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R. Rathinamoorthy and S. Raja Balasaraswathi
2.2 Effect of Laundry Temperature on Microfiber Shedding
Laundry temperature is often noted as an important parameter in the laundry as
it sometimes increases the chemical reaction between the laundry ingredients and
the textile structure. Hence, few researchers also evaluated the effect of laundry
temperature on the microfiber shedding of synthetic textile during the laundry. The
first research performed by Napper and Thompson estimated two different washing
temperatures namely 30 and 40 °C. Though acrylic fabric sheds more microfibers
at 30 °C, it is noted that the polyester fabric sheds more fiber than acrylic at 40
than 30 °C. The results were statistically insignificant but the researchers reported
the parameter is of vital importance [25]. While measuring the shedding behavior
of knitted and woven polyester fabric and polypropylene, researchers used different
temperatures, respectively, 40 and 75 °C. Though they did not perform any detailed
analysis of different fabrics, the researchers commented that increment in washing
temperature increased the microfiber shedding. The statistical analysis performed
by the researcher did not show any significant difference in the temperature impact.
However, it was explained by researchers that the higher temperature in washing
might have increased the surface hydrolysis of the synthetic textile due to the higher
alkaline nature of the detergent [29]. In a different study, researchers measured the
microfiber shedding at two different temperatures against cotton, polyester, rayon,
and cotton/polyester blend fabric. The researchers selected two different laundry
cycles from the washing machine namely cold (25 °C) and warm cycles (44 °C). On
the analysis, the results reported that the cotton and cotton blend material showed a
significant increment in the fiber shedding with the temperature. While comparing
it with cotton, the synthetic fiber (polyester) did not show any significant increment in shedding with the temperature changes. The changes were significant when
the temperature changed in the presence of the laundry detergent [33].
In a detailed analysis, research results measured the temperature effect on
microfiber shedding in the presence of detergent and absence. Researchers assessed
the shedding behavior of polyester, amide, and acetate fiber at 30, 40, and 60 °C
without detergent. The findings of the study revealed that the increment in temperature increased the release of microfiber from the synthetic cloth. The results showed
that in the case of polyester fabric, there is a slight increment in the shedding noted
between 30 and 40 °C (from 788 to 1032). However, the microfiber shedding significantly increased when the temperature increased to 60 °C. At 60 °C temperature, the
polyester sheds 13960 ± 2406 fibers but whereas at 40 °C the count was noted as 1032
± 150. Though polyamide and acetate fabric sheds more amounts of microfibers
than polyester, they showed a very little increment in the count noted comparatively less than polyester fabric. The findings of the results were in line with the
previous research [33] who reported a similar result. The author reported that the
increment in temperature at a lower level (up to 40 °C) did not have any impact on the
microfiber shedding. Hence, the researchers suggested a low-temperature laundry for
the synthetic textiles washing, to reduce the microfiber shedding [32]. The details of
the microfiber count at different temperatures at plain water are provided in Fig. 6.
R. Rathinamoorthy and S. Raja Balasaraswathi
2.2 Effect of Laundry Temperature on Microfiber Shedding
Laundry temperature is often noted as an important parameter in the laundry as
it sometimes increases the chemical reaction between the laundry ingredients and
the textile structure. Hence, few researchers also evaluated the effect of laundry
temperature on the microfiber shedding of synthetic textile during the laundry. The
first research performed by Napper and Thompson estimated two different washing
temperatures namely 30 and 40 °C. Though acrylic fabric sheds more microfibers
at 30 °C, it is noted that the polyester fabric sheds more fiber than acrylic at 40
than 30 °C. The results were statistically insignificant but the researchers reported
the parameter is of vital importance [25]. While measuring the shedding behavior
of knitted and woven polyester fabric and polypropylene, researchers used different
temperatures, respectively, 40 and 75 °C. Though they did not perform any detailed
analysis of different fabrics, the researchers commented that increment in washing
temperature increased the microfiber shedding. The statistical analysis performed
by the researcher did not show any significant difference in the temperature impact.
However, it was explained by researchers that the higher temperature in washing
might have increased the surface hydrolysis of the synthetic textile due to the higher
alkaline nature of the detergent [29]. In a different study, researchers measured the
microfiber shedding at two different temperatures against cotton, polyester, rayon,
and cotton/polyester blend fabric. The researchers selected two different laundry
cycles from the washing machine namely cold (25 °C) and warm cycles (44 °C). On
the analysis, the results reported that the cotton and cotton blend material showed a
significant increment in the fiber shedding with the temperature. While comparing
it with cotton, the synthetic fiber (polyester) did not show any significant increment in shedding with the temperature changes. The changes were significant when
the temperature changed in the presence of the laundry detergent [33].
In a detailed analysis, research results measured the temperature effect on
microfiber shedding in the presence of detergent and absence. Researchers assessed
the shedding behavior of polyester, amide, and acetate fiber at 30, 40, and 60 °C
without detergent. The findings of the study revealed that the increment in temperature increased the release of microfiber from the synthetic cloth. The results showed
that in the case of polyester fabric, there is a slight increment in the shedding noted
between 30 and 40 °C (from 788 to 1032). However, the microfiber shedding significantly increased when the temperature increased to 60 °C. At 60 °C temperature, the
polyester sheds 13960 ± 2406 fibers but whereas at 40 °C the count was noted as 1032
± 150. Though polyamide and acetate fabric sheds more amounts of microfibers
than polyester, they showed a very little increment in the count noted comparatively less than polyester fabric. The findings of the results were in line with the
previous research [33] who reported a similar result. The author reported that the
increment in temperature at a lower level (up to 40 °C) did not have any impact on the
microfiber shedding. Hence, the researchers suggested a low-temperature laundry for
the synthetic textiles washing, to reduce the microfiber shedding [32]. The details of
the microfiber count at different temperatures at plain water are provided in Fig. 6.