Mary Ann Morris

The Effect of Wash Temperature on Removal of Particulate and Oily Soil from Fabrics of Varying Fiber Content

In the laundry process relatively high wash temperatures have traditionally been used for optimum soil removal. The use of lower wash temperatures could result in a substantial reduction in the amount of energy used in laundering. One of the purposes of this study was to determine soil removal at a range of wash temperatures with detergents of different formulations from cotton, polyester, and cotton/polyester fabrics. A second purpose was to evaluate the use of x-ray fluorescence analysis as a quantitative measure for determining particulate soil removal from fabrics. The samples were soiled by application of clay and either unlabeled or doubly-labeled synthetic sebum. Removal of oily soil was determined by measuring the radioactivity of the samples. Clay removal was measured by x-tay fluorescence analyses of iron and silicon, and overall soil removal was measured by changes in reflectance. Both clay and oily soil appeared to be best removed from cotton fabrics by higher wash temperatures. Low wash temperatures were best in removing the nonpolar fraction (triolein) of oily soil from polyester. Use of phosphate-built anionic detergents generally resulted in better soil removal than other types, regardless of wash temperature. Wash temperatures as low as 10°C gave acceptable soil-removal levels. Iron content varied with clay-particle size, thus silicon was the preferred indicator of clay content of fabrics.

A Study of the Removal of Synthetic Sebum from Durable-Press Fabrics, Using a Liquid-Scintillation Technique

A study was made of the retention of a doubly labelled synthetic sebum mixture by durable-press cotton and polyester/cotton fabrics after soiling and laundering. The laundry conditions were ineffective in removing the labelled, oily soil components (tristearin, octadecanol, cholesterol, stearic acid, and oleic acid) from the fabrics. After one soiling and laundering, more tristearin was retained by the fabrics than the other four soil components. The untreated cotton retained significantly less tristearin than DP cotton and the untreated and DP polyester/cotton fabrics. In contrast, after several soilings and launderings, both tristearin and the polar components accumulated on the fabrics and untreated cotton retained significantly more of these components than the other three fabrics.

Relationship of Fiber Content and Fabric Properties to Comfort of Socks

The purpose of the study was to investigate the relationship of fiber content and fabric properties to the subjective evaluation of comfort of socks and to determine the subjective evaluations and laboratory measurements that best predict comfort. Socks made from all synthetic or predominantly cotton fibers were worn during exercise. Laboratory measurements were made on samples of sock fabrics which had been washed but not worn. Subjective evaluations obtained from the participants during the wear study indicated that the socks made from synthetic fibers were slightly more comfortable than the predominantly cotton socks. Prior to the wear study the majority of participants had indicated that they would select cotton socks for maximum comfort. The subjective evaluations of sock softness and foot dryness were found to be the significant determinants of comfort. Neither fiber content nor any of the laboratory measurements (weight, thickness, moisture absorption, air permeability, compressibility, and compressional resiliency) were found to be good predictors of comfort.

Comfort Of Warm-Up Suits During Exercise As Related To Moisture Transport Properties Of Fabrics

To assess the relationship between comfort and moisture transport properties of warm-up suit fabrics, a wear study was designed in which physiological and subjective measurements were obtained from subjects wearing warm-up suits under controlled conditions of exercise and environment. During the wear study, the subjects were under moderate heat stress in the warm environment and under no heat stress in the cool environment. Three fabrics were used in the study. Two of the fabrics were similar in thickness and insulative value but differed in ability to absorb and transport moisture. The other fabric had moisture properties that were similar to one of the above fabrics, but it was thinner and had a lower insulative value. Under cool environmental conditions the three fabrics provided similar levels of comfort. When the wearers were subjected to moderate heat stress, they were most comfortable when wearing either the thinnest fabric or the fabric which absorbed and transported the most moisture. Comparisons between the two fabrics with similar insulative values indicated that the under garments contained less moisture and the wearers felt drier when wearing the suit which had better moisture transport properties. Laboratory measurements of liquid transport and drop absorption were the best predictors of subjective eval uations of wetness and differences in the amounts of moisture in the garments when worn under conditions of moderate heat stress.

The Effect of Air Pollutants on Cotton

1. Andrews, M. W., Feughelman, M., and Mitchell, T. W., 32, 421 (1962). 2. Derminot, J. and Leveau, M., Bull. Inst. Textile France 64, 7 (1956). 3. Haly, A. R., Trans. Faraday Soc. 56, 1252 (1960). 4. Haly, A. R. Textile Res. J. 33, 233 (1963). 5. Mercer. E. H., Golden, R. L., and Jeffries, E. B., Textile Res. J. 24, 615 (1954). 6. Ryder, M. L., Nature 178, 1409 (1956). 7. Simmonds, D. H. and Bartulovich, J. J., Textile Res. J. 28, 378 (1958). 8. Ward, W. H. and Bartulovich, J. J., J. Phys. Chem. 60, 1208 (1956).

