Background/aims: Spectrophotometric assessment (in vitro) is the most established method for determining the ultraviolet protection factor (UPF) of textiles. Apart from stringent requirements for measurement precision, practical methods are required for the routine determination of the UPF. We report here spectrophotometric measurements of textiles using a newly developed autosampler. Measurement precision was evaluated under repeatable conditions.
Methods: Fifteen different textiles were spectrophotometrically assessed for the determination of the UPF. Sample handling inside the spectrophotometer was performed with a computer-controlled sampling device, capable of loading and unloading a textile sample from a magazine as well as rotating the sample perpendicular to the spectrometer beam. In order to evaluate the repeatability of measurements, one sample of each textile was assessed eight times under the same conditions in the same laboratory.
Results: A mean percentage of the standard error of 1% [E(UPF)] was calculated for the UPF measurements. For UPFs >30, a significantly higher E(UPF) was found (r=0.78; P<0.001). E(UV) (3.9%) of ultraviolet A (UVA) transmission differed significantly from E(UV) (1.1 %) of ultraviolet B (UVB) transmission (P<0.05).
Conclusions: Though a slight decrease of repeatability was observed for UVA transmission measurements and UPFs higher than 30, our data indicate a high measurement precision under repeatable conditions. In conclusion, spectrophotometric measurements of textiles with the aid of the autosampler presented have been shown to be highly practical, time saving and precise.