The Ozone
Transmittance or Blocking of
Erythemally Weighted
Ultraviolet Radiation Through
Fabrics
AATCC Test Method 183-2004
What is it?
™ Naturally occurring gas in the earth’s
stratosphere which shields the Earth
from harmful UV radiation
What does it do?
™ Filters sun’s UV radiation and serves as
a buffer that protects humans, crops,
and marine life
Is the ozone depleting?
depleting
ƒ Carbonfluorocarbons (CFCs)
™ used in refrigeration & air conditioning (freon)
ƒ Halons
™ used in fire extinguishers
ƒ Methyl Bromide
™ used in pesticides
ƒ Methyl Chloroform
™ a solvent used in industrial processes
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Why is important to know about
UV radiation & the ozone?
ƒ Since the ozone is depleting,
overexposure to UV rays can
lead to things such as:
™ melanoma
™ cataracts & conjunctivitis
™ photodermatosis
™ erythema (abnormal redness of the skin
due to capillary congestion/inflammation)
How do we know these
substances are the cause?
ƒ Balloons, aircraft, & satellites
have the ability to measure the
amount of ozone-depleting
substances (ODS) present in the
stratosphere; these substances
react chemically with the sun
which results in the destruction
of ozone gases
Why should we be
concerned?
ƒ There are NO ‘healthy suntans’
ƒ Any change in color of the skin is a
result of sun damage
ƒ More than 1 million people are
diagnosed with skin cancer in the US
each year
ƒ Statistics show that 1 in 2 Australian
women will have skin cancer within
their lifetime
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 UV Radiation,
UVA UVB UVC
Wavelength 315-400nm 280-315nm 100-280nm
Health Aspect Less dangerous More dangerous Very dangerous

the GOOD & the BAD

spectrum of UV than UVA, can to the skin &
radiation cause DNA eyes.
damage.
General UVA rays are Only a small No UVC reaches
Implication most abundant at amount of UVB the earth’s
the earth’s reaches the surface due to
surface. earth’s surface absorption in the ƒ GOOD: Small doses (315 to 400 nm)
due to absorption atmosphere.
by the ™ beneficial to humans because the sun
atmosphere. stimulates the production of vitamin D in our
Effects UVA penetrates UVB penetrates
into the corium of less deeply into skin
skin. The skin the epidermis
protects itself by than UVA. High
instant doses can cause ƒ BAD: Large doses (less than 315 nm)
pigmentation & DNA damage.
thickening of ™ these have detrimental effects on humans
outer layer. and are the ones we need to worry about
Medical Aspect Results in Results in skin
tanning & reddening
acceleration of (erymema), or
skin aging & sunburn, cancer,
wrinkling & cataracts

Factors that influence the effect of

UV radiation on the human body UV Index
ƒ wavelength of light
ƒ geographic location
ƒ width of stratospheric ozone layer
ƒ time of day (10AM-2PM, 60% exposure)
ƒ season of year
ƒ skin properties
ƒ sensitivity to sunlight
ƒ environmental conditions at the time of
exposure

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 Origin of Sun Protective
Sun Protective Clothing
Clothing
ƒ Definition ƒ Australia was first country to
™ Apparel items for which a claim of formalize UV protection claims for
protective advantage against solar clothing
ultraviolet radiation is made ™ Developed a standard lab procedure for
measuring
™ Established an Ultraviolet Protection
Factor (UPF)
™ Labeling guide for UPF rated clothing

UPF Rating Scheme

• Sun Protective Clothing is a
Protection Effective selling point driven in
UPF Range Category UVR UPF Rating outdoor items
Transmissi
on, % • Often seen in golf apparel,
swimwear, sportswear,
15 - 24 Good 6.7 - 4.2 15, 20 skiwear, hats, etc.

