FTMS 191 refers to Federal Test Method Standard 191, a long-used U.S. federal family of textile test methods. It appears in older government and specification-based requirements for cloth, thread, yarn, webbing, coated textiles, and finished textile products.
For labs and buyers, FTMS 191 is most useful as a method-number system that connects a legacy reference to a real test workflow. Depending on the method cited, that can mean textile tensile testing, tear testing, abrasion, accelerated weathering, mildew exposure, or colorfastness evaluation.
Federal Test Method Standard 191
Federal Test Method Standard 191 is a U.S. federal textile test-method family. Official references and regulations cite it as Federal Test Method Standard No. 191, Federal Standard 191, or the 191A revision, with individual procedures identified by method number.
Because many FTMS 191 references remain in legacy procurement files and older regulatory language, laboratories often need to translate the exact method number into current equipment, fixturing, and specimen handling practice. That translation is especially important when the requirement is older than the equipment being purchased.
Quick Definition
FTMS 191 is a legacy federal family of textile test methods used to evaluate strength, tear behavior, abrasion, weathering, mildew resistance, colorfastness, and related performance characteristics of textile materials and products.
Why FTMS 191 Methods Matter in Testing
FTMS 191 matters because older U.S. government and regulated-product requirements still call out these methods directly. Official references show FTMS 191 methods in Coast Guard marine equipment rules and in FAA wind cone guidance, so laboratories may still see them in qualification, procurement, and compliance-related work.
From an equipment standpoint, FTMS 191 is not one single test. A lab may need a tensile system for breaking strength, a tear apparatus for cloth tear resistance, an abrasion tester, a weathering chamber, or colorfastness tools depending on the exact method number in the requirement.
Common Materials or Application Areas Covered
FTMS 191 is associated with textile materials and textile products rather than with one narrow material class. The family is most relevant where a federal or military-style textile requirement remains in force or is still used as a legacy reference.
- Textile fibers, yarns, and threads
- Woven cloth and related textile constructions
- Rope, cordage, and webbing
- Coated cloth and other finished textile products
- Marine-safety textile components and buoyant-device materials
- Aviation textile components such as windsock fabrics
Common Test Types
Officially cited FTMS 191 methods span several practical textile test categories. The exact workflow depends on the method number, not just the family name.
Strength and elongation: FTMS 191 includes verified methods for woven cloth, thread, and yarn strength and elongation.
Tear resistance: Verified FTMS 191 references include both falling-pendulum and tongue-tear style cloth evaluations.
Abrasion and wear: Verified references include an oscillatory cylinder abrasion method for cloth.
Weathering and exposure: Verified references include accelerated weathering methods used to evaluate cloth durability after exposure.
Biological resistance: Verified references include a mildew resistance soil-burial method for textile materials.
Colorfastness: Official marine requirements cite FTMS 191 methods for laundering, water, crocking, and light fastness.
How to Read a FTMS 191 Designation
FTMS 191 designations are usually read as a family name plus an individual method number. The method number is the key part of the citation because it tells the lab which specific test procedure is being requested.
Family name: You may see Federal Test Method Standard No. 191, Federal Standard 191, or FED-STD-191A in older documents.
Method number: The number after the family name identifies the procedure, such as Method 5100, Method 5132, or Method 5804.1.
Revision references: Some regulations specifically cite the 191A revision dated July 20, 1978, while others refer more broadly to Standard 191. The exact wording in the governing requirement should be checked before buying equipment or writing a test plan.
Featured Standards / Methods / References
Several FTMS 191 methods are especially useful because their test focus and equipment path are clear from official references.
| Method |
Verified testing focus |
Typical equipment path |
| Method 4100 |
Strength and elongation of thread and yarn, single strand |
Textile tensile tester with thread or yarn fixtures |
| Method 5100 |
Breaking strength and elongation of woven cloth, grab method |
Textile tensile tester with fabric grips |
| Method 5132 |
Strength of cloth, tearing, falling-pendulum method |
Falling-pendulum tear tester |
| Method 5304.1 |
Abrasion resistance of cloth, oscillatory cylinder (Wyzenbeek) method |
Abrasion tester |
| Method 5804.1 |
Weathering resistance of cloth, accelerated weathering method |
Weathering chamber or weatherometer |
Official marine regulations also cite Methods 5610, 5630, 5650, and 5660 together for colorfastness to laundering, water, crocking, and light. Those references commonly point a lab toward textile colorfastness and light-exposure equipment rather than strength equipment.
Standards / Methods by Application Area
FTMS 191 becomes easier to apply when the method is grouped by the kind of textile-performance problem being evaluated.
Fabric and thread strength: Methods such as 4100 and 5100 are relevant where the requirement focuses on tensile behavior, elongation, or load-bearing performance of textile components.
Tear and wear durability: Methods 5132, 5134, and 5304.1 are associated with tear and abrasion performance for cloth and finished textile constructions.
Exposure and appearance retention: Methods 5804 or 5804.1 and the colorfastness method group cited for laundering, water, crocking, and light are relevant when sunlight, cleaning, wetting, or handling can change textile performance or appearance.
Biological durability: Method 5762 is relevant where mildew resistance of textile materials is part of the requirement set.
Equipment Commonly Used with These Standards / Methods / References
Most FTMS 191 work is equipment-specific. The correct setup depends on the method number and the specimen form named in the governing requirement.
Textile tensile systems: Commonly used for cloth, thread, and yarn strength methods such as 4100 and 5100.
Tear test equipment: Relevant for falling-pendulum and other cloth tear procedures such as 5132 and 5134.
Abrasion testers: Used where the requirement cites abrasion resistance methods such as 5304.1.
Accelerated weathering equipment: Used for exposure-based cloth durability work such as 5804 or 5804.1.
Colorfastness tools: Used for laundering, water, crocking, and lightfastness workflows associated with the 5610, 5630, 5650, and 5660 method group.
Conditioning and specimen-preparation tools: Useful across FTMS 191 workflows to support textile cutting, preconditioning, mounting, and repeatable handling.
Related Standards Organizations or Related Frameworks
FTMS 191 often appears alongside current regulatory frameworks and more modern standards bodies. These are related references, not blanket equivalents.
U.S. Coast Guard: Coast Guard approval rules historically incorporated FTMS 191 methods for marine textile materials, which is why the family still appears in older marine compliance work.
Federal Aviation Administration: FAA guidance for wind cone assemblies cites FED-STD-191A for textile fabric properties, making FTMS 191 relevant in some aviation product specifications.
ASTM International: ASTM methods are commonly used in current textile, coated-fabric, and materials programs where older federal references are being updated or compared.
UL: Current marine equipment approval routes increasingly use UL standards, so buyers may see FTMS 191 in legacy documents while newer approvals point to UL-based pathways.
Talk With NextGen About FTMS 191 Test Equipment
A precise FTMS 191 setup starts with the exact method number and revision named in your requirement. That detail determines whether you need a tensile tester, tear tester, abrasion system, weathering unit, or textile colorfastness equipment.
NextGen can help align FTMS 191 references with practical laboratory equipment, fixtures, and accessories for textile-strength, tear, abrasion, exposure, and colorfastness workflows while your team works from the governing specification or regulatory document.