George Brown Polytechnic is located on the traditional territory of the Mississaugas of the Credit First Nation and other Indigenous peoples who have lived here over time. We are grateful to share this land as treaty people who learn, work and live in the community with each other.
Our expert team, under the leadership of Lead Fabric Scientist Dr. Syed Rizvi, helps you evaluate textiles to uncover performance insights, ensure compliance with industry standards, and enhance product quality, safety, and durability. Equipped with precision-calibrated instruments in a climate-controlled facility, we deliver accurate and reliable results for a wide range of textile applications, empowering you to innovate with confidence
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Interested in collaborating or learning more about our textile testing services? Reach out below for more information or to book a lab tour!
Learn more about our textile innovation process
Performance Testing
Performance testing evaluates how well textiles retain their characteristics including shape, colour and integrity under varying conditions. Some of our most common tests include [click to expand]:
- Wash & Dry – measures how well a fabric maintains integrity and durability through multiple wash and dry cycles.
- Colour Stability – measures how well a fabric retains colour, resisting fading or bleeding through multiple wash/dry cycles.
- Tensile Testing – measures a fabric’s strength and elasticity by determining the force required to stretch and break a sample.
- Pilling – measures a fabric’s tendency to develop small balls or “pills” on the surface, caused by loose fibres from abrasion.
- Abrasion – measures a fabric’s ability to withstand surface wear from rubbing, a key indicator of a fabric’s durability and lifespan.
- UV Protection – measures a material’s ability to resist colour change when exposed to UV/Sunlight
- Light – measures a material’s ability to resist change when exposed to light.
- Crocking – measures how well a material resists transferring colour when rubbed against another surface. Done by rubbing the tested fabric against a white cloth in both wet and dry conditions.
Thermal and Water Vapor Resistance
Thermal and water vapor resistance testing evaluates how well textiles retain or repel heat and moisture. Some of our most common tests include [click to expand]:
- Thermal management – measures how well a fabric retains or releases heat. Crucial for outer wear.
- Touch – measures a fabric’s physical properties, or tactile feel such as softness, smoothness and warmness
- Moisture Management – measures a fabrics ability to manage (absorb, transport and release) moisture such as perspiration.
- Dry Rate Testing – measures the rate at which fabrics dry after becoming wet.
- Water Repellency – measures how well a fabric resists becoming wet as well as total water penetration. Simulates exposure to rain and the elements.
- Flammability Testing
Sample Preparation & Analysis
Through the use of specialized equipment in our climate controlled facility, our team can prepare and analyze your samples for further testing. Available services include [click to expand]:
- Pneumatic Sample Press – cuts samples into specific, precise shapes required for various tests.
- Oven Incubation – used to create specific temperature and humidity conditions for test samples.
- Digital Confocal – creates high-resolution images of fibres and fabrics.