Objective measurement of textural changes in knitted fabrics during simulated wear

Fabric surface texture is one of major performance characteristics which affects garment appearance. It is determined in a complex manner by the surface structure of fibers and yarn as well as fabric construction. As the garment is worn and cared by consumers, the processes affect the fabric surface contour and often result in a furthermore complex surface texture. Knitted fabrics has been known to change its surface texture dramatically during wear, fuzz and pills are often generated after wear, as well as changes in the fabric structure due to movement and degradation of the constituent yarn. The phenomenon has a direct impact on wear life of garment, as the consumers regard such changes as undesirable. The paper is reporting on the development of objective measurement system for characterization of textural changes in knitted fabrics during simulated wear. The textural changes under the investigation are categorized into three aspects viz., pilling, fuzzing and changing of the constituent yarns. The system developed is based on scanning the fabrics surface with laser scanner, two-dimensional Fourier analysis and wavelet analysis are introduced as new analytical tools for the objective measurement of the surface textural changes. Quantitative parameters developed to characterize the textural changes are proposed and subsequently investigated for validity by correlation with subjective assessments.