Absorbency and Water Retention Capacity
topic
Absorbency testing measures the mass of water absorbed by a fabric specimen after immersion and centrifugation at defined g-force, expressing water retention as percentage of dry fabric mass; sink time tests drop a fabric specimen onto a water surface and record time to full submersion as a proxy for hydrophilicity.
Role
Determines the liquid holding capacity of towelling, medical gauze, nappies, and hygiene nonwovens where high absorbency is a primary functional requirement, while low sink time confirms effective hydrophilic finishing treatments.