25 - 39 Very 4.1 - 2.6 25, 30, 35 • Merchandise will have a

Good hang tag to educate & attract
customers
40 - 50, 40, 45, 50, ™ Retailers and manufacturers are
Excellent < 2.5
50+ 50+ responsible to provide
documentation to support their UV
claim
Reference: UPF Rating Scheme from AS/NZS 4399, “Sun Protective
Clothing” (1996).

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Sun Protective Clothing
Examples
™ Coolibar
™ Masque Rays
™ Physicians Endorsed ƒ Coolibar
™ Solar Eclipse
™ 98% UV
™ Sun Precautions
blocked
™ Sun Solutions
™ polyester

96.7% UV blocked

Garment Properties that

Influence UV Transmission
ƒ Fabric construction
ƒ Sun Precautions ™ porosity; density of weave or knit
™ nylon microfiber ƒ Fiber type
™ Cotton - highly permeability
™ Unbleached cotton - increased ability to absorb UV
™ Wool - high permeability
™ Polyester - high permeability
™ Nylon - fairly permeable
ƒ Color
™ Darker color absorb more UV than lighter colors

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Garment Properties that Conditions That Can Affect a
Influence UV Transmission Garment’s UV Protection
ƒ Presence of optical brighteners, dyes, & • Garments w/out UV protective treatment,
chemicals added during processing may improve their UV protection
™ Many dyes absorb UVR and therefore improve UPF rating performance after shrinkage
UVR absorbers added to fabrics that have a naturally low
™
resistance to UVR will increase UPF rating • Old worn and faded garments may loose
™ White w/ optical brighteners improve UPF rating protective value
Treatment with a UVR inhibitor during manufacturing
™
results in a higher UPF rating • Repeated washings may reduce the UV
ƒ Fabric wetness protection performance of UVR treated
™ UV transmission ↑ when fabrics are wet because the garments
scattering of UV is ↓
™ 30 – 50% reduction in UPF rating • UV finishes can reduce fading and fabric
ƒ Fabric Stretch deterioration
™ 10% stretch results in 40% reduction of UPF rating

How can the textile industry

Global Standards Driven
help?
ƒ After 1996, both America &
ƒ By developing standards to measure Europe implemented standards
the transmittance spectrum by using
spectrophotometers with integrating for Ultra-Violet Radiation
spheres for the assessment of UV Transmission of Textiles
protective properties of textiles and ™ AATCC TM 183
clothing
™ ASTM D6544 and ASTM D 6603
ƒ From this data, the UV Protection
Factor (UPF) can be determined

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AATCC TM 183 AATCC TM 183

ƒ Purpose
™ To determine the ultraviolet radiation
blocked or transmitted by textile fabrics
intended to be used for UV protection
ƒ Principle
™ The transmission of UV radiation (UVR) through a
specimen is measured on a spectrophotometer or
spectroradiometer at known wavelength intervals
™ The UV protection factor (UPF) is automatically
computed as the ratio of the erythemally weighted UVR
irradiance at the detector with no specimen present to
the erythemally weighted UVR irradiance at the detector
with a specimen present
™ % blocking of UVA & UVB radiation is also calculated

General Principle Terminology

ƒ Ultraviolet radiation (UVR)
Detector
™ Invisible radiant energy for which the
Æ Light Æ ⏐ Æ Ο Æ † Æ Computer wavelengths of the monochromatic
Sample Integrating sphere
components are smaller than those for
visible radiation and more than
The higher the percentage of transmittance Æ
approximately 100 nm; UVR range is 280 to
the less protection it offers.
400 nm

ƒ % UV Blocking
™ 100 minus the UV transmission

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Terminology Ultraviolet Wavelengths

ƒ UVA
™ Rays that penetrate deep into the skin causing
tanning, premature aging, and burning;
wavelengths 315 to 400 nm

ƒ UVB
™ Shorter than UVA rays; generally absorbed by
the skin’s surface & may cause malignancies;
wavelengths 280 to 315 nm

