Class Lecture-3 TTQC-I

Spinning Educatee Textile Testing and Quality Control-I Spinning Educatee
Chapter-3: Moisture Relations and Testing
Relative Humidity (R.H %): It is a ratio, expressed in percent, of the amount of atmospheric moisture
present relative to the amount that would be present if the air were saturated. Since the latter amount
is dependent on temperature, relative humidity is a function of both moisture content and temperature.
The most common units for vapor density are gm/m3. For example, if the actual vapor density is 10
g/m3 at 20°C compared to the saturation vapor density at that temperature of 17.3 g/m3, then the
relative humidity is
Moisture Regain is the weight of water in a material expressed as a percentage of the oven dry weight:
Where D is the dry weight and W is the weight of absorbed water.
Moisture content is the weight of water expressed as a percentage of the total weight,
Importance of moisture measurement:

Moisture content of cotton makes significant changes in the physical properties of cotton and hence
moisture content has to be known. High moisture content increases flexibility, toughness, elongation and
tensile strength. If the moisture content is too high it causes difficulty in processing due to the tendency of
the stock to lap-up on drafting rolls. Low moisture, on the other hand, facilitates cleaning but increases
the brittleness of the fiber and results in fiber breakage during ginning, cleaning and mill processing. Low
moisture also increases fly waste and may cause manufacturing difficulties due to static electricity.
Relation between moisture regain and moisture content:
Standard Moisture Regain:

The moisture absorbed by a particular weight sample in standard atmosphere after treating at 105±3 oC is
called Standard Moisture Regain. It is also called official regain.
Std. Testing Atmosphere:

R. H. % : 65% ± 2%
Temp.: 20o C ± 2o C (cold countries)
27o C ± 2o C (tropical & subtropical countries)

Correct Invoice Weight: The weight obtained after adding standard moisture regain to the oven dry
weight is called Correct Invoice Weight or Conditioned weight.
Correct Invoice weight= Oven dry weight + Standard Moisture regain (Official allowance)
Importance of correct invoice weight:

In commercial transactions where textile materials are paid for by weight it is clearly necessary to have
agreement between buyer & seller on the exact weight to be paid for. The buyer certainly does not wish to
pay for excess water at the price per lb of the textile material. A correct invoice weight is therefore
determined.
Moisture and fiber properties: The properties of fibers can be affected by their moisture content. In
general the fibers that absorb the greatest amount of moisture are the ones whose properties change the
most.
1. Dimensions. Absorption of moisture causes swelling of fibre and as a result shrinkage occurs in
fabric. This could be taken advantageous in the design of waterproof fabrics.
2. Mechanical properties. The general effect of water molecules in the water is to reduce the size
of the forces holding the molecular chains together, thereby weakening the fibre. Generally,
moisture absorption weakens the fibre, but vegetable fibres such as cotton and flax are
exceptional and their strength increase with absorption of moisture. Other mechanical properties
like extensibility, crease recovery, flexibility and ability to be ‘set’ by finishing processes are
affected by regain values.
3. Electrical properties. The high ratio of electrical resistance of textile fibre at low and high regain
helps in the design of moisture meters. Dielectric and static characteristics are also affected by the
amount of moisture in the material.
4. Thermal effect. Absorption of moisture by the fibre results in generation of heat which is referred
to as ‘heat of absorption’. This property of the textile fibre helps the wearer to withstand the
sudden change in temperature and relative humidity, especially during winter.
Example: In passing from a room of at 18oC & 45% RH into an outside atmosphere at 5oC &
95% RH, a man’s woolen jacket weighing 1 kg will produce 100,000 cal of heat , i.e., as much
heat as normal body metabolism will produce in 1 hr.
Factors affecting the regain of textile material

Time. When a textile material is placed in a given atmosphere it takes a certain amount of time to reach
equilibrium. This rate of conditioning depends on factors such as the size and form of material and the
nature of the material, external conditions, etc.
Relative humidity. The regain of textile material depends on the relative humidity of the atmosphere.
Regain is higher at higher relative humidity.
Temperature. It has negligible effect on regain. For example, a change of 10°C may bring a change of 0.3
percent in regain of cotton.
The previous history of sample. Regain is effected by the nature of the material and the atmospheric
condition in which the material has been stored or processed. For example, bleached or scoured cotton
will absorb more moisture than untreated material because the removal of impurities helps in more
absorption of moisture. Another example, If two identical samples of fibre, one wet and one dry, are
placed in a standard atmosphere of 65% RH, it might be expected that they would both eventually reach
the same value of regain. However, this is not the case as the one that was originally wet is found to have
a higher regain than the one that was originally dry.

