Mechanical Behaviors in Shearing and Transverse Compression of Fibrous Asperities: Application to the Characterization of Surface Quality of Textile Materials

In many fields, it is today important to determine in detail the surface quality of materials. Well beyond only roughness, it is necessary to characterize texture and the properties related to friction. In order to meet this need, a patented method named Modalsens is under development within the LPMT (Laboratoire de Physique et de Mécanique Textiles — UMR CNRS 7189). This method is based on the analysis of the vibratory behavior of a fine blade in dynamic contact with surface being tested. The modes of vibration of the blade provide information where roughness, texture, friction, adhesion, and compressibility are mixed. In order to characterize surface quality in detail, it is necessary to divide these various characteristics and to connect them to specificities of measured materials. This work consists of an experimental approach on the basis of varied fibrous materials (paper, non-woven materials, textiles) selected according to their surface conditions (textures) and their transverse properties (compressibility). Modalsens is then compared with reference apparatus Kawabata Evaluation System (KES) used for textiles metrology. A modeling of the dynamic contact has been developed to study the divergences between the methods of measurement to identify new parameters for a better characterization of surfaces and to identify the mechanical behaviors of fibrous asperity in shearing and transverse compression. Thus, both transverse and shearing properties, roughness, and friction will be measured and compared based on Modalsens results.