Textile testing is the

process A process is a series or set of activities that interact to produce a result; it may occur once-only or be recurrent or periodic. Things called a process include: Business and management *Business process, activities that produce a specific se ...

measuring Measurement is the quantification of attributes of an object or event, which can be used to compare with other objects or events. In other words, measurement is a process of determining how large or small a physical quantity is as compared t ...

the properties and

performance A performance is an act of staging or presenting a play, concert, or other form of entertainment. It is also defined as the action or process of carrying out or accomplishing an action, task, or function. Management science In the work place ...

textile Textile is an umbrella term that includes various fiber-based materials, including fibers, yarns, filaments, threads, different fabric types, etc. At first, the word "textiles" only referred to woven fabrics. However, weaving is not the ...

materials—textile testing includes

physical Physical may refer to: *Physical examination In a physical examination, medical examination, or clinical examination, a medical practitioner examines a patient for any possible medical signs or symptoms of a medical condition. It generally co ...

and chemical testing of

raw materials A raw material, also known as a feedstock, unprocessed material, or primary commodity, is a basic material that is used to produce goods, finished goods, energy, or intermediate materials that are feedstock for future finished products. As feedst ...

to finished products. Textile testing assists textile production in selecting various types of

fibers Fiber or fibre (from la, fibra, links=no) is a natural or artificial substance that is significantly longer than it is wide. Fibers are often used in the manufacture of other materials. The strongest engineering materials often incorporate ...

and their transformation into

yarn Yarn is a long continuous length of interlocked fibres, used in sewing, crocheting, knitting, weaving, embroidery, ropemaking, and the production of textiles. Thread is a type of yarn intended for sewing by hand or machine. Modern manufact ...

, fabric, and finished goods such as clothing. The materials are evaluated at multiple stages of production to qualify, compare, and

standardize In statistics, the standard score is the number of standard deviations by which the value of a raw score (i.e., an observed value or data point) is above or below the mean value of what is being observed or measured. Raw scores above the mean ...

to meet the norms of different production stages and

consumer A consumer is a person or a group who intends to order, or uses purchased goods, products, or services primarily for personal, social, family, household and similar needs, who is not directly related to entrepreneurial or business activities. T ...

requirements In product development and process optimization, a requirement is a singular documented physical or functional need that a particular design, product or process aims to satisfy. It is commonly used in a formal sense in engineering design, includi ...

. The testing of

textiles Textile is an umbrella term that includes various fiber-based materials, including fibers, yarns, filaments, threads, different fabric types, etc. At first, the word "textiles" only referred to woven fabrics. However, weaving is not the ...

is carried out in

laboratories A laboratory (; ; colloquially lab) is a facility that provides controlled conditions in which scientific or technological research, experiments, and measurement may be performed. Laboratory services are provided in a variety of settings: physicia ...

and in the field using simple to sophisticated testing methods and equipment. In textile testing, many analytical instruments and online monitoring systems are utilized. Textile testing adds value to different agencies involved in the textile supply chain, from production, distribution and consumption. Multiple units are utilized to measure textile fibers, threads, yarns, and fabrics.

History

Textile testing is the process of evaluating the quality and properties of a textile material through a series of tests at various stages of manufacturing. Textile testing, like textiles, is a vast subject. The historical evolution of textile measuring, and testing methods is difficult to consolidate as the subject is scattered and has different stage timelines for its starting points. At the end of the 18th century, the first mechanical spinning mills began to operate. However, for more than 150 years, the textile industry relied on subpar testing equipment. The yarns had to be visually checked, either by manually stretching a few yarns or by inspecting them on the blackboard. Between 1935 and 1945, the electronics industry made huge strides to produce military equipment. After

World War II World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great powers—forming two opposin ...

, new electronic components improved measurement technology. Testing textiles was one area of application among many. After 1950, it was possible to check in an instant what it took 30 minutes to measure iber lengthwith an end-aligned staple diagram apparatus.

Timeline of the important tests and equipment's

* Colorimetry that objectively evaluates color dates back to the latter half of the 1960s. * Uster yarn evenness tester: In 1944-1948, Uster developed its first evenness tester.

Objectives

Textile testing helps in many ways in the textile manufacturing process, from research, raw material selection, process control, product testing, process development, and testing specifications. It also plays a vital role in the operations of the textile bureau. Textile testing facilitates in-line processing y preventing complications in subsequent stepsand also recommends wash and care instructions for the final product.