. Laundering Cotton Fabric Part II : Effect of Detergent Type and Water Temperature on Appearance, Hand, Strength, and Cost

A cotton fabric was artificially soiled and laundered with two different types of detergents at two different wash tem peratures. Samples laundered at 140°F were rated by subjective evaluations to be whiter, softer, and smoother than fabric laundered in unheated water. The type of detergent did not affect the softness or smoothness of the fabric. Sam ples laundered in regular detergent were judged to be whiter than those laundered in cold-water detergent. Little dif ference in breaking strength, elongation, and dimensional change of the fabric due to laundering variables was noted. Data are given on the cost of heating water and detergent. Samples were laundered at six locations and differences in water quality are reported.

Soil Remaining on Fabrics after Laundering as Evaluated by Response Surface Methodology

Response surface methodology was used to visualize the interactive effects of de tergent concentration, agitation time, and wash temperature on removal of soil from fabrics. Plots of the whiteness index of fabrics after repeated soiling and laundering indicated that maximum whiteness occurred at approximately 0.20% detergent con centration. The wash temperature required for maximum whiteness varied with fabric type. Changes in length of agitation time within the limits of the study had a minor effect on soil removal. Labeled components of synthetic sebum could be completely removed from acrylic and nylon fabrics. Both polar and nonpolar components became trapped in the cotton fibers. Removal of nonpolar triolein from polyester was in complete and decreased as wash temperature increased. Particulate soil, as measured by x-ray fluorescence of silicon, could be completely removed from all fabrics except the acrylic.

Line-Dried vs. Machine-Dried Fabrics: Comparison of Appearance, Hand, and Consumer Acceptance

The objectives of this study were to evaluate the effect of line drying on smooth ness and stiffness of fabrics, to determine whether consumer acceptance of fabric appearance and hand is related to certain economic and attitudinal factors, and to evaluate changes in the laundering process that would optimize the appear ance and hand of line-dried fabrics. Smoothness and stiffness of fabrics were measured after machine, line, and modified line-drying treatments. Consumer participants rated the acceptability of fabric appearance and hand, and responded to questions about their attitudes toward energy conservation and environmental concern. In most cases, line-dried fabrics were significantly stiffer than machine- dried fabrics but were equally acceptable with respect to hand. Line drying re sulted in a more wrinkled appearance which was less acceptable than the ap pearance of machine-dried fabrics. Factors which were related to the acceptance of fabric appearance were knowledge of the cost of machine drying, the fastid iousness of the individual, and attitude toward conservation. Briefly tumbling previously line-dried fabrics in a machine dryer resulted in appearance and hand that would have been acceptable to most consumer participants while still saving energy.

Oily Soil Retention by Abraded Durable Press Fabrics

A study was made of the effect of abrasion on the retention of oily soil by cotton and polyester/cotton durable press fabrics. One set of samples was abraded in the Accelerotor, and the other set was abraded by laundering. The abraded fabrics were then soiled with a radioactive labeled oily soil and laundered for a total of ten treatments. Samples abraded in the Accelerotor to a weight loss of approximately 20% had soil retention properties significantly different from the controls or samples that had received milder abrasive treatments. The severely abraded cotton samples showed a decrease, while the blend samples showed an increase in the amount of the 3H fraction of the soil retained.

Abrasion Studies of Worn and Laundered Durable-Press Fabrics with the Scanning Electron Microscope

FIG. 2. Control, 65/35 polyester/cotton, durable-press: (a) 40X; (b) 200X. fiber surfaces appear to be smooth. Few ends are visible, and they appear to be the natural ends of the cotton and polycster fibers. At approximately 1000X, the treated cotton fibers had a wrinkled appearance with the wrinkles or grooves running at a slight angle to the fiber axis. Figures 3 and 4 show that 24 launderings resulted in changes in the appearance of the fabrics. Samples from cotton shirts (Fig..3a) reveal a somewhat messy fiber arrangement within the yarns. Many broken fiber ends are visible; often, many of the crowns of the yarns seem to have been worn away. The fiber ends are usually frayed or frazzled masses of fibrils (Fig. 3b), with sheaves or ribbons of fibrils peeling off the body of the fibers near the shredded ends. Some fibers were cracked, usually dia~onally, and some ends were abruptly sheared.