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23 TEX 2207: Textile Testing and Quality Control-I MR

Humidity
Humidity: Humidity is the term used to describe the moisture existing in the atmosphere.

Relative humidity: The ratio of the actual vapor pressure to the saturated vapor pressure at
the same temperature expressed as a percentage is defined as Relative Humidity.
Absolute Humidity: Absolute humidity is the weight of water present in a unit volume of
moistair i.e. grains per cubic foot or grams per cubic meter.

Advantage: Under ideal humidity conditions the following advantages are realized
inprocessing:
1. Reduced in generation of static electricity.
2. Materials are more easily workable due to pliability.
3. Reduced in amount of dust and fly.
4. Allows for the retention of moisture already within the materials.
5. Permits greater bodily comfort for personnel in cold weather.
6. Breakage affinity reduced due to higher yarn strength.

Correct invoice Weight: The weight obtained after adding standard moisture regain of
the material with the oven dry weight is called Correct Invoice Weight or conditioned weight.

Importance of CIW: In commercial transactions where textile materials are paid for by
weight it is clearly necessary to have agreement between buyer and seller on the exact weight to
be paid for. The buyer certainly does not wish to pay for excess water at the price per pound of
the textile material. A Correct Invoice Weight is therefore determined. When a consignment is
delivered and weighed, a sample is taken and tests made to enable the correct invoice weight. So,
the importance to CIW is very much in business.

Conditioned Count: The count determined on the basis of CIW in called conditioned count.

Factors affecting the regain of textile material:

The factor which affect the moisture regain of textile material are as follows:
1. Time
2. Temperature
3. Relative humidity.
4. Previous history of the material
5. Type of the material.

Type of materials:
 Different fibres have different moisture regain.
 For example, silk has moisture regain of 11% and nylon has only 4%. The form of

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material is alsoimportant in case of regain.

 For example, the regain of yarn (woolen and worsted) is 18.25 and that of cloth
(woolenand worsted) is 16%.

 From the above curve we can say that wool and viscose rayon show similar
absorption curves while nylon shows a low absorption property.

Effects of Regain on fiber properties:

1. Dimension /Physical properties :

 Absorption of moisture affects the dimension of fibers in various ways.
 Swelling is mostly transversal (Area swelling) because water molecules
penetrate between the more or less parallel molecular chains and exert their forces out
wards.
 The length of the fibre increases due to absorbed moisture but in case of fabrics moisture
absorbing causes fabric shrinkage.

Advantage of swelling is to produce a water proof fabric. Swelling plays a great role to make
more weave which prevents the penetration of water.

2. Mechanical properties:
• Not only maximum strength is reduced but the stress – strain curve assumes a different
form.
• Other mechanical properties affected by regain include extensibility, crease
recoveryflexibility etc.

2. Electrical properties:

• M R affects the electrical resistance of the fibre greatly.

• High regain does not allow to form static electricity on fibre surface.
• Other electrical properties affected by the amount of moisture in the material are
thedielectric characteristics and the susceptibility of static troubles.
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4. Thermal properties:
• When moisture is absorbed by textile material, heat is generated. This heat is known as
heat of absorption.
• When the dry sample is completely wetted, the heat evolved, expressed in calories
per gram of dry material is termed as heat of wetting.
• Thermal effects play vital role in the field of clothing.
• If a woolen jacket of 1 kg weight is passed from 18˚C and 45% R.H to an
atmosphere of 5˚C and 95% R.H, it will produce 100,000 calories of heat.

Measurement of R.H:

Wet and Dry bulb Hygrometer:

Construction:
 There are two thermometers, one of them is uncovered which determines the room
temperature, is dry bulb thermometer and another bulb is surrounded by a wet sleeve
of muslin which determines the lowest /cooling temp, the muslin sleeve dips into a
reservoir of distilled water .
 A table of Relative Humidity is kept between the two thermometers from which
the percentage of R. H is determined by the difference of temperature.
Principle
Since wet bulb thermometer is surrounded by a wet sleeve of muslin in an atmosphere which is not
saturated, Water evaporates into the air at a rate which is proportional to the difference between
the actual humidity and 100% i.e. saturation condition.

 Further since the evaporation is accompanied by cooling the temperature indicated

by the thermometer will be less than the room temp.
 By mounting identical thermometer in a frame and arranging one of them to have a wet
muslin sleeve over its bulb, two temperatures can be read directly the dry bulb and wet
bulb.
 The difference is noted and tables consulted from which the percentage R.H is derived.
 If Dry bulb reading =68˚F , Wet bulb reading=61˚F, Difference in reading=7˚F, For
difference 7˚ F, R.H % from table =67%

Uses: It is generally used in mills and industries.

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Advantage: The R. H can be determined quickly.

Disadvantage: The results are not sufficiently accurate for purpose of testing because of radiation
effect and lack of suitable environment around the instrument.

The WIRA Electronic Hygrometer: /Electrolytic Hygrometer:

Advantage:
a. It gives reading very quickly and in change of R. H %
b. Electrical instruments are much easier to read accurately because the reading is
givenon the dial.
c. Low air currents are needed therefore forced air circulation is unnecessary.
d. The instrument can be modified to produce a permanent record of the changes in the
R.H %

The C.S.I. R.O Direct Reading Regain Tester:

Reynolds and Branson Rapid Regain Tester:

Hysteresis effect:

Standard Moisture Regain and Moisture Content:

Fiber M.R % M.C%
Cotton 8.5 7.34
Flax & Hemp 12 10.4
Viscose 11 9.91
Silk 11 9.91
Nylon 4 3.1
Polyester 0.4 0
Jute 13.75 12.1
Wool fabric 16

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Wool fibre 16
Wool yarn 18.25
Acetate 6
Acrylic 1.5

Standard Atmosphere: Standard atmosphere is defined as an atmosphere at the prevailing

barometric pressure with a relative humidity of 65% and temperature of 20 ˚C (68˚F).
For tropical and sub-tropical countries, standard temperature is 27˚C /81˚ F.

Testing Atmosphere: An atmosphere for testing is defined as the atmosphere with a relative
humidity of (65% 2%) and Temperature of (20 ˚C 2˚C) or (68˚F 4˚F). In tropical and sub-tropical
countries /regions the difficulties of achieving a temperature of 20˚C are understood and so a higher
standard temperature may be used 27˚C 2˚C (81˚F 4˚F).

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