Moisture Relations &

Testing
TTPC-305 Textile Testing

Dr. Ghanshyam Neje

Moisture in Textile Materials

➢ Some of the most important properties of textile fibre are
closely related to its behaviour in various atmospheric
conditions
➢ Most of fibres are hygroscopic i.e., absorb water vapour
from moist atmosphere & desorb or lose water in dry
atmosphere
➢ Physical properties of fibres like like dimensions, tensile
strength, elastic recovery, electrical resistance, rigidity are
affected by water absorbed
➢ In fabrics, structural details of fabric also play role in
moisture absorption

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 Absorption in Fibre Material
➢In orderly array of molecules (crystalline region) , side
chains are linked; but in random arrangement (amorphous
region) no. of free links or ‘hooks’ will be available

➢If free links are of polar character (having groups like OH,
COOH, CO, etc.), then water molecule can attach
themselves

Moisture in Textiles
Atmospheric conditions and relative humidity
➢ Among other things, regain of a textile material depends
upon amount of moisture in surrounding air
➢ The ‘dampness’ of atmosphere can be described in terms of
‘humidity’ (either Absolute humidity or Relative humidity)

➢ Absolute humidity: The weight of water present in a unit

volume of moist air, i.e. grains per cubic foot or g/m3

➢ Relative humidity: The ratio of the absolute humidity of the

air to absolute humidity of air saturated with water vapour at
the same temperature & pressure, expressed as a percentage
Absolute humidity of the air
RH% = × 100
Absolute humidity of air saturated with water vapour
4

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 Moisture & Textiles
❖Convenient to use Relative humidity rather than
absolute humidity.

▪ Since,
✓ Relative humidity affects the regain of material &
✓ Regain of material influences properties of material

It is necessary to specify the atmospheric conditions in

which testing should be carried out

Standard Testing Atmosphere

Standard Testing Atmosphere:
Relative Humidity: 65%  2% &
Temperature: 20°  2°C (68°  4°F)

•In tropical and subtropical regions,

Relative Humidity: 65%  2% &
Temperature: 27°  2°C (81°  4°F)

3
 Moisture Regain & Moisture Content
✓Amount of moisture in the sample may be expressed in
terms of Regain or Moisture Content

✓Moisture Regain is defined as the ratio between weight of

water in a material and the oven dry weight of the material
expressed as a percentage
weight of water in material
Moisture regain (R) = × 100
Oven dry weight of material

✓Moisture content is defined as the ratio between the weight of

water in a material and the total weight of material expressed
as a percentage
weight of water in material
Moisture content (M) = × 100
Total weight of material 7

Moisture Regain & Moisture Content

Oven dry weight of fibre is defined as constant weight
obtained by drying it at a temperature 105  3°C, till
all the moisture is removed

Let,
Oven dry weight = D
Weight of water = W
Regain = R
Moisture content = M
Then, 100W 100W
R= & M=
D D+W
M R
Also, R=
(1 − Mൗ100)
& M=
(1 + Rൗ100) 8

4
 Measurement of Atmospheric Conditions

•Instruments used in determination of the humidity

are known as hygrometers or psychrometers

Three main types of instruments are:

(1) Wet-and-dry bulb hygrometer
(2) Hair hygrometer
(3) Electrolytic hygrometer

Wet-and-dry bulb hygrometer

➢If bulb of a thermometer is surrounded by a
wet muslin sleeve in an atmosphere which is
not saturated, water evaporates into the air at
a rate which is proportional to the difference
between the actual humidity and 100%
humidity, i.e. saturation conditions
➢Evaporation is accompanied by cooling, so
temperature indicated by that thermometer
will be lower than room temperatures
➢Another identical thermometer is mounted in
same frame
➢Wet bulb and dry bulb temperatures are
noted directly
➢% RH value is derived from table

Distilled water
reservoir 10

5
 Wet-and-dry bulb hygrometer (cont.)
Following Table is used to find out relative humidity from
wet and dry bulb hygrometer

Example:
Dry bulb temperature: 25°C
Wet bulb temperature: 20°C
Difference: 5
R.H.% from table: 63%

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Sling or Whirling hygrometer

➢Alternative designs of wet-and-dry bulb hygrometer
➢Thermometers are mounted in a frame pivoted on a handle
➢This enables them to be whirled round at 2 or 3 rev/sec so
that air speed past the wet bulb is at least 15 ft/sec
➢After about ½ min, whirling is stopped & wet bulb
thermometer read immediately
➢The procedure is repeated 3 or 4 times until a minimum
reading is obtained
➢RH% is determined in same way form the table
Dry bulb
thermometer

Wet muslin Wet bulb Handle

sleeve thermometer
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6
 Hair Hygrometer
➢ This instrument uses human hair as an important element
➢ Human hair has the property of lengthening or shortening
as the humidity of the surrounding air increases or
decreases
➢ If humidity is high, it elongates & if humidity is low it
contracts
➢ By anchoring a band of hairs to a suitable lever system,
R.H.% may be indicated directly

➢The instrument is normally kept in testing

room itself
➢RH value can be directly read
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Hair Hygrometer (cont.)

