Effect of Textile Parameters on Microfiber Shedding …
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4.3 Effect of Fabric Parameters and Properties
Fabric parameters which include the structure [29], tightness factor [29], and thickness [45] also have a considerable impact on the shedding nature of the textile
material.
4.3.1 Structure and Tightness/Cover Factor
The conversion of yarn into fabrics can be made by using three principles: interweaving, intertwining, and inter looping. Among these, interweaving (woven) and
inter looping (knitted) are the most commonly used techniques in the case of textile
products [46]. Generally, the knitted fabrics are less compact while comparing with
woven fabrics due to their way of construction. Researchers reported that the knit
structures being less compact tend to shed more while compared with the woven
structure [29]. When there are a greater number of yarns in the unit area of fabric,
the structure gets tighter. This tighter structure can withstand the abrasive forces and
thus leads to lesser shedding [29]. In contrast to this, Almroth et al. have reported that
the tighter structure sheds more fibers than the loose structure. They have supported
their finding by the fact that tighter structure allows more fibers in the unit area of the
fabric which results in increased surface abrasion and so the microfiber shedding.
Their findings showed a double fold increment in the shedding [21]. Other studies
showed higher microfiber shedding with woven fabric due to the types of yarn and its
hairiness compared to a knitted fabric. The microscopical analysis revealed that the
role of fiber length might contribute to the shedding of the microfiber. The knitted
fabric is made of filament yarn and the warp, weft yarns of the woven fabric are made
of staple fibers. This attributes higher hairiness in the woven fabric than knitted fabric.
Hence, the researcher hypothesized that staple fibers will easily slip away from the
yarn and leads to higher microfiber release in the laundry [45].
Similarly, higher Grams per square meter (GSM) or thickness may result in
increased fabric weight. This can increase the number of fibers in the unit area
and the increased number of fibers in the unit area can lead to increased shedding.
However, this cannot be directly related to shedding. The other researcher has found
reduced shedding in the case of fabric with higher GSM [45].
4.3.2 Effect of Fabric Properties
The properties of fabrics such as pilling and abrasion resistance can also contribute
to the shedding behavior of the fabric. Researchers have claimed that these properties
have a considerable impact on microfiber shedding [23, 27]. As discussed in Sect. 2,
pilling is another important parameter that has a direct influence on the microfiber
shedding. Pilling is a phenomenon where the protruding fibers get entangled to form
fiber balls (also known as pills) on the fabric surface. Napper et al. who studied the
17
4.3 Effect of Fabric Parameters and Properties
Fabric parameters which include the structure [29], tightness factor [29], and thickness [45] also have a considerable impact on the shedding nature of the textile
material.
4.3.1 Structure and Tightness/Cover Factor
The conversion of yarn into fabrics can be made by using three principles: interweaving, intertwining, and inter looping. Among these, interweaving (woven) and
inter looping (knitted) are the most commonly used techniques in the case of textile
products [46]. Generally, the knitted fabrics are less compact while comparing with
woven fabrics due to their way of construction. Researchers reported that the knit
structures being less compact tend to shed more while compared with the woven
structure [29]. When there are a greater number of yarns in the unit area of fabric,
the structure gets tighter. This tighter structure can withstand the abrasive forces and
thus leads to lesser shedding [29]. In contrast to this, Almroth et al. have reported that
the tighter structure sheds more fibers than the loose structure. They have supported
their finding by the fact that tighter structure allows more fibers in the unit area of the
fabric which results in increased surface abrasion and so the microfiber shedding.
Their findings showed a double fold increment in the shedding [21]. Other studies
showed higher microfiber shedding with woven fabric due to the types of yarn and its
hairiness compared to a knitted fabric. The microscopical analysis revealed that the
role of fiber length might contribute to the shedding of the microfiber. The knitted
fabric is made of filament yarn and the warp, weft yarns of the woven fabric are made
of staple fibers. This attributes higher hairiness in the woven fabric than knitted fabric.
Hence, the researcher hypothesized that staple fibers will easily slip away from the
yarn and leads to higher microfiber release in the laundry [45].
Similarly, higher Grams per square meter (GSM) or thickness may result in
increased fabric weight. This can increase the number of fibers in the unit area
and the increased number of fibers in the unit area can lead to increased shedding.
However, this cannot be directly related to shedding. The other researcher has found
reduced shedding in the case of fabric with higher GSM [45].
4.3.2 Effect of Fabric Properties
The properties of fabrics such as pilling and abrasion resistance can also contribute
to the shedding behavior of the fabric. Researchers have claimed that these properties
have a considerable impact on microfiber shedding [23, 27]. As discussed in Sect. 2,
pilling is another important parameter that has a direct influence on the microfiber
shedding. Pilling is a phenomenon where the protruding fibers get entangled to form
fiber balls (also known as pills) on the fabric surface. Napper et al. who studied the