Fabric Inspection

Professional Third-Party Fabric Inspection

Professional Third-Party Fabric Inspection Company


Let's explore the characteristics of textile fibers, including abrasion resistance, water absorption, chemical effects, elasticity, flammability, and more.
01

What is Abrasion Resistance

Abrasion resistance refers to the ability to withstand wearing friction, which helps improve the durability of the fabric. Garments made from fibers with high breaking strength and good abrasion resistance can be worn for a long time and show signs of wear only after an extended period.

Nylon is widely used in sportswear, such as ski jackets and football shorts, due to its excellent strength and abrasion resistance. Acetate fiber is often used for linings in outerwear and jackets because of its excellent drape and low cost.

However, due to its poor abrasion resistance, acetate linings tend to wear out or develop holes before the outer fabric of the jacket shows corresponding wear.



02

Water Absorption

Water absorption is the ability to absorb moisture, usually expressed as moisture regain. The water absorption of a fiber refers to the percentage of moisture absorbed by the dry fiber under standard conditions of 70°F (21°C) and 65% relative humidity.

Fibers that easily absorb water are called hydrophilic fibers. All natural animal and plant fibers, as well as two artificial fibers—viscose and acetate—are hydrophilic. Fibers that have difficulty absorbing water or can only absorb small amounts are called hydrophobic fibers. Except for viscose, Lyocell, and acetate, all synthetic fibers are hydrophobic. Glass fibers do not absorb water at all, while other fibers typically have a moisture regain of 4% or lower.

The water absorption of fibers affects many aspects of their application, including:

a) Skin Comfort: Poor water absorption can cause a cold and damp feeling due to sweat accumulation.

b) Static Electricity: Hydrophobic fibers are prone to issues like clothing clinging and sparking because there is little moisture to help disperse charged particles accumulated on the fiber surface. Dust is also attracted and adheres to the fibers due to static electricity.

c) Dimensional Stability After Washing: Hydrophobic fibers shrink less than hydrophilic fibers after washing, as they rarely swell, which is one reason for fabric shrinkage.

d) Stain Removal: Stains are easily removed from hydrophilic fibers because the fibers absorb both detergent and water.

e) Water Repellency: Hydrophilic fibers often require more durable water-repellent finishing, as chemical treatments can enhance their water resistance.

f) Wrinkle Recovery: Hydrophobic fibers generally have better wrinkle recovery, especially after washing and ironing, because they do not absorb water, do not swell, and dry in a wrinkled state.


03

During textile processing (such as printing, dyeing, and finishing) and home/professional care or cleaning (e.g., with soap, bleach, and dry-cleaning solvents), fibers often come into contact with chemicals. The type, intensity, and duration of chemical exposure determine the extent of the impact on the fibers. Understanding the effects of chemicals on different fibers is important as it directly relates to the care required during cleaning.

Fibers react differently to chemicals. For example, cotton fibers have relatively low acid resistance but good alkali resistance. Additionally, cotton fabrics lose some strength after chemical resin wrinkle-free finishing.




04

Covering Ability

Covering ability refers to the capacity to fill a certain area. Coarse or crimped fibers provide better textile coverage than fine, straight fibers. Fabrics made from such fibers are warm, have a full hand feel, and require fewer fibers to weave.

Wool is widely used in winter clothing because its crimp provides excellent covering ability and creates a large amount of still air within the fabric, which insulates against external cold. The effectiveness of fiber coverage depends on its cross-sectional shape, longitudinal structure, and weight.



05

Elasticity

Elasticity refers to the ability to increase length (elongation) under tension and return to the original state (recovery) after the force is released. Elongation of fibers or fabrics under external force makes clothing more comfortable and reduces seam stress.

It also tends to improve breaking strength. Complete recovery helps prevent fabric sagging at the elbows or knees, thus avoiding garment deformation. Fibers that can elongate at least 100% are called elastic fibers. Spandex (also known as Lycra, called spandex in China) and rubber fibers fall into this category. After stretching, these elastic fibers can almost forcefully return to their original length.


06

Environmental conditions affect fibers differently. How fibers and the resulting fabrics react to exposure, storage, etc., is very important.

Wool garments need protection against moths during storage, as they are susceptible to damage by wool moths.