Advantage: Distilled water is not required

Disadvantages:
▪Responds very slowly to changes in surrounding
humidity;
▪Hygrometer has to be checked and calibrated often
▪Great accuracy is not claimed For e.g. to within 3 or 4 %
for the range of humidity 30 to 80% and temperature
50° to 70° F

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7
 Electrolytic Hygrometer
Electrolytic hygrometer works on the principle that the
electrical resistance of a material varies with amount of
moisture in it
➢The instrument has element consisting plastic frame,
carrying platinum covered electrodes
➢Electrodes are wound with skein of very fine fibres
impregnated with a chemical like lithium chloride
➢Chemical- lithium chloride is capable of quickly
absorbing & giving out moisture depending on humidity
➢Electrical resistance of such chemical varies with amount
of moisture content in it, which depends on humidity of
surrounding

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Electrolytic Hygrometer (cont.)

• If constant voltage is applied to the element, current
flowing will vary with changes in the R.H.% of the
atmosphere
• The variation in current is translated into pointer
movement over a scale or dial graduated in R.H.%

Advantages
▪Rapid response to changes in the humidity of the
surrounding air (only about ½ min)
▪Only low air currents are required, forced circulation is
unnecessary
▪Instrument may be modified to produce a permanent
record
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8
 Atmospheric Humidity - Regain Relationship
✓If two samples of the same material were taken into given atmosphere,
one completely wet & the other dry, and at time intervals regain values for
each were determined, then the graph of regain vs time will be as follows
✓The regain changes quickly at first & then more slowly as equilibrium
conditions are approached
✓Two curves approach each other, but do not meet because equilibrium
regain values of two samples are not the same
✓The sample which was originally wet has a higher regain value than the
other, this effect is known as ‘hysteresis’

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Absorption-Desorption Curves
• If textile material is kept in an atmosphere maintained at a specific R.H.,
it will reach equilibrium moisture regain
• By plotting Regain-R.H. relation, we will get a graph as shown below
Curve A: absorption curve
Curve D: Desorption curve
• It should be noted that the desorption curve does not follow back the
absorption curve
• For instance, point ‘b’ is equilibrium condition at 65 % r.h. when
approached from wet side, & point ‘a’ is the equilibrium regain when
approached from the dry side
• This is the hysteresis effect

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9
 Factors Affecting Regain of Textiles
i. Relative humidity
a. Regain of fibre increases rapidly at low humidity
b. Then it increases at low rate, showing an almost
linear portion in absorption curve
c. Finally, it rises at rapid rate at high humidity

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Factors Affecting Regain of Textiles (cont.)

ii. Time
✓Material placed in a given atmosphere takes a
certain time to reach equilibrium
✓The Rate of conditioning depends on several factors
like: size & form of sample, material, external
conditions, etc.

✓E.g. When testing yarn for its count, prior to reeling

✓Condition in testing atmosphere for not less than 1
hours for yarn in hank
✓Condition for not less than 3 hours for yarn in all
other types of packages
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10
Factors Affecting Regain of Textiles (cont.)
iii. Temperature
✓ For practical purposes, effect of temperature on regain
is not important, it is the relative humidity which plays
the major role
✓ Change of 10°C will give a change in regain of cotton of
about 0·3 %

iv. Previous history of the sample

✓ Previous history of fibre, i.e., whether it was initially
wet or dry, can affect its equilibrium regain
✓ Hysteresis effect
✓ Regain may change at different stages of wet processing
due to removal of impurities like oils, waxes, etc from
fibre or added material like size (Removal of barrier)
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Effects of Regain on Fibre Properties

i. Dimensions
✓ Moisture absorption causes swelling of fibres

✓ Water molecules penetrate between the more or less

parallel molecular chains & exert their forces outwards

✓ Swelling is more in width direction because…

✓ Swelling of fibres is continuous process, takes place in

steps with increasing moisture content means
As Relative humidity ↑ swelling of fibres ↑

✓Increase in width of fibres leads to increase in diameter of

the constituent yarns, which cause the crimp to increase
and the fabric shrinks 22

