Reducing pilling of knitted woolen fabric based on micro-scale

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to clarify how the micro-structure and -properties of wool fibers influence the pilling property of woolen fabrics. Design/methodology/approach The fuzzing and pilling property of woolen fabrics was investigated, based on micro-scale including basic structural characteristics of wool fibers, wool scale topography and surface friction, etc. Scanning electron microscope was used to analyze wool fiber structure; frictional coefficients were measured by capstan method. Then three different kinds of wool fibers are spun into yarns, then knitted into woolen fabrics, whose pilling grade were estimated by means of Pillbox method. Findings Results show that the finer the fiber, the fabric pilling degree will be higher; the shorter the fiber, the fabric’s pilling is more serious; the number of pilling is decreasing with the increasing number of crimp; the longer the scales, the better anti-pilling property of fabrics, while the larger the scale thickness, the worse the anti-pilling property; and initially, with the increasing DFEs, fabrics are not easy to pilling, however, there exists a critical value. Originality/value Fuzzing and pilling property of woolen fabrics are affected by number of factors, including raw fibers, yarns, fabric tissue and finishing process, etc. In this paper, the authors exclude the influence of yarns’ parameter and fabrics’ tissue, etc., but focus on the micro-structure and -properties of raw wool fibers; and establish a direct connection between fabrics’ pilling property and fibers’ parameters.