Selection of raw material

Variable quality is a characteristic shared by all raw materials. Fibers have different colors, fineness, and length, yarns vary in count, twist, and strength, and fabrics vary with density,

thread count Textile fibers, threads, yarns and fabrics are measured in a multiplicity of units. * A fiber, a single filament of natural material, such as cotton, linen or wool, or artificial material such as nylon, polyester, metal or mineral fiber, or man-m ...

, weight, and shrinkage levels. The proper selection of raw materials facilitates the smooth operation of subsequent stages.

Product testing

The objective of product testing is to ensure that the finished product performs as expected.

Testing standards

Specific organizations have developed testing procedures, such as the

American Association of Textile Chemists and Colorists AATCC—the American Association of Textile Chemists and Colorists— is a 501(c)(6) not-for-profit professional association that provides test method development, quality control materials, educational development, and networking for textile and a ...

(AATCC) and the American Society for Testing and Materials (ASTM). These testing procedures allow for accurate assessment of textile product properties, such as the relative strength or tenacity of the fibers, etc. Since 1921, the AATCC has been serving the textile industry. During

World War I World War I (28 July 1914 11 November 1918), often abbreviated as WWI, was one of the deadliest global conflicts in history. Belligerents included much of Europe, the Russian Empire, the United States, and the Ottoman Empire, with fightin ...

, when the Atlantic blockade prevented European dyes from entering America and the newly formed American dye manufacturers struggled to provide consistent products, the need for American textile testing methods became apparent. The AATCC has developed over two hundred textile standards, test methods, evaluation procedures, and monographs. These specifications are published annually in the AATCC Technical Manual. The

American National Standards Institute The American National Standards Institute (ANSI ) is a private non-profit organization that oversees the development of voluntary consensus standards for products, services, processes, systems, and personnel in the United States. The organi ...

approves the textile performance standards set by ASTM International. Other testing agencies or bodies that are recognized or accepted as international standards based on contracts include the following:

Fiber testing

Textile testing is conducted at various stages, including raw materials, fibers, yarn, fabric, and finished product. The basic raw material in the spinning industry is fiber, which has a high degree of variability. The HVI (High Volume Instrument) measures the following parameters: fiber length, length uniformity, fiber strength, fiber maturity, short fiber content, micronaire (fibre fineness), color grade, leaf, and foreign matter.

Fiber identification

Fiber is the fundamental component of textiles. Testing fiber properties is vitally important. Applications of a fibre are determined by its physical, mechanical, chemical, and environmental properties. Physical properties are those that can be assessed with the naked eye or a

microscope A microscope () is a laboratory instrument used to examine objects that are too small to be seen by the naked eye. Microscopy is the science of investigating small objects and structures using a microscope. Microscopic means being invisibl ...

. A textile testing laboratory determines the mechanical properties of different fibers. There are various test methods that help in identifying the fibers, Fiber identification and examination includes microscopic analysis, burning tests, and chemical testing.

Cotton classification

Cotton classification, or classing, is the process of classifying cotton based on its grade,

staple length A staple fiber is a textile fiber of discrete length. The opposite is a filament fiber, which comes in continuous lengths. Staple length is a characteristic fiber length of a sample of staple fibers. It is an essential criterion in yarn spinning ...

, and micronaire. Micronaire is a measure of

cotton maturity Cotton maturity is a physical testing parameter of cotton fiber properties testing. It is quantified by the degree of cell wall thickening relative to its perimeter. The maturity of individual cotton fiber is an essential aspect of the cotton cla ...

. Maturity of cotton fibers is measured with single fiber measurement test or by double compression air flow test. It is expressed in percentage or maturity ratio.

Micronaire

Cotton's simple Micronaire value is determined by both the fineness of the fibres as well as their maturity. Micronaire values or reading represents the fineness of the cotton fiber. For example, a preferred micronaire range is 3.7 to 4.2. Upland cotton is coarser than Gossypium barbadense (Pima cotton).

Yarn testing

The yarn undergoes different tests.

Uster Technologies Uster Technologies, in its industry often called USTER, is a Swiss manufacturer of analytical instruments and on-line monitoring systems for the textile industry, based in Uster, Switzerland. It emerged as a management buy-out form of the textile ...

, commonly referred to as "Uster" in the yarn-spinning industry, is a Swiss manufacturer of analytical instruments and online monitoring systems for yarn. Most typical yarn tests include evaluating the uniformity of yarns. arn evennessthat infers the yarn's evenness index.