11
 Effects of Regain on Fibre Properties (cont.)
ii. Mechanical Properties
✓ Water molecules in fibre reduce the forces holding
molecular chains together, thereby weakening the fibre

✓ Exceptions are vegetable fibres: cotton, flax, hemp & jute:

their strength increases with moisture content

✓ With moisture absorption,

✓ Maximum strength reduces
✓ stress-strain curve assumes different form
✓ Yield point is lowered
✓ Load that would not damage dry fibre, may stress
fibres beyond lowered yield point 23

Effects of Regain on Fibre Properties (cont.)

ii. Mechanical Properties (cont.)
✓ Extensibility can increase for some fibres when they are
wet (E.g. wool shows loss in strength & gain in elongation)

✓ Other mechanical properties affected by regain include

extensibility, crease recovery, flexibility

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12
 Effects of Regain on Fibre Properties (cont.)
iii. Electrical Properties
✓ Main change is their electrical resistance
✓ Resistance decreases with increasing moisture content
✓ There is approx. tenfold decrease in resistance for every
13% increase in R.H.
✓ Resistance decreases with moisture  static electrical
charges are readily dissipated at high RH
✓ Dielectric constant of fibre increases with moisture
content (change in dielectric characteristic is source of
error when testing using capacitance principle)

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Effects of Regain on Fibre Properties (cont.)

iv. Thermal Properties
✓ When textile materials absorb moisture, heat is generated,
This heat is called as the ‘heat of absorption’
✓ Heat of wetting: If 1 g dry sample is wetted completely, the
heat evolved, expressed in calories per gram of dry
material, is termed the ‘heat of wetting’

✓ Example: In winter, a person passing from indoors to outdoors usually

goes from a warm room with a low percentage r.h. into a cold
environment with a higher percentage r.h. The regain, particularly of
the outer garments, increases & heat is generated, so acting as a
buffer to the sudden shock of a change in temperature which the
body would otherwise suffer

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13
 Correct Invoice Weight
➢In commercial transactions, agreement is required
between buyer & seller on exact weight to be paid
for

➢Depends on moisture content, material, how dry

or wet the material was while packing…

➢Buyer does not wish to pay for excess water

@price per kg of textiles

➢Therefore, correct invoice weight is required

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Correct Invoice Weight (cont.)

➢When consignment is delivered and weighed…
200 g sample is taken with adequate sampling
procedures & immediately stored in airtight containers
➢ 1st Step: Determine oven dry weight of sample (with
or without cleaning)
Let, W = weight of the consignment at the time of sampling
d = oven dry weight of the sample (with or without cleaning)
S = original weight of the sample
C = oven dry weight of the consignment
𝐝
𝐂=𝐖×
𝐒
➢ To oven dry mass is added an official allowance for
moisture (depending upon material)
28

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 Allowance based on dry weight of sample without
cleaning

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Correct Invoice Weight (cont.)

➢ This standard value is approx. regain the material would have
when in equilibrium with standard atmosphere
➢ Official allowance is commercially agreed
For sample dried out without cleaning,
(𝟏𝟎𝟎+𝑹𝟏 )
Correct Invoice Weight = 𝐂 ×
𝟏𝟎𝟎
where R1 is the official allowance

For sample dried out after cleaning

(𝟏𝟎𝟎+𝑹𝟏 +𝑨𝟐 +𝑩𝟐 )
Correct Invoice Weight = 𝐂 ×
𝟏𝟎𝟎

where R2 is moisture regain (may differ from R1), A2 is allowance for natural
grease & B2 is allowance for added oil (In most cases, there is only one value
as overall allowance)
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15
 Standard Regain of Blends
Standard regain of blended material can be easily
calculated
➢ If the blend composition & individual standard
regains of constituent fibres are known

➢ Consider a blended yarn consisting of two fibres A & B (two

components)
Let, content of fibre A = CA%
content of fibre B = CB%
Similarly, Let standard regain of fibre A = RA%
standard regain of fibre B = RB%

CA × R A ) + ൫CB × R B
Standard regain of the blend =
CA + CB
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Standard Regain of Blends

Example: Calculate the standard regain of a 67:33 polyester :
cotton blended yarn.
Given data,
Percentage of polyester component: C1 = 67
Percentage of cotton component: C2 = 33
We know that,
standard regain of polyester: R1 = 0.4%
standard regain of cotton: R2 = 8.5%

67 × 0.4) + (33 × 8.5

Standard regain of the blend =
67 + 33

26.8 + 280.5
Standard regain of the blend =
100

Standard regain of the blend = 3.073 %

32

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 Measurement of Moisture content
Moisture measuring oven
Principle: A sample of known weight is heated in a special
oven at a temperature of 105  3°C for 1½ to 2 hours to
obtain constant or oven dry weight
➢Moisture value is used to get Moisture content & regain

