Comparison of Methods of Evaluating Cotton Abrasion

Authors differ in their definitions of abrasion, but agree that it is one of the most important of several factors contributing to wear.Much research has been done on the evaluation of cotton abrasion tests, but little has been done on the comparison of these evaluations to find the most suitable methods for particular fabrics, fibers and testing machines. The purpose of this study was to abrade cotton fabric in the Accelerotor, to evaluate the abrasion damage of the fabric after abrasion, and to compare the evaluation methods investigated to find those most suitable to use for cotton abraded in the Accelerotor. A sampling plan was developed to cut twelve specimens of cotton fabric from each of six areas of the cloth.The specimens within the areas were randomly chosen.Five specimens from each area were abraded with the grit liner in the Accelerotor at time intervals of one, two, three, seven, and fifteen minutes. Four specimens from each area were abraded with the friction liner at one, three, ten, and thirty minutes. Two specimens from each area were held for replacement and one was left unabraded. The Accelerotor was run at constant speed. Physical, visual, and dyeing tests were used to evaluate the degree of abrasion received by the fabric.The methods used were weight of the whole specimen;weight per square yard of the fabric; breaking strength; yarn count; visual ratings of the fabric, yarn, and fiber; and congo red and differential dyeing tests.The results of these tests were compared to find those most suitable to evaluate cotton fabric abraded in the Accelerotor. Because some tests are subjective and more irreproducible than others and all tests do not measure the same abrasion phenomena, no single test can be used for the evaluation of abrasion.A combination of tests seems to be the best way to evaluate cotton abraded in the Accelerotor.The tests which were judged best for this purpose were weight per square yard, yarn count, and the congo red tests. Advisor: June Ericso