The Journal of The Textile Institute

ISSN: 0040-5000 (Print) 1754-2340 (Online) Journal homepage: http://www.tandfonline.com/loi/tjti20

Yarn-friction Studies with the SITRA Friction-

measuring Device

A. R. Kalyanaraman

To cite this article: A. R. Kalyanaraman (1988) Yarn-friction Studies with the SITRA
Friction-measuring Device, The Journal of The Textile Institute, 79:1, 147-151, DOI:
10.1080/00405008808659160

To link to this article: http://dx.doi.org/10.1080/00405008808659160

Published online: 01 Dec 2008.

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notee 147

Yarn-friction Studies with the

SITRA Friction-measuring Device

1. INTRODUCTION

F r i c t i o n i s an important parameter in t e x t i l e - m a n u f a c t u r i n g p r o c e s s e s , and any

instrument designed t o measure f r i c t i o n i s a d e s i r a b l e a d d i t i o n t o a t e s t i n g
laboratory. On the b a s i s of Howe 11 and Mazur's p r i n c i p l e [ 1 ] , Kalyanaraman and
Prakasam [ 2 ] have deve loped a simple and e legant f r i c t i o n - m e a s u r i n g d e v i c e . The
instrument can measure both s t a t i c f r i c t i o n and k i n e t i c f r i c t i o n of yarn with
r e s p e c t t o re fere nee s u r f a c e s , and t h i s note out I ine 8 some of the r e s u l te obtained
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with the i n s t r u m e n t .
The main p r i n c i p l e of the instrument i s the arrangement of e i t h e r s t a t i c or
moving yarn i n the form of an i n c l i n e d plane between two yarn h o l d e r s . The
m a t e r i a l whose f r i c t i o n i s t o be e s t i m a t e d i s mounted on the y a r n . The y a r n ,
t o g e t h e r with the mount, i s t i l t e d , and the t a n g e n t of the angle a t which the
material s t a r t s s l i d i n g gives the c o e f f i c i e n t of f r i c t i o n . If the m a t e r i a l i s
heavy, provision for applying tension has t o be incorporated to prevent sagging of
the yarn.
The material to be i n v e s t i g a t e d i s mounted on the yarn, and the angle a t which
s l i d i n g s t a r t s i s noted under both the s t a t i c and dynamic c o n d i t i o n s . The
experiment i s repeated twenty times, and the average of the readings obtained i s
taken.

2 . RESULTS

Fig. I i n d i c a t e s the measured f r i c t i o n values for d i f f e r e n t l i n e a r d e n s i t i e s of

yarn with the same trave H e r . The genera 1 p a t t e r n remains the same , a 1 though, as
the l i n e a r density i n c r e a s e s , the c o e f f i c i e n t of f r i c t i o n a l s o I n c r e a s e s . This i s
understandable and may be due t o the larger area of contact as the l i n e a r density
increases. A decrease in f r i c t i o n r e s u l t i n g from a decrease in area has been
observed by Kleber [ 3 ] , Lyne [ 4 ] , Olsen [ 5 ] , and Schick [ 6 , 7 ] . F i g . 2 d e p i c t s the
f r i c t i o n a 1 behaviour of a painted yarn guide with waxed and unwaxed yarn. The
a d v a n t a g e of u s i n g waxed y a r n i s ap pa r e n t a t lower speeds and c o m p l e t e l y
disappears at higher speeds. Thus the i n s t r u m e n t h e l p s one t o study the
f r i c t i o n a l behaviour of reference surfaces in order t o make a choice when several
d i f f e r e n t types are a v a i l a b l e .
Fig. 3 r e p r e s e n t s the f r i c t i o n a 1 behaviour of a ring-spun yarn and an open-
end-spun yarn of the same l i n e a r d e n s i t y and made from the same c o t t o n . The
reference surface i s in the form of a t r a v e l l e r . I t i s i n t e r e s t i n g t o note that
the open-end-spun yarn has a lower f r i c t i o n a I c o e f f i c i e n t for a l l the speeds
investigated. Moreover, the s t i c k / s l i p e f f e c t observed in the ring-spun yarns
between speeds of 58.3 and 83.3 mm/s i s not seen in the open-end-spun yarn. Fig.
4 shows the r e l a t i o n between twist in turns/cm and the f r i c t i o n a l property of the
yarn, A higher twist leads to g r e a t e r f r i c t i o n , which i s understandable, and the
s t i c k / s l i p e f f e c t observed a t lower values of twist i s not seen.