Nylon and silk lose strength when exposed to sunlight for long periods, so they are not typically used for curtains and doors/windows.

Cotton fibers are prone to mildew, so they should not be stored in damp environments for extended periods.


07

Flammability refers to the ability of an object to ignite or burn. This is an important characteristic because people's lives are always surrounded by various textiles. We know that clothing or indoor furniture, due to their flammability, can cause serious harm to consumers and result in significant material losses.

Fibers are generally classified as flammable, non-flammable, or flame-retardant: Flammable fibers are those that ignite easily and continue to burn; non-flammable fibers have a relatively high ignition point, burn slowly, and self-extinguish after the ignition source is removed; flame-retardant fibers are those that do not burn.

Flammable fibers can be made flame-retardant through finishing or modifying fiber parameters. For example, conventional polyester is flammable, but Trevira polyester is treated to be flame-retardant.


08

Softness refers to the ability of a fiber to bend repeatedly without breaking. Soft fibers like acetate can be made into fabrics and garments with good drape. Rigid fibers like glass fibers are not used for clothing but can be used in decorative, relatively stiff fabrics. Generally, the finer the fiber, the better the drape. Softness also affects the hand feel of the fabric.

Although good drape is often desired, stiffer fabrics are sometimes needed. For example, stiffer fabrics are used in garments with capes (clothing that hangs from the shoulders and flares out) to achieve the desired shape.


09

Hand feel refers to the sensation when touching fibers, yarns, or fabrics. The hand feel of a fiber is influenced by its shape, surface characteristics, and structure. Fiber shapes vary, including round, flat, multilobal, etc. Fiber surfaces also differ, such as smooth, serrated, or scaly.

Fibers can be either crimped or straight. Yarn type, fabric structure, and finishing processes also affect the hand feel of the fabric. Terms like soft, smooth, dry, silky, stiff, harsh, or rough are commonly used to describe the hand feel of fabrics.


10

Luster refers to the reflection of light from the fiber surface. Different properties of fibers affect their luster. A glossy surface, less curvature, flat cross-sectional shape, and longer fiber length enhance light reflection. The drawing process in fiber manufacturing increases luster by making the surface smoother. Adding delustering agents disrupts light reflection, reducing luster. By controlling the amount of delustering agent, bright, semi-dull, and dull fibers can be produced.

Fabric luster is also affected by yarn type, weave, and all finishes. The requirement for luster depends on fashion trends and customer needs.



11

Pilling

Pilling refers to the formation of small balls of tangled, short, and broken fibers on the fabric surface. Pilling occurs when fiber ends break from the fabric surface, usually due to wear. Pilling is undesirable because it makes fabrics like bedsheets look old and unattractive and feel uncomfortable. Pills often form in areas of frequent friction, such as collars, underarms, and cuffs.

Hydrophobic fibers pill more easily than hydrophilic fibers because they are more prone to static attraction and are less likely to fall off the fabric surface. Pilling is rarely seen on 100% cotton shirts but is very common on similar polyester-cotton blend shirts after some wear. Although wool is hydrophilic, pilling occurs due to its scaly surface. Fibers twist and tangle together to form pills. Strong fibers tend to hold pills on the fabric surface. Low-strength fibers that break easily are less prone to pilling because the pills fall off.



12

Resilience

Resilience refers to the ability of a material to recover elastically after being folded, twisted, or distorted, closely related to wrinkle recovery. Fabrics with good resilience are less prone to wrinkling and thus maintain their shape better.

Coarser fibers have better resilience because they have more mass to absorb strain. The shape of the fiber also affects resilience; round fibers have better resilience than flat fibers.

Fiber properties are also a factor. Polyester fibers have excellent resilience, while cotton fibers have poor resilience. Therefore, these two fibers are often blended in products such as men's shirts, women's blouses, and bedsheets.

When distinct creases are desired in clothing, highly resilient fibers can be problematic. Creases form easily on cotton or viscose fabrics but are less likely on dry wool fabrics. Wool fibers resist bending and wrinkling and can straighten out afterward.


Guangzhou Huajian Commodity Inspection Co., Ltd. has prepared inspection processes for various products for its wide range of clients, with careful attention to detail and competitive pricing. Long-term cooperation is especially welcome. For more information, please contact Guangzhou Huajian Commodity Inspection! More details at www.hqc-inspection.com