This part of EN ISO 13937 describes a method known as the ballistic pendulum (Elmendorf) method for the determination of tear force of textile fabrics. The method describes the measurement of the tear force required to propagate a single-rip tear of defined length from a cut in a fabric when a sudden force is applied.

The test is mainly applicable to woven textile fabrics. It may be applicable to fabrics produced by other techniques, e.g. to nonwovens (with the same under-mentioned restrictions as for the woven fabrics).

In general the test is not applicable to knitted fabrics and woven elastic fabrics. It is not suitable for highly anisotropic fabrics or loose fabrics where tear transfer from one direction to another direction of the fabric during the tear test is likely to occur.

NOTE 1: For tests using tensile-testing machines part 2 of EN ISO 13937 describes a single tear method known as the trouser test, part 3 the wing test and part 4 the tongue test method.

NOTE 2: For the ballistic pendulum method for coated fabrics see ISO 4674-2. For the trapezoidal test method, see ISO 9073-4 for nonwovens or ISO 4674 for coated fabrics.