Fuzziness Evaluation of Polyester / Viscose Woven Fabrics Using Image Analysis Method

Fabric fuzziness is a property which affects the appearance, handle, thermal insulation and other fabric features; it also leads to pilling that is a serious problem for the apparel industry. Fuzz on fabric surface has been measured mostly by subjective methods (human vision) rather than objective methods. In this study, an objective method using image analysis techniques is developed for the measurement of fuzz on fabric surface. The effects of fibers blend ratio and abrasion on fabric fuzziness are evaluated. For this purpose, several blended plain fabrics including polyester/viscose fibers with different blend ratios were produced and abraded under various cycles of traversing abrasion. Yarn hairiness was also measured using an Uster tester 4 apparatus before weaving. High correlation between Uster 4 data and the results obtained from the fuzz measurement of fabrics demonstrates that this method has high accuracy and great potential for the determination of fabric fuzziness levels in a quantitative and reliable manner.