Abstract
The effects of washing and drying treatments on fibrillation, fuzz, and pill formation of lyocell knitted fabrics are investigated in this study. Pilling ratings of the fabrics after wash (W), dry (D), and wash/dry (WD) treatments are evaluated according to a pilling scale using a microscope. Water retention values and fiber-fiber friction are also measured after the treatments. Fuzz occurs on fabrics treated with D and WD treatments, indicating that fuzz is mainly generated during mechanical abrasion in dry conditions. But fibers fibrillate with W and WD treatments, suggesting that fibrillation is induced by mechanical abrasion in wet conditions. Pills form only on fabrics treated with WD in the experimental conditions used here. The water retention value decreases, fiber-fiber friction increases, and the degree of pilling increases with increases in the repetitions of WD. Considering these changes in fiber and textile properties during W, D, and WD treatments, a mechanism of pill formation is proposed, including the fibrillation process, and it is suggested that pills are significantly promoted by a combination of fuzz formed in the dry state with fibrillation occurring in wet state. Increasing fiber-fiber friction and decreasing water accessibility after certain numbers of WD treatments lowers the pilling tendency.
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