Atmosphere: The relative humidity, temperature and pressure of the surroundings are termed as atmosphere.
Testing atmosphere: It is an atmosphere in which we perform the tests of the textile products.
Standard regain percentage of textile material:

Fiber Type Moisture Regain (%) Moisture Content%
Cotton 8.5 7.34
Wool 16 13.8
Viscose 11.0 9.91
Silk 11.0 9.91
Acrylic 1.5 0
Flax 12.4 10.4
Hemp 12.4 10.4
Acetate 6.0 0
Polyester 0.4 0
Nylon 4.0 3.1
Jute 13.75 12.1
Measurement of Moisture:
1. By oven dry method (Direct): A conditioning oven is a large oven which contains the fiber
sample in a mesh container. The container is suspended inside the oven from one pan of
balance, the mechanism of which is outside the oven. This ensures that the weight of the
sample can be monitored without disturbing the system. A continual flow of air at the correct
relative humidity is passed through the oven which is maintained at 105o C.
2. Capacitance/Resistance method (Indirect): The electrical properties of fibers change quite

markedly with their moisture content so that the measurement of resistance or capacitance
changes can be used to give an indirect method of regain determination. In a typical electrical
resistance measuring instrument, two electrodes are pushed into a package of yarn and the
resistance between the electrodes is measured by suitable electronics, the answer being
displayed on a scale which is directly calibrated in regain values. Different electrode sets are
used for different packages, for example long thick prongs for bales and short needle like
probes for yarn packages.
Advantages: The great advantages that electrical methods posses over drying and weighing
methods are the speed and ease of reading, the fact that they can calibrate directly in regain
units and it can be made portable.
Disadvantages: The disadvantages of electrical methods are the need to recalibrate them as
they are indirect methods, the variations in readings due to packaging density, presence of
dyes, antistatic agents and also variations in fiber quality.
Mathematical Problems:
1. Calculate the Moisture Regain and Moisture Content of Cotton / Viscose Blend which is
having 60% cotton and 40% Viscose in proportion. (Assume necessary details).
Answer:
Assumptions
Moisture Regain for Cotton - 8.5%

Moisture Regain for Viscose - 13%
Moisture regain % of Mixture = (8.5 * 60 + 13 * 40) / (60 + 40)

= 10.3%
Moisture content % = MR / (1+MR/100)
= 10.3 / (1+0.103)
= 9.34%
2. 20 tons of 40s Ne 80/20 P/C yarn @ 4% moisture content is shipped. What will be the correct invoice
weight? [The official moisture regains of polyester and cotton is 0.4% and 8.5% respectively].
20,000 Kg = W + D
Rb = 8.2 * 0.2 + 0.4 * 0.8
= 2.02%
Moisture Content = 4 = [W/ (W+D)]*100
4 = [W / 20,000]*100 W
= 4 * 200 = 800 kg
Dry Mass of Yarn = 20,000 – 800 = 19200 kg
Total water allowed WI
2.02 = (WI / 19200) * 100
WI = 387.84
Total Invoice Weight = 19200 + 387.84 = 19587.84 kg
3. The oven dry weight of 220 gm of cotton yarn is found to be 200 gm. Calculate CIW for 1000 kg
consignment of yarn.
Model Questions:
1. Discuss the factors affecting the regain of textile material with appropriate curves.
2. Explain the relationship between regain% and previous history of materials in a curve.
3. Draw the absorption and desorption curve and make a comment on it.
4. Describe the basic mechanism of moisture measurement with capacitive method. Also mention
advantages and disadvantages of this method.
5. Describe the oven dry direct method for measuring moisture of textile materials.
6. Discuss the effect of moisture on fiber properties.
7. Mentions the standard regain values for any five textile fibers.
8. What is correct invoice weight? State the necessity of correct invoice weight.
9. What are moisture regain and moisture content? Establish a relation between MR% and MC%.
10. Discuss the necessity of moisture study for a textile industry.

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Spinning Educatee Textile Testing and Quality Control-I Spinning Educatee

Chapter-3: Moisture Relations and Testing

Where D is the dry weight and W is the weight of absorbed water.

Importance of moisture measurement:

Chapter-3: Moisture Relations and Testing

Relation between moisture regain and moisture content:

Standard Moisture Regain:

Std. Testing Atmosphere:

Temp.: 20o C ± 2o C (cold countries)

27o C ± 2o C (tropical & subtropical countries)

Chapter-3: Moisture Relations and Testing

Importance of correct invoice weight:

Chapter-3: Moisture Relations and Testing

Factors affecting the regain of textile material

Chapter-3: Moisture Relations and Testing

a higher regain than the one that was originally dry.

Chapter-3: Moisture Relations and Testing

Standard regain percentage of textile material:

2. Capacitance/Resistance method (Indirect): The electrical properties of fibers change quite

Chapter-3: Moisture Relations and Testing

Moisture Regain for Cotton - 8.5%

Moisture regain % of Mixture = (8.5 * 60 + 13 * 40) / (60 + 40)

Chapter-3: Moisture Relations and Testing

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