Design and Use of a Cyclic Tensile Abrader for Filaments and Yarns-A Study of Polyester Monofilament Wear

Abstract

An apparatus has been developed that imposes an adjustable constant axial tensile load on filaments, yarns, or fabric strips during cyclic rubbing over pins in various configurations and under controlled temperatures and specific chemical environments. The action is intended to simulate the combinations of tensile, bending, and abrasive stresses experienced by fibrous materials during processing and end use. The number of cycles to rupture (or specimen lifetime) is automatically recorded, and there is provision for monitoring the elongation of the specimen under stress. The use of the cyclic tensile abrader is demonstrated by means of a study of the influence of tensile loading, temperature, and rubbing configuration on the wear of a polyester monofilament sample in air. The reproducibility of both lifetimes and elongations is good, and the results are in accord with expectations for the behavior of this material under the stresses and conditions imposed. It appears that the basic design of the cyclic tensile abrader makes it suitable as a research tool as well as an accelerated wear testing device.