GENEVA, SWITZERLAND / AGILITYPR.NEWS / January 16, 2020 / China releases new national product standard for silk quilts - GB/T 24252-2019.

The updated standard was released but the National Technical Committee of Garments, part of the Standardization Administration of China, as part of China’s 2019 No. 13 announcement of newly approved national standards. It applies to quilt products made from silk waddings. This means either mulberry silk, tussah silk, or a combination of these silks as the primary wadding material. The silk quilt must have a wadding cover and can be either machine stitched or handmade.

Stakeholders should be aware that silk quilts made from other forms of silk as the wadding material can also refer to GB/T 24252-2019.

The latest version of the standard contains several changes to the 2009 version. Additions include:

• The statement: “silk quilts filled with other kinds of silk fiber as wadding materials may refer to this standard too” ​
• Safety requirements that:

1. Silk quilts must comply with GB 18401
2. Infant and child silk quilts must comply with GB 31701

• Requirement that no weight adding process on silk wadding is allowed​
• Appearance requirement for wadding
• No requirement for evaluation of evenness for the four corners or sides if the wadding weighs 500g or less
• Requirement that no sewing needles, broken sewing needles or any other metal pieces can remain in the silk quilt, thereby causing a potential hazard
• Test methods for:

1. Safety performance
2. Length and content of silk floss
3. Residual gum content
4. Weight identification of silk floss
5. Cleanness of spun silk floss
6. Remains of broken sewing needles

• Terms and definitions for spun silk floss and silk floss nep
• Requirements for what length of silk floss, residual gum content and fluorescent brighteners can be used

The new standard also contains the following adjustments:

• The merging of the requirements for sewing needle appearance and sewing quality within the process quality ​
• Updating for Annex B title to, “The test method of compressibility and recovery of wadding”. The test method revision is based on the Annex D of GB/T 24252-2009 with the test device scheme added. The previous editions Annex B - “The test method of mulberry silk content in mulberry silkworm/tussah products” - has been deleted, with a test method added to Annex A
• Annex C’s title revised to, “Qualitative test method of silk floss weight -Chromogenic method after acid digestion”. The previous Annex C has been deleted with the test method added to Clause 5.2.4 of the new standard
• Annex D’s title changed to, “Qualitative test method of silk floss weight - Acid hydrolysis method at high temperature”. The previous Annex D has been added to the new Annex B
• Annex E’s title is now, “Determination of amino acids in silk - Liquid chromatographic method’. The previous Annex E - “Sampling in inspection” - is now Annex F

GB/T 24252-2019 also has revisions to the:

• Test methods for fibre content, oil content, fluorescent brighteners and dimensional change after washing​
• Terms and definitions of:

1. Silk quilts and silk floss - revised
2. ‘Long silk floss’, ‘medium/long silk floss’ and ‘short silk floss’ - deleted

• Requirements for fiber content, oil content, mass deviation rate, and compressibility and recovery
• Delivery inspections
• Labelling rules of product specifications and fiber content
• Annex A revised with the addition of “The expression of test report for the fibre content of wadding”

To learn more about the changes being introduced by GB/T 24252-2019, view our original SafeGuard 003/20.

GB/T 24252-2019 will come into effect on May 1, 2020, replacing the previous iteration - GB/T 24252-2009.

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