➢Two chambers: Lower & upper

➢Lower chamber: heating
chamber & temperature
control panel
➢Upper chamber: weighing
balance

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Measurement of Moisture content

Moisture measuring oven (cont.)
➢50 g of sample is placed in cage &
50 g weight in right side pan
➢Heating at 105  3°C

➢After 1½ hours of heating, weight of sample gets

reduced. Suitable weight is place in left pan of balance
➢Weighing for each 10 min till constant weight is obtained
➢Constant weight  all moisture is evaporated
➢Weight in left pan is weight of moisture 34

17
 Measurement of Moisture content
• Oven dry weight of material is obtained as,
Oven dry weight of material = (Original weight of sample) – (weight of moisture)

If the original weight of sample is W1, and Oven dry

weight is W2, then
weight of moisture in sample
Moisture content (M) = × 100
original weight of sample
𝑊1 − 𝑊2
Moisture content M = × 100
𝑊1

Similarly,
weight of moisture
Moisture regain (R) = × 100
Oven dry weight of sample

𝑊1 − 𝑊2
Moisture regain (R) = × 100
𝑊2

35

Direct regain Tester

• The rapid drying device is a vertical free-standing unit
about three feet
• It consists of a heater, a thermostat control, and an air
blower.
• An aluminium sample can which fits in the top of the
dryer has perforations both in the base and the lid to
allow the passage of air but small enough to prevent
the loss of any of the sample

• To make a test the wool is packed firmly into the can so

that channeling of the hot air is minimized
• The cold can and sample are placed on the balance and
the instrument is adjusted to read zero.
• The can is then clamped in the dryer and hot air blown
through for about six minutes.
• The hot can and dried sample are replaced on the
balance and the pointer indicates regain directly
C.S.I.R.O. Direct Regain Tester

36

18
 Measurement of Moisture content
Advantages of regain-testing oven
• All the weighing is carried in the oven (So less error)
• Large sample can be tested
• By far the most accurate method

It is assumed that air drawn in oven is at standard atmospheric

condition, if not corrections could be required based on actual
temperature & humidity

One variation of moisture testing oven is Conditioning oven

There are different designs of oven, different methods of heating (hot air, radiation). 37

Measurement of Moisture content

Electrical methods
Principle: Principle of variation in
electrical resistance with moisture
E.g. Shirley moisture meter
➢Electrode fixed in a holder
➢Different electrode for fibre & yarn,
work on same principle
➢Annular space in electrode is greater
for yarn than for raw cotton
➢Firm pressure is applied to bring
electrode & fibres in close contact
➢Moisture is noted on chosen scale

Constant pressure device is also available (spring loading of holder) with constant pressure
38
of 3kg/cm2

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 Measurement of Moisture content
Electrical methods
Principle: Principle of variation in
electrical resistance with moisture
E.g. Shirley moisture meter
➢Electrode fixed in a holder
➢Different electrode for fibre & yarn,
work on same principle
➢Annular space in electrode is greater
for yarn than for raw cotton
➢Firm pressure is applied to bring
electrode & fibres in close contact
➢Moisture is noted on chosen scale

39

Measurement of Moisture content

Advantages
➢One advantages over moisture testing oven is speed of
testing
➢Easy to read scale, calibrated in units of moisture %
➢Instrument is compact & portable
➢Suitable for routine testing of bleached & undyed
fibres & yarns

Disadvantages
• Not as accurate as moisture testing oven (needs regular
calibration)
• Problem arise when dyed or finished material needs to
be tested
40

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 Measurement of Moisture content
• Capacity Method: Sample is placed between two
plates of capacitor and dielectric properties of
material are measured. Dielectric properties are
proportional to the moisture present in material

41

Measurement of Moisture content

• Forte Electronic Moisture
content analyzer
• A complete ball of wool is
placed between two parallel
plates of the capacitor, and its
dielectric properties (and
therefore, moisture content) is
Moisture content based on Capacity Principle measured

Other models of the instrument are designed to test cones of yarn, samples of bulk
fibre and even entire bales of fibre

Advantages
1. No physical or electrical contact with sample
2. Scale deflection proportional to the average moisture content of entire sample
3. The capacitance method is quick
4. Test is completely passive & harmless to the wool; no waste is generated
5. Test is not substantially influenced by most oils & waxes or vegetable matter
6. Capacitance measurement is not influenced by variations in pH between 6.6 & 8.9 42

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