Characterisation and Testing of Polyester
category
Characterisation of polyester fibres spans physical (linear density, crimp, cross-section), mechanical (tensile, elongation, modulus, elastic recovery), thermal (DSC, TGA, TMA), structural (WAXD, SAXS, FTIR, birefringence), and surface (XPS, contact angle, zeta potential) analysis. Standard test methods (ASTM, ISO, BISFA) provide industry-wide quality and research benchmarks.
Role
Testing and characterisation methodology is the foundation of rigorous fibre science — enabling structure–property correlations, quality control, and performance validation. Knowledge of standard methods and their physical basis is essential for both industrial quality engineers and research scientists.
Subtopics
- Single Fibre Tensile Testing Single fibre tensile test (ISO 5079, ASTM D3822): gauge length 20 mm, extension rate 20 mm/min (or c…
- Linear Density Measurement: Denier and Dtex Linear density of polyester: dtex = mass (g) per 10,000 m; denier = mass (g) per 9,000 m; dtex = den…
- Crimp Measurement: Frequency, Amplitude and Contraction Crimp parameters for polyester staple: crimp frequency (crimps/cm, target 10–18 for cotton system, 4…
- Yarn Evenness and Hairiness Testing Uster Tester 6 (capacitance-based mass variation measurement): CV% (coefficient of variation of line…
- Birefringence Measurement by Polarised Light Microscopy Birefringence measurement of polyester: mount fibre in immersion oil on compensator stage polarised …
- Thermogravimetric Analysis (TGA) of Polyester TGA of PET: single-step degradation in N₂ at 400–450°C (Td onset ~380°C); 90% mass loss by 470°C; ch…
- Dimensional Stability and Shrinkage Testing Fibre shrinkage tests: boiling water shrinkage (BWS, ISO 6990): 100°C, 30 min, load 0.05 cN/dtex, me…
- Colour Measurement and Colorimetry of Polyester Colour measurement of dyed polyester fabric: reflectance spectrophotometry (D65 illuminant, 10° obse…
- Cross-Section Analysis by SEM and Optical Microscopy Fibre cross-section preparation for SEM: embed in epoxy resin, microtome (ultramicrotome, tungsten k…
- Moisture Content and Regain Testing Moisture regain (MR%) = (wet mass − dry mass)/dry mass × 100. Dry mass: 105°C oven to constant mass.…