J. Text. Inst., 1988, No. 1

 148 Notee

0320-
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33-3 S6.7 IOO 133-3 1S6-7

LINEAR VARN SPEED t mm/sec)
FlG.l

Fig. 1 Relation between coefficient of friction and yarn speed for

different linear densities

Vhm GUIDE (PAINTED)

Q.160 K.& Tex

0-150 •

y 0-UQ

0-130-

D-120-

0-no-

33-3 66.7 100 133-3 166 7

LINEAR VARN SPEED (mm/secj
FIG, 2

Fig. 2 Relation between coefficient of friction and yarn speed for waxed
and unwaxed yarn and yarn guide

. Text. Inst., 1988, No. 1

Notee 149

TRAVELLER WI : 0-2973g

HING YARN

0-260

0-250
OPEN END VAHN

UJ 0-260-
Q

0-230
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0220

0-210

33.3 66-7 100 133'3 166-7

LINEAR VARN SPEED(mm/seri
FIG.S

F i g . 3 R e l a t i o n between c o e f f i c i e n t of f r i c t i o n and yarn speed for r i n g -

spun and open-end-spun yarns

F i g . 5 shows an o b s e r v a t i o n r e l a t i n g t o the f r i c t i o n between a commercial

cotton sewing thread of 9.84 tex x 3 and a sewing n e e d l e . The s t i c k / s l i p e f f e c t
i s superimposed over the hydrodynamic p a t t e r n . At c e r t a i n speeds, the yarn flow
i s smooth through the n e e d l e . The lowest observed f r i c t i o n for t h i s yarn/needle
combination i s a t a speed of 33.3 mm/s, and a t t h i s speed yarn breakage w i l l be a
minimum. However, since the minimum i s s h a r p , even if there i s a sma11 change in
speed, the p u l l on the yarn would i n c r e a s e , and the s t i t c h uniformity would be
lost. For a uniform s t i t c h , one has t o use the f l a t t e r region of the curve (from
41.7 to 66.7 mm/s). Thus the f r i c t i o n - m e a s u r i n g device could be u t i l i z e d to
s e l e c t advantageous speeds for improving sewing performance.

3 . DISCDSSION AND CONCLUSIONS

Spun-yarn/metal f r i c t i o n depends on the m e t a l l i c l u b r i c a t i o n under boundary, semi-

boundary, and hydrodynamic c o n d i t i o n s [ 8 ] . This d i v i s i o n i s based on sharp
t r a n s i t i o n s o b s e r v e d i n the f r i c t i o n / y a r n - s p e e d p l o t s . As speed i n c r e a s e s
i n i t i a l l y , the f r i c t i o n d e c r e a s e s . This may perhaps be due to the fact t h a t the
p r o t r u d i n g h a i r s support the surface and reduce the m e t a l / y a r n area of c o n t a c t .
At i n i t i a 1 speeds, the object perhaps " l e a p - f r o g s " from h a i r to h a i r , and t h u s ,
with the area of contact being smal1, the f r i c t i o n d e c r e a s e s . At higher speeds,
the h a i r s may bend down owing to the pui 1 in the yarn, and thus the area of
c o n t a c t may i n c r e a s e and so increase f r i c t i o n ; the f l a t regions may be due to h a i r
r e s i l i e n c e . At s t i l l higher speeds, the s h o r t e r h a i r s may assume importance, and
a t even higher speeds the twist may influence the f r i c t i o n , as has been observed.
I t thus appears t h a t , in a moving yarn, there i s , i n a d d i t i o n to the forward
component of f r i c t i o n , a l a t e r a l f r i c t i o n a 1 component working a t r i g h t angles t o

J. Text. Inet., 1988, No. 1

 150 Notes

TRAVELLER Wt.-0-29729

-0.290 -7-6 Tums/cm

ul 0-270 -4 Turns/cm

0-250-

u. 0-230-
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0 21C

33-3 66.7 100 133-3 158.7

LINEAR VARN SPEED [ mm/sec)
FIG. A

Fig. 4 Relation between coefficient of friction and yarn speed for ring-
spun yarn with different twists

33-3 56-7 100 133 3 166-7

LINEAR VARN SPEED (mm/sec)
FIG.5

Fig. 5 Relation betireen coefficient of friction and yarn speed for sewing
thread and sewing needle

J. Text. Inst., 1988, No. 1

 Notes 151

the direction of movement of the yarn, the observed friction being the resultant
t")f these two.
Thus, from the graphs obtained, one could estimate the lateral pressure
pxerted by the yarn, which in principle is possible, and better understand the
farces acting on a knitting needle or a sewing needle.

ACKNOWLEDGEafEHT

The a u t h o r thanks Mr H. Balasubramanian, of the I n s t r u m e n t a t i o n D i v i s i o n of

SITRA, for the c o l l e c t i o n of data and Mr T.V. Ratnam, D i r e c t o r , SITRA, for h i s
encouragement.
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REFERENCES

[1] H.G.Howell and J.Mazur. J.Text.Inst., 1953, 4 4 , T59.

[2] A.R.Kalyanaraman and R.Prakasam. Text.Res.J., 1987, 57, 307.
[3] R.Kleber. P r o c . World S u r f a c t a n t Con^r., Munich, 1984, IV-274.
[4] D.C.Lyne. J . T e x t . I n s t . , 1955, 46, 112.
[5] J.S.Olsen. T e x t . R e s . J . , 1969, 39, 3 1 .
[6] M.J.Schick. "Surface C h a r a c t e r i s t i c s of F i b r e s and T e x t i l e s " , Part I ,
Dekker, New York, 1975, p . l .
[7] M.J.Schick. "Hand Book of L u b r i c a t i o n " , CRC P r e s s , Boca Raton, F l a , 1983,
pp.1, 341.
[8j W.W.Hansen and D.Tabor. Text.Res.J., 1957, 27, 300.

The South India T e x t i l e A.R.KALYANARAMAN

Research Association, 28.1.1987
Coimba tore,
India .

J. Text. Inet.j 1988, No. 1