Determination of Yarn properties

Determination of Yarn properties

YARN STRENGTH
Factors affecting Yarn strength
1. Staple length: Longer staple cotton gives higher strength.
2. Fiber fineness: Fine fibers give greater yarn strength than coarse
fibers when spun into a given yarn size.
3. Fiber strength: A strong fiber produces a stronger yarn than a
weak fiber. Eg: a nylon yarn is stronger than a wool yarn of
similar weight.
4. Twist: For any single spun yarn, there is always a twist that gives
maximum strength. A twist less than or greater than this
optimum amount results in a yarn of lower strength.
uneven twist results in a variation in strength, and the effect of
this variation are more noticeable in single end tests than in
skein tests.
 Determination of Yarn properties
YARN STRENGTH
Factors affecting Yarn strength
5. Evenness: The greater the uniformity of a spun yarn,
the higher is its strength, and the more uneven a
yarn, the lower is its strength.
6. Fiber Length Distribution: Variations in the
distribution of fiber lengths will cause a variation in
yarn strength. The greater the percentage of short
fibers, the lower the strength of the yarn.
7. Fiber finish: Type and amount of chemical finish
applied to fibers.
 The two approaches: Multiple End and
Single End tests
Multiple End Test:

Skein test: Several ends are tested

simultaneously.
Applying a tensile load to a standard skein of
yarn.
These skeins are 120 yards in length made
up of 80 wraps of 1.5 yards each. In
making the test, the skein is placed on
the testing machine over small spools
about 27 inches apart.
With the 80 wraps in the skein, a total of
160 ends are subjected to the tensile
load.
The results of the skein strength tests are
most frequently reported in units of
pounds of strength
 The two approaches: Multiple End
and Single End tests
Single End Test:
A single length of yarn is held by appropriate clamps,
generally 10 inches between the jaws in the US, and upto
20 inches between the jaws in other countries.
The strength is generally reported in pounds, ounces, or
grams.
 Analysis of the two testing
methods:
With the single strand test with 10 inches between the jaws,
there is a reduction of non-uniformity occuring in the
selected length.
However, with the skein test, there is a very high probability
of maximum non-uniformity or unevenness in the sample
to be tested.
As the load is applied, and any one strand is broken because
of non-uniformity or because of variation in tension or
elongation , there are only 159 ends available to support
the stress being applied.
 Analysis of the two testing
methods:
Since, one continuous length of yarn is used in the skein test,
the rupture of any single strand will result in slippage of
the terminal ends of this strand so that actually the 160
ends originally supporting the load are now reduced to less
than 159 ends, possibly to 157 or less.
It is for this reason that the strength of the yarn obtained by
the skein test method is always relatively lower per strand
than that obtained by the single strand method.
 Measurement of linear density and count
A hank of yarn is wound on a wrap reel and weighed on a
sensitive balance.
It is inconvenient and unnecessary to wrap a whole length unit
of yarn (1 km or 840 yards). So only a proportion is wrapped.
This proportion is 100 metres when using the Tex system (100
revolutions * 1 metre) and 120 yards when using cotton count
system (80 revolutions * 1.5 yards).
 Measurement of linear density and count
Simple balances (eg: a quadrant balance) are calibrated in count
of linear density units.
Modern electronic balances are available which incorporate a
microprocessor and printer.
The microprocessor calculates count or linear density in any
desired unit, calculates the variation within a large sample,
and gives warning if linear density is outside limits.
 Measurement of linear density and count
Beesley balance
Special yarn balance designed to furnish a quick
estimate of the count, when only small samples
are at hand.
Beesley balance consists of a simple beam with a
sample hook at one end and a pointer at the other.
The beam is initially levelled to bring the pointer
opposite a datum line.
A standard weight is hung in a notch on the beam arm
on the pointer side of the pivot.
A template is used to cut short lengths of yarn, the
length depending upon the count system required.
These short lengths are added to the hook until the
pointer is opposite the datum line. The count is the
number of short lengths required to balance the
beam.
 Yarn evenness
Growth in the case of natural fibers, and production factors in the case of
man made fibers, give rise to variations in length, width and shape of
fibers.
Ideally, fibers are arranged parallel to the yarn main axis (length), laid end
to end and spiral in form due to twist.
However, in reality not all fibers are parallel, there are gaps between
some fiber ends and overlaps of others, with folds and kinks instead of a
regular spiral.
The introduction of faults during processing can also lead to unevenness
or irregularity in yarn fineness.
Causes of yarn unevenness
Irregularity in a yarn can be the result of two factors:
- Irregularity in the fiber diameter or
- Irregularity in the fiber arrangement.
 Methods used to describe yarn unevenness
If a strand of material is cut up into short equal
lengths, the weight of each consequent length
could be found and plotted on a graph.
By joining the points, a trace is produced. This
shows the way in which the weight per unit length
varies about the mean value.
 Methods used to describe yarn unevenness
The deviations from the mean could be
determined, the mean deviation calculated, and
the percentage mean deviation derived and used
as a measure of the irregularity.
Where the deviations from the mean are of a
random nature, the percentage mean deviation
(P.M.D.) and the coefficient of variation are
related:
C.V. = 1.25 P.M.D.
 Periodic variations
All traces of the variation in weight per unit length
do not show a random distribution of the
deviations from the mean.
Inspection of some traces reveals definite
sequences of thick and thin places in the strand of
material.
These forms of irregularity are referred to as
‘Periodic variations’ because of their cyclical
nature.
 Periodic variations
To describe these Periodic variations two terms ‘wavelength’ and
‘amplitude’ are used.
The wavelength is the distance from one peak of the wave to the
next, and the amplitude is a measure of the size of the ‘swing’ from
the mean level, expressed as a percentage of the mean level.
 Periodic variations
Classification of Variation
The periodic variation present in the material
being tested may be classified according to their
wavelength, using the fiber length as a length unit.
Short term variation: 1 to 10 times the fiber length
Medium term variation: 10 to 100 times the fiber
length
Long term variation: 100 to 1,000 (or more) times
the fiber length
 Uster Evenness Tester
The Uster tester is a versatile instrument for measuring the uniformity of
materials ranging from extremely heavy sliver to very fine yarns.
It has the following external features:
- The ‘comb’ of eight measuring capacitors of different sizes
- The creel and guides to control the material
- The traverse rollers which can control the material speed over a range from 2
to 100 yd/min.
- The control switches
- The meter on the main unit which indicates the momentary variations in the
material.
- The indicator which indicates the P.M.D. or C.V.
- The high-speed pen recorder whose chart speed can be varied between 1 and
40 in./min.
 Uster Evenness Tester
The Uster tester operates on the principle that a change in the mass of the
dielectric (non conducting material) in the condenser will change the
capacitance.
The measuring comb of the tester is actually a set of condensers with an air
dielectric.
When some material other than air is placed between the plates of one of the
condensers, the capacitance is changed in proportion to the mass of that
material.
As the mass of the material changes, the capacity of the condenser changes in
proportion.
 Uster Evenness Tester
Two oscillators A and B have equal frequencies when there is no material in the
measuring capacitor C.
The presence of material in the capacitor causes its capacity to change and so
alter the frequency of oscillator A.
 Uster Evenness Tester
There will then be a difference between the two frequencies which varies
according to the amount of material between the capacitor plates.
This oscillator is compared with the other base oscillator by a mixer which
determines the mass of material in the slot at the instant.
Suitable circuits D translate these frequency differences into signals which are
indicated on the meter M,
Drive the pen of the recorder
Are fed into the integrator which indicates the average irregularity either as
percentage mean deviation or coefficient of variation.