On the second trip to the Texas Tech Fiber and Biopolymer Research Institute we toured a lab where they perform different tasks to test the durability and strength of fabrics. We saw a total of six machines that each had their own method and intention for testing fabrics. Two were particularly fascinating: the Random Tumble Pilling Tester and the Martindale Abrasion Tester.

The machine pictured above is the Random Tumble Pilling Tester. It tests a fabric’s resistance to the formation of pills. Pills are an accumulation of fibers on the surface of a fabric. This machine is commonly used to test both woven and knitted apparel fabrics (FBRI).

Each of the four chambers on the machine are lined with cork. Then, the fabric that is being tested is cut into a 4.13 inch square (FBRI). To get accurate results from this test, samples should be taken from different areas throughout the fabric. The corners of each square must then be sealed with an adhesive and left to dry for 2 hours minimum (FBRI). After this drying process, each sample of fabric is placed inside a chamber with a few short, grey, cotton fibers. After each chamber is properly covered, a timer is set for thirty minutes. 2-3 psi of air pressure is then injected into each chamber (FBRI). Once the thirty minutes is complete, each sample is removed and cleaned of excess cotton fibers (FBRI). Each sample is then evaluated on a scale of one to five with one being “very severe pilling” and five being “no pills” (FBRI). The entire scale used at the Texas Tech Fiber and Biopolymer Research Institute is shown below.   

1	Very Severe Pilling
2	Severe Pilling
3	Moderate Pilling
4	Slight Pilling
5	No Pills

Another interesting machine that was presented to us was the Martindale Abrasion Tester, shown below.

This machine tests the abrasion resistance of textile fabrics. Unlike the previous machine, all types of fabrics can be tested on the Martindale Abrasion Tester. Each abrading table must first have a piece of felt followed by an abrasion cloth placed on top of it (FBRI). The abrading fabric can be made of a “plain weave, crossbred, or worsted wool fabric” (FBRI). A weight is then placed on top of the abrading fabric followed by a clamp ring to lock it into place. The fabric being tested is then cut to a 38mm diameter and must be accompanied by a polyether urethane foam of the same size (FBRI). These two pieces are then placed in the sample holder. The fabric is tested by a recurring rubbing motion preformed by each “arm.” The machine can be set to perform any number of rubs. The Texas Tech Fiber and Biopolymer Research Institute uses one of three options to evaluate the fabric after testing.  Each option is shown below.

Option 1	The end point is reached on a woven fabric when two or more yarns have broken or on a knitted fabric when a hole appears.
Option 2	The end point is reached when there is a change in shade or appearance that is sufficient to cause a customer to complain.
Option 3	Determine the mass loss as the difference between the masses before and after abrasion. This loss may be expressed as a percentage of the before abrasion mass.

The Martindale Abrasion Test and the Random Tumble Pilling test are particularly useful to those in the field of interior design. Knowing the durability of different fabrics is not only the “most important characteristic to an end-user”, but is key in choosing the right fabric for the right purpose (Yates, 2002, p.249). For example, the fabric on a chair in the waiting room of a medical clinic would need to be very durable, soil resistance, and abrasion resistant. However the curtains in a master bedroom would not need to be made of a durable, abrasion-resistant fabric. Knowledge of different fabrics and how they behave is of the highest importance in designing a functional, suitable space-an interior designer’s ultimate goal.

References

Yates, Marypaul. (2002). Fabrics: A Guide for Interior Designers and Architects. New York: W.W. Norton & Company.

*Additional References were made to the material handed out during the tour at the Texas Tech Fiber and Biopolymer Research Institute and are noted with the “FBRI” citation.