Abrasion Properties of Upholstery Flocked Fabrics

Abstract

TurkeyFlocked fabrics are textile-based products which have been used in outwear and home textiles since the 1960s [1]. Flock fiber length is between 0.5-2.0 mm, flock fiber fineness is from 14 micron and flock fiber material is polyamide or viscose, generally used as a flock layer for outwear and home textile flocked fabrics. The substrate fabric is mostly polyester/cotton-mixed fibers because of the capability of moisture retention. Flocked fabrics are characterized by their warm appearance and soft handle, and the figured flocked fabrics are obtained by the application of the specific effects [2][3][4][5].Flocked fabrics are produced by coating the substrate fabric with aqua-based acrylic or polyurethane and polyvinylchloride adhesives, orienting the flock fibers substantially vertically with respect to the substrate under the influence of an electrostatic field. After that, coated substrate with flock fibers is cured in an oven [1,4,5].It has been stated that the harsh handle polyamidebased flock fibers are more favorable due to their good color fastness, brightness and abrasion resistance than the soft handle viscose-based flock fibers which have poor color fastness and abrasion resistance. In addition, the fastenings between the flock fibers and adhesive are provided with water repellent treatments [6][7][8].Flock fabric in daily use has some problems. There is a tendency of delaminating of the flock fiber layer from the substrate under the rubbing and abrasion movements in cleaning and general use. In the literature, there are some extensive studies about the abrasion resistance of woven and knitted fabrics. These studies concentrated on the abrasion behavior of chenille fabrics [9][10][11][12][13][14]. However, studies about the abrasion behavior of flocked fabrics are limited. 1 The aim of this study was to characterize certain flocked fabrics [15] by measuring the abrasion resistance. For this purpose, Martindale abrasion behavior of flocked fabrics and token rubbing behavior on dry and wet form were determined.Abstract Flocked fabrics are particularly used in outwear and home upholstery since they are comfortable and soft. In this study, Martindale abrasion and token rubbing properties of the flocked fabrics were investigated and characterized. It was observed that the surface abrasion properties of the flocked fabrics varied depending on the flock fiber density and flock fiber length. The abrasion resistance of flocked fabrics was increased by increasing flock fiber length and decreasing flock fiber density. The surface rubbing properties of flocked fabrics showed similar tendencies with the abrasion properties. However, the flocked fabrics showed more resistance to rubbing in dry form than wet form. These results were in agreement with the optical microscope images.

Designing for Multiple Expressions: Questioning Permanence as a Sign of Quality in Textiles

“…Textiles, yarns, and fibers are tested according to various standards; the Martindale abrasion test, for example, measures the durability of fabrics against abrasion. Here, a fabric is abraded by circular movements for a fixed amount of time, after which changes in the textile are measured (Bilisik andYolacan 2009: 1625). The less material the fabric loses during the test the higher its test score, and a new textile with an intact surface serves as the starting point for measurement, deviations from which are considered to constitute a decrease in quality.…”

Methodological study on the removal of solid oil and fat stains from cotton fabrics using abrasion

“…The stained fabrics stapled over a silicone disk were placed on a disk mount and secured with a nut on the disc shaft (see (2) in Figure 1). 28 The fabric-covered ball was loaded over the stained fabric disk with a user specified normal load L. Load values higher than 1 N significantly damaged the fabrics; hence experiments were performed at 1 N. For comparison, assuming a Hertzian contact between the silicone ball and plate, 29 thus obviating the presence of the cotton fabrics, results in an average contact pressure of $55 kPa, higher than in typical studies to characterize the abrasion resistance of fabrics ($15 kPa), 23 and much higher than observed between clothes and skin (3-5 kPa). 30,31 The tribometer parameters considered would represent the most abrading conditions between two fabrics that could occur during washing.…”

“…in a sink), as a washing mechanism has hardly been studied, unlike for comfort/fashion purposes. 22,23 The aim of this work is to quantify and understand the benefits and limitations of abrasion using pure and complex fats with melting points around room temperature. In order to achieve this purpose, the first methodology to study the effect of fabric-fabric abrasion in the removal of fats and oils was applied.…”

Basalt fibers as functional additives in coating of textiles

“…A well-established technique using short fibers in coatings on textiles is the flock technology. 25,26 In this technique, mostly short fibers of polyamide but also viscose fibers are placed in the presence of an electric field on a binder layer that was previously applied on a textile substrate. In this case, the orientation of the fibers on the substrates is determined by parameters such as the electrical field and the fiber length and diameter.…”