Qualitative and quantitative evaluation of cotton fabric damage by tumble drying

Abrasion and heat damage to desized and scoured cotton fabric during drying in a household tumble dryer are evaluated by SEM (scanning electron microscopy) and weight and tensile/strain tests for breaking strength and elongation. Wet fabric dried with heat shows severe fiber damage, and wet fabric tumbled at room temperature shows less damage than with heat. Dry fabric tumbled at a high temperature, equivalent to over-drying in a dryer, shows different but still severe damage compared to wet fabric. Moisture loss patterns during drying as a function of time or temperature indicate possible ways to minimize dryer damage by reducing unnecessary tumble-drying time and energy input.