) (first revision)

2530 : 1963

Methods of test for polyethylene

moulding materials and polyethylene
compounds
Specification for eyelets and washers
(sail) (first revision)
Textiles Monoaxially oriented
high density polyethylene tapes
Specification (second revision)
Textiles High density polyethylene
(HDPE) woven fabrics
Specification (second revision)

1969 : 1985

2454 : 1985

4084 : 1978
6192 : 1994

6899 : 1997

IS 7903 : 2011
IS No.
7016 (Part 8) :
1975
7940 : 1976

7941 : 1976

IS No.
13162 (Part 2) :
1991

Title
Methods of test for coated and treated
fabrics: Part 8 Accelerated ageing
Method for determining resistance to
penetration by water of fabrics by
static pressure head test
Method for determining water
repellency of fabrics by cone test

14293 : 1995

Title
Geotextiles Methods of test:
Part 2 Determination of resistance
to exposure of ultraviolet light and
water (Xenon- arc type apparatus)
Geotextiles Methods of test for
trapezoid tearing strength

ANNEX B
[Table 1, Sl No. (viii)]
TEST METHOD FOR INDEX PUNCTURE RESISTANCE
B-1 GENERAL

B-4.2 Test Specimens

This test method is used to measure the index puncture

resistance of tarpaulins.

Select from the laboratory sample, sufficient number

of samples each having a minimum diameter of
100 mm to facilitate clamping. Space the specimens
along a diagonal on the unit of the laboratory sample.
Take no specimens nearer the selvage or edge of the
tarpaulin.

B-2 PRINCIPLE
A test specimen is clamped without tension between
circular plates of a ring clamp attachment secured in a
tensile testing machine. A force is exerted against the
centre of the unsupported portion of the test specimen by
a solid steel rod attached to the load indicator until rupture
of the specimen occurs. The maximum force recorded is
the value of puncture resistance of the specimen.

B-5 CONDITIONING
Bring the specimens to moisture equilibrium in the
atmosphere for testing tarpaulins (65 5 percent
relative humidity and at 27 2C). Equilibrium is
considered to have been reached when the increase in
the mass of the specimen, in successive weighings made
at intervals of not less than 2 h, does not exceed
0.1 percent of the mass of the specimen.

B-3 APPARATUS
B-3.1 Tensile/Compression Testing Machine, of the
constant-rate-of extension (CRE) type.
B-3.2 Ring Clamp Attachment, consisting of
concentric plates with an open internal diameter of
45 0.025 mm capable of clamping the test specimen
without slippage. A suggested clamping arrangement
is shown in Fig. 1. The external diameter is suggested
to be 100 0.025 mm. The diameter of the six holes
used for securing the ring clamp assembly is suggested
to be 8 mm and equally spaced at a radius of 37 mm.
The surfaces of these plates can consist of grooves with
'o'-rings or coarse sandpaper bonded onto opposing
surfaces.

B-6 PROCEDURE
B-6.1 Select the load range of the tensile/compression
testing machine such that the rupture occurs between
10 and 90 percent of the full-scale load.
B-6.2 Centre and secure the specimen between the
holding plates ensuring that the test specimen extends
to or beyond the outer edges of the clamping plates.
B-6.3 Test at a machine speed of 300 10 mm/min
until the puncture rod completely ruptures the test
specimen.

B-3.3 Solid Steel Rod, with a diameter of 8 0.01 mm

having a flat end with a 45 0.8 mm chamfered edge
contacting the test specimens surface (see Fig. 2).

NOTE The rate of testing specified is not an indication of

the performance of the specimen for its end use.

B-6.4 Read the puncture resistance from the greatest

force registered on the recording instrument during the
test.

B-4 SAMPLING
B-4.1 Laboratory Sample

B-7 CALCULATION

For the laboratory sample take a swatch extending the

full width of the product, of sufficient length along the
selvage from each sample roll so that the requirements
of B-4.2 can be met.

Calculate the average puncture resistance and standard

deviation for all tests as read directly from the recording
instrument.
4

IS 7903 : 2011

FIG. 1 TEST FIXTURE DETAIL

(Not to Scale)

FIG. 2 T EST PROBE D ETAIL

(Not to Scale)
5

IS 7903 : 2011

ANNEX C
(Foreword)
COMMITTEE COMPOSITION
Textile Materials Made from Polyolefins (Excluding Cordage) Sectional Committee, TXD 23
Organization

Representative(s)

Indian Institute of Packaging, Mumbai

PROF N. C. SAHA (Chairman)

SHRI T. M. MALLIK (Alternate)

All India Flat Tape Manufacturers Association, Bangalore

S HRI LALIT K. TULSIYAN

SHRI S. CHAUDHARY (Alternate)

Central Institute of Plastics Engg & Technology (CIPET),

Chennai

DR S. K. N AYAK
DR SUSHIL K. VERMA (Alternate)

Chemical and Petrochemicals Manufacturers Association,

New Delhi

DR E. S UNDERASEN
DR T. GANGOPADHYAY (Alternate)

Directorate of Sugar, New Delhi

SHRI RAJIV RANJAN

SHRI S. C. RAY (Alternate)

Food Corporation of India, New Delhi

DR G. P. PANDEY
SHRI N. C. GAUTAM (Alternate)

GAIL, New Delhi

SHRI A. K. RAY
SHRI M. KHANDELWAL (Alternate)

Gujarat Narmada Valley Fertilizers Co Ltd, Narmadanagar

SHRI GIRISH M. PATEL

SHRI N. S. ACHARYA (Alternate)

Haldia Petrochemical Ltd, Kolkata

SHRI RAJ K. DATTA

SHRI SUVOMOY GANGULY (Alternate)

Indian Sugar Exim Corporation Ltd, New Delhi

SHRI PRADEEP MATHUR

SHRI V. K. JAIN (Alternate)

Indian Sugar Mills Association, New Delhi

SHRI K. K. SHARMA

Lamifabs & Papers (P) Ltd, Aurangabad

SHRI KAMLESH DHOOT

SHRI KISHORI LAL (Alternate)

Ministry of Consumer Affairs, Food & Public Distribution,

New Delhi

SHRI ASHOK KUMAR

DR SUBHASH GUPTA (Alternate)

Office of the Textile Commissioner, Mumbai

DR N. S. RAWAT
SHRI B. B. BHARTI (Alternate)

Reliance Industries Ltd, Mumbai

DR U. K. SAROOP
DR SUNIL MAHAJAN (Alternate)

Texel Industries Ltd, Santej (Ahmedabad)

SHRI SHAILESH R. MEHTA

SHRI SUSHIL PACHISIA (Alternate)

The Fertilizer Association of India, New Delhi

SHRI R. C. GUPTA
DR R. K. TEWATIA (Alternate)

VCPL Ltd, Vadodara

SHRI V. SRINIVASAN
SHRI ANUP GOPALKAR (Alternate)

Wopolin Plastics Ltd, Nagpur

SHRI VINOD K. BAJAJ

SHRI K. N. BAISWAR (Alternate)

BIS Directorate General

SHRI P. BHATNAGAR, Scientist F & Head (Textiles)

[Representing Director General (Ex-officio)]

Member Secretary
SHRI ANIL KUMAR
Scientist E (Textiles), BIS

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This Indian Standard has been developed from Doc No.: TXD 23 (0907).

Amendments Issued Since Publication

Amend No.

Date of Issue

Text Affected

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