Fiber and Biopolymer Research Institute

Trip to Fiber and Biopolymer Research Institute

In my trip to the Fiber and Biopolymer Research Institute, I learned a lot about the testing processes that fabrics go through before they are able to be made into things such as clothing, blankets, draperies, and upholstery.  There were three main processes that provided information that someone would need to know before buying fabric to use on any of item.

            The first testing machine was called the “Martindale Abrasion Tester,” which finds the abrasion resistance of fabrics, or how much wear and tear a piece of fabric can handle.  Plain weave, crossbred, or worsted wool fabric is used to abrade the test fabric.  The fabrics are rubbed together until one of three options happens.  One option is to stop when a hole to appears on a knitted fabric or when one or two strings break on a woven fabric.  The second option is to stop when a noticeable change in appearance is reached that would dissatisfy a customer who might buy a fabric.  The third option is to determine the overall loss in mass of a fabric by using a percentage.  All three of these options provide necessary information for a manufacturer or customer, especially when the fabric will be used for something that will receive a lot of wear and tear.

            The second machine that I viewed was the “Dimensional Changes of Fabrics Accelerated.”  This machine simulated what a home or commercial washing machine would do to a fabric if it were to be washed.   This machine takes a sample of a fabric and marks it in five different places.  The fabric samples are then washed and allowed to dry.  The markers are then measured again to see how much a fabric has shrunk.  Each time the markers are measured, both before and after washing, the humidity and temperature of the air in the room stays the same so that neither of these factors can altar the results of the test.  Often times a favorite shirt or pair of pants shrink during washing and cannot be worn again by a customer.  This process provides us with information that can give manufacturers the knowledge to prevent this sad occurrence from happening.

            A third testing machine, the “Tearing Strength and Elmendorf Method,” measures how much tearing force a piece of fabric can handle before it breaks.  The fabric to be tested is cut into 5 testing 2 ½ inch X 4 inch strips and placed into two clamps that will pull the strip into two different directions when a pendulum with a weight attached is dropped.  After the pendulum drops the fabric is observed for any ripping or tearing.  If the weight used on the pendulum didn’t break the fabric, then a heavier weight will be used until the highest weight possible is used.  This helps a manufacturer to know how much pressure can be put on a fabric once it is manufactured, so that it will not rip once it is in the hands of a customer.

            The fourth machine that I looked at was the “Breaking Force and Elongation of Textile Fabrics.”  This machine measures how far a fabric will stretch before it tears.  This machine also puts two ends of a strip of fabric into two clamps that will stretch the fabric.  Instead of a pendulum dropping, this time the two ends of fabric are pulled apart at a steady rate.  This again, will help a manufacturer know what fabrics can be used for high-pressure areas in finished products.  The amount of stretch is also important for comfort of a fabric in both clothing and upholstery. 

            The trip to the Fiber and Biopolymer Research Institute was very informative and allowed me to see many of the processes that are used to test fabrics before they are sold to customers.  It also helped me to understand and think about what kind of qualities are looked for in fabrics for different purposes, which help an interior designer like me understand the best fabrics to use for different projects.