APEO and NPEO Limits Frequently Asked Questions
Short answers to the questions buyers ask most often about APEO and NPEO Limits.
What does it mean?
restrictions on nonylphenol ethoxylates. Working figures for APEO and NPEO Limits normally sit around usually below 100 ppm in mainstream production. Note extraction then LC-MS test on the tech pack so nobody tests against an older revision.
What value should be specified?
Start from usually below 100 ppm and adjust for the end use of the garment. Record elastane content alongside APEO and NPEO Limits, because blends shift the measured value. A result outside usually below 100 ppm usually points to process drift rather than to the fibre itself.
How is it tested?
extraction then LC-MS test. Keeping reference values for APEO and NPEO Limits lets suppliers quote without extra sampling rounds. Ask for conditioning details together with extraction then LC-MS test, since both affect the reading.
Why does it change between lots?
Process variables such as finishing temperature and elastane batch cause the normal spread of results. Working figures for APEO and NPEO Limits normally sit around usually below 100 ppm in mainstream production. Note extraction then LC-MS test on the tech pack so nobody tests against an older revision.
Can results be compared across suppliers?
Only when the same standard revision and conditioning are used; otherwise measurements are not equivalent. Record elastane content alongside APEO and NPEO Limits, because blends shift the measured value. A result outside usually below 100 ppm usually points to process drift rather than to the fibre itself.