Fabric testing

GPT stands for "Garment Package Test" and FPT stands for "Fabric Package Test" in garment and textile testing. Each buyer provides guidance for which tests are required at the fabric and subsequent garment stages. The testing of fabrics offers a comprehensive review of the various tests that can be performed on fabrics. Fabric testing includes measurements such as

fabric weight Textile fibers, Thread (yarn), threads, yarns and fabrics are measured in a multiplicity of units. * A fiber, a single filament of natural material, such as cotton, linen or wool, or artificial material such as nylon, polyester, metal or mineral f ...

, fabric width, shrinkage testing, colour fastness to washing, fastness to light, pilling, tearing and bursting strength, etc. The primary consideration in fabric selection is the end use. The fabric needs vary greatly depending on the application. Similar types of fabric may not be suitable for all applications. Fabric weight or GSM is an important parameter while producing different fabrics. A carpet requires a fabric with 1300 GSM, but a robe may be made with 160 GSM. Certainly, fabrics for clothes and carpets have distinct weights. Stretchable fabrics have greater movability and are thus more comfortable than fabrics with no stretch or less stretch. Textile standards and testing vary with the use and application areas. For example, there are specific ways to test how well military and industrial textiles work in harsh environments.

Special test methods

The comfort performance of textiles is the foremost requirement that influences product acceptance. Following comfort, safety and protection are the top priorities. Numerous tests are conducted to evaluate the performance of textiles.

Sweating guarded hot plate test

The test method evaluates the thermal resistance and water vapor permeability of fabrics, which bear on the garment's comfort. * ISO 11092:2014 (the test for physiological effects — Test for measuring thermal resistance and water-vapor resistance) * ASTM F1868 (test for measuring thermal and evaporative resistance)

Breathability test

Water vapor transmission rate, also called

moisture vapor transmission rate Moisture vapor transmission rate (MVTR), also water vapor transmission rate (WVTR), is a measure of the passage of water vapor through a substance. It is a measure of the permeability for vapor barriers. There are many industries where moisture c ...

(MVTR) is a method of testing or measuring the permeability for vapor barriers. * ASTM F2298 – 03 (test for clothing materials such as protective clothing, laminates, and membranes) a similar test by Japanese Standards Association is JSA – JIS L 1099.

Air permeability

The air permeability test method is for measuring the ability of air to pass through textile materials. * ASTM D737-96 alternative test method is * ISO 9237:1995

Moisture management test

The moisture wicking or moisture management test is for testing moisture management properties such as wicking capabilities and drying efficiencies. * AATCC test method 195 *ISO 13029:2012

Qmax test

The Qmax test method is used to evaluate the surface warm-cool sensations of fabric and to indicate the instantaneous thermal feeling sensed when the fabric first comes into contact with the skin surface.

Manikin test

A thermal manikin is a device for analysing the thermal interface of the human body and its environment. It assesses the thermal comfort and

insulation Insulation may refer to: Thermal * Thermal insulation, use of materials to reduce rates of heat transfer ** List of insulation materials ** Building insulation, thermal insulation added to buildings for comfort and energy efficiency *** Insulated ...

properties of clothing, such as protective gear for the military.

Kawabata evaluation system

Kawabata evaluation system The Kawabata evaluation system (KES) is used to measure the mechanical properties of fabrics. The system was developed by a team led by Professor Kawabata in the department of polymer chemistry, Kyoto University Japan. KES is composed of four dif ...

measures the mechanical properties of the textiles, such as tensile strength, shear strength, surface friction, and roughness, The Kawabata evaluation system predicts human responses and understands the perception of softness. It can also be used to figure out the short-term heat transfer properties that are responsible for the feeling of coolness when fabrics touch the skin while being worn.{{Cite journal , last1=Harwood , first1=R. J. , last2=Weedall , first2=P. J. , last3=Carr , first3=C. , date=1990 , title=The use of the Kawabata Evaluation System for product development and quality control , url=https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/abs/10.1111/j.1478-4408.1990.tb01244.x , url-status=live , journal=Journal of the Society of Dyers and Colourists , volume=106 , issue=2 , pages=64–68 , doi=10.1111/j.1478-4408.1990.tb01244.x , issn=1478-4408 , archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210709182901/https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/abs/10.1111/j.1478-4408.1990.tb01244.x , archive-date=2021-07-09 , access-date=2021-07-03

References

Textiles Properties of textiles