SIST EN ISO 11641:2026

Full title: Leather – Tests for colour fastness – Colour fastness to perspiration (ISO 11641:2025)

Published by: Slovenian Institute for Standardization (SIST)

CEN Adoption: EN ISO 11641:2025

ICS Classification: 59.140.30 – Leather and furs

Purpose

Evaluate the resistance of leather colour to alkaline human perspiration, ensuring colour stability and non-staining performance in products exposed to skin contact.

Scope

Applicable to all types of leather at all processing stages

Particularly relevant for:

Gloving leather

Apparel and lining leather

Uppers of unlined footwear

Testing may be conducted on:

Finished leather (intact surface)

Leather with deliberately broken finish

Test Principle

Leather specimen and adjacent fabric are soaked in artificial alkaline perspiration

Specimens are assembled into a composite test piece

A uniform pressure is applied under controlled temperature

After drying, colour change and staining are evaluated

Artificial Perspiration Solution

Composition (per litre):

Sodium chloride (NaCl): 5.0 g

Tris(hydroxymethyl)aminomethane (TRIS): 5.0 g

Urea: 0.5 g

Nitrilotriacetic acid: 0.5 g

pH adjusted to 8.0 ± 0.1 using 2 mol/L HCl

Test Conditions

Applied pressure: 12.5 ± 1.0 kPa

Weight-piece: approx. 5 kg, rectangular (~115 mm × 60 mm)

Contact plates: chemically inert

Drying environment: 37 ± 2 °C oven

Adjacent Fabrics

Multifibre fabric: ISO 105-F10

Single-fibre fabrics (optional): ISO 105-F01 to F07

Used to assess staining behaviour on different fibre types

Evaluation Method

Visual assessment:

Grey Scale for Colour Change (ISO 105-A02)

Grey Scale for Staining (ISO 105-A03)

Instrumental assessment (optional):

ISO 105-A04 / ISO 105-A05

Supporting Standards

ISO 2418 – Specimen position and preparation

ISO 7906 – General principles of colour fastness testing

ISO 3696 – Laboratory water quality

ISO 105 series – Grey scales and adjacent fabrics

Testing Instruments Required

Instrument	Function
Perspiration Fastness Tester	Apply uniform pressure and temperature during perspiration exposure
Artificial Perspiration Solution Preparation Set	Accurate formulation and pH adjustment of test solution
Drying Oven (37 °C)	Controlled drying after exposure
Inert Test Plates & Weight Assemblies	Ensure standardized pressure distribution
Grey Scale Assessment Cabinet	Standardized visual evaluation of colour change and staining
Spectrophotometer (Optional)	Instrumental colour difference measurement
Conditioning Chamber	Pre-conditioning specimens at standard atmosphere

Applications

Routine quality control in tanneries and finishing plants

Product development for leather garments, gloves, footwear and linings

Supplier qualification and incoming inspection

Failure analysis related to sweat-induced staining or colour migration

Users

Leather manufacturers and tanneries

Footwear, glove and leather-goods brands

Independent testing and certification laboratories

Quality assurance and compliance departments

Related Standards

ISO 105-E04 – Textiles colour fastness to perspiration

ISO 105-A02 / A03 / A04 / A05 – Colour evaluation

ISO 105-F01–F10 – Adjacent fabrics

ISO 11641:2013 – Previous edition

Professional Instrument Manufacturer

Qinsun Instruments is a professional testing instrument manufacturer providing leather and textile testing equipment in accordance with ISO and EN standards.

Contact us for testing solutions and technical support.

2026-01-04 17:19