Cotton Fabric Testing Review Report
A cotton fabrics shrinkage abilities need to be tested in order to determine its quality. This is done through the Quick wash machine in accelerated wash. What happens in this process is that four specimens are prepared; they are required to have different lengths and widths. They are then placed in cylinders within the machine alongside a dummy sample in the fifth cylinder. The samples are then covered by benchmarks on all four corners of the sample. These fabrics are agitated for 45 seconds then rinsed and dried for 240 seconds. Rinsing is done three times in every cycle with only 3 liters of water. The length and widths of samples are taken after the wash and percentages determined through a computer to see shrinkage rates.
Breaking force and elongation of
Fabrics are also taken through the breaking force and elongation of textile fabrics test. The machine that carries this out is prepared for either of these tests by changing load cells. Besides the latter two tests, it can also do the as well as individual fiber tests. In the strip strength tests, samples are cut into 1&1/2 by 6 inch dimensions and then their yarns are unraveled. They are then clamped and then subjected to intense force until they reach their breaking point- this is applicable for woven fabrics. Grab tests on the other hand are done through the same procedure but with different clamps. These are useful in determining fabrics effective strengths.
Random tumble pilling tester
Another important test is called the random tumble pilling test. Its aim is to determine the extent to which pilling occurs in a fabric. Here pilling refers to formation of small balls on the surface of material from the same fiber of the material. In essence this test involves rubbing the material until the pills are formed. Samples of 4.13 square inches are cut and placed into a test machine containing cork lining inside. These samples are then stuck onto the inside of machine and left to dry and then subjected to air entering at 2-3 psi of pressure. The latter process goes on for a period of thirty minutes and the fabric is taken for evaluation through photographic standards ranging from very severe piling to no pills represented by 1 and 5 respectively.
Tearing strength elemendorf test
Another test is known as the tearing strength elemendorf method which is designed to determine the tearing force of a piece of fabric from a pendulum. One must first prepare 2 by 4 Inch samples that are arranged parallel to yarns. Pendulums ranging from 200 to 6,800 cN are then dropped onto the pieces that already have an existing cut. The cut is made through a knife lever. Care must be taken to ensure that weights chosen can fully expand the slit. Checks are made to see how far the tear went from its original slit through inch measurements. Percentages are then calculated and results recorded on a computer.
The bursting strength of textiles is done in order to find out a fabrics ability to withstand a ball burst. In the test, a sample is placed in between clamps and a hard steel ball attached to a pendulum is exerted upon it. When the sample raptures, then the test is complete and the amount of force required is usually noted.
Lastly, cotton fabrics are usually subjected through the Martindale Abrasion tests which are intended on determining the ability of fabrics to resist abrasion. In this method, a fabric is cut into a diameter of 140 mm and then subjected to a rubbing motion where a straight line motion is created and this is subsequently changed into an eclipse that traces the same sample within specified conditions of pressure i.e. 9Kpa or 12 Kpa. One normally rubs the material through a predetermined number of items by preparing the machine. After completion of the sets, one has the option of marking an end point when a hole appears, calculate a mass loss or choose a fabrics shade if it is sufficient enough to cause concern.