ƒ Note: UVB exposure causes 1,000

times the damage as the same amount
of UVA exposure

Wavelength Spectrum More Terminology

ƒ UV Protection Factor 400 nm
(UPF)
™ ratio of the average ∑ Eλ x Sλ x Δλ
effective UVR irradiance 280 nm
transmitted & calculated UPF = 
through air to the 400 nm
average effective UVR
∑ Eλ x Sλ x Tλ x Δλ
irradiance transmitted &
280 nm
calculated through
fabric
where:
Eλ = erythemal spectral effectiveness
Sλ = solar spectral irradiance in W.m-2.nm-1
Tλ = spectral transmittance of the specimen

Δλ = wavelength interval in nm

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Uses & Limitations Apparatus

ƒ Used to determine the UPF of wet ƒ Spectrophotometer

and/or stretched fabrics or
™ Stretched fabric is not yet included in the spectroradiometer
method, however, AATCC Committee RA106 equipped with an
is working on this option for inclusion in the integrating sphere
2007 or 2008 AATCC Technical Manual

ƒ Wetting or stretching may change the ƒ Filter, Schott Glass

UPF properties UG11

Instrumental Calibration Specimens

ƒ The spectrophotometer or ƒ Test minimum of 2 specimens

spectroradiometer must be
calibrated according the the
manufacturer’s instructions
from each sample
ƒ Each specimen should be at least
50 mm x 50 mm (2 in x 2 in), or 50
mm (2 in) in diameter
ƒ For fabrics with multiple colors or
structures, each color or structure
should be tested separately

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Conditioning
ƒ Dry specimens should be
conditioned according to ASTM
D1776, Conditioning Textiles for
Testing, for at least 4 hr prior to
testing
21 ± 1° C (70 ± 2° F ) & 65 ± 2% RH
Wet Specimen Procedure
ƒ Weigh dry specimen
ƒ Place specimen flat in bottom of a
beaker & pour distilled water into
beaker until specimen is covered to
thoroughly wet out the specimen
ƒ Submerge for 30 min while pressing
and moving it from time to time to
ensure a good and uniform
preparation
™ Prepare only 1 specimen at a time
Dry Specimen Procedure
ƒ Place specimen flush against sample
transmission port opening in the
sphere
ƒ Measure & rotate specimen 45°
ƒ Take 2nd measurement & rotate 45°
ƒ Take 3rd measurement
ƒ Multicolored specimens
™ determine area of highest UV transmission
& make all 3 measurements in that
particular area
Wet Specimen Procedure
ƒ Ensure wet pick-up of 150 ± 5% by
squeezing wet specimen between
blotting paper through hand wringer
or similar means (if fabric has low
moisture absorption, repeat soaking
and wringing steps)
™ Note: some samples may not be capable of
achieving the specified wet pick-up such as
tightly woven synthetic fabrics
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Wet Specimen Procedure Report
ƒ Take measurements in same ƒ UPF, Ultraviolet Protection Factor
manner as the dry specimen
measurements ƒ UVA transmittance
™ Use plastic wrap to protect instrument from
water when placing specimen to be ƒ UVB transmittance
measured

ƒ % blocking UVA
ƒ % blocking UVB

References
ƒ Assessment Method for UV-Protective Properties of
Textiles, Melliand International, Vol. 7, June 2001,
Djani, Rosinskaja, Kizil, Weinberg, Shenkar College
of Engineering and Design, Ramat-Gan/Israel.

ƒ The Effect of Wetness on the UVR Transmission of

Woven Fabrics, Patricia Cox Crews, Unv. of
Nebraska-Lincoln, Ying Zhou, Maytag Corp.
(AATCC IC&E Conference 2003).

ƒ UV Protective Clothing & Recent Trends, Louann

Spirito, SGS, Fairfield, NJ, (AATCC Creativity 2
Communication Symposium, April 7-8, 2005,
Fashion Institute of Technology, New York City).

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