Pilling

A pill, colloquially known as bobble,fuzzball,

or lint ball is a small ball of fibers that forms
Pilling Test of Fabric on a piece of cloth. 'Pill' is also a verb for the
formation of such balls.

MD ABUL KALAM AZAD

Pilling Causes of Pilling

Due to wear and abrasion.
Due to rubbing action of fabric with particular
parts of garments and body.
Due to soft twisted yarn.
Due to excess short fibres.
Due to migration of fibres from constituent
yarn in fabric.
Due to protruding fibre / yarn hairiness.
Due to heat in case of thermoplastic fibres.
Reduction Or Minimizing Pilling
By using high twisted yarn.
By brushing and cropping of the fabric surface
to remove loose fibre ends.
By using singeing process to reduce yarn
hairiness, longer fibres.
By using anti pilling technique.
By special chemical treatment such as
adhesive, anti-rubbing agent.
ICI BOX PILLING TEST
Reduction Or Minimizing Pilling
By reducing migration of fibres by means of
Air Jet spinning process.
By increasing inter-fiber friction.
By increasing linear density of the fibre.
By using a high number of threads per unit
length.
Test Specimen
 Specimen for Pilling Test
For this test four specimens each 5 inch X 5
inch are cut from the fabric.
A seam allowance of 12mm is marked on the
back of each square. In two of the samples the
seam is marked parallel to the warp direction
and in the other two parallel to the weft
direction.
The samples are then folded face to face and a
seam is sewn on the marked line.
Procedure
All four specimens are then placed in one
pilling box.
The samples are then tumbled together in a
cork-lined box as shown in Figure.
The usual number of revolutions used in the
test is 18,000 which take 5 hrs.
Procedure
Two specimens with the seam parallel to the warp
and two with the seam parallel to the weft.
Each specimen is turned inside out and 6mm cut off
each end of it thus removing any sewing distortion.
The fabric tubes made are then mounted on rubber
tubes so that the length of tube showing at each end
is the same. Each of the loose ends is taped with
poly (vinyl chloride) (PVC) tape so that 6mm of the
rubber tube is left exposed as shown in Figure.
Assessment :
RATIN DESCRIPTI POINTS TO BE TAKEN INTO
G ON CONSIDERATION
5 No Change No Visual Change
4 Slight Change Slight Surface Fuzzing
3 Moderate The specimen may exhibit one or both of the
Change following :
(a) Moderate fuzzing
(b) Isolated fully formed pills
2 Significant Distinct fuzzing and / or pilling
Change
1 Severe Dense fuzzing and / or pilling which covers
Change which covers the specimen