Cover Factor of Fibre, Yarn and Fabric

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CONCEPT OF SIMILAR CLOTH
Fibre or raw materials of the two cloths may be same but they can differ on other factors, such as:-
i) The yarn count may be different.
ii) The ratio of yarn count in warp and weft may differ.
iii) The warp ratio of yarn spacing may differ.
iv) The average of yarn spacing may differ.
v) The weave design may differ.
vi) The amount of twist in yarn may differ.

If there is similarity in COVER FACTOR of two cloths but they differ in such points as mentioned above then they are called similar cloth.

COVER FACTOR
Cover is the degree of evenness of thread spacing. Good cover gives the effect of a uniform plane surface & it can not be obtained with hard twisted yarn. In case of woven fabric cover factor is a number that indicates the extent to which the area of a fabric is covered by warp and weft threads. For any fabric by introducing suitable numerical constants its evaluation can be made in accordance with any system of counting. It is denoted by k.

Mathematically,

        k = d / p;

where, d₁ = Warp dia; d₂ = Weft dia; P₁ = Warp spacing; P₂ = Weft spacing; k₁ = Warp cover factor, and k ₂ = Weft cover factor.

     

So, k₁ = d₁/P₁    &    k₂ = d₂/P₂

Therefore, Fabric Cover Factor =  k₁ + k₂.

The ratio of yarn diameter to yarn spacing, d/p, is a measure of the relative closeness of the yarns in the warp or weft of a woven fabric. This ratio also expresses the fraction of the area of the cloth covered by the warp or weft yarns. We may therefore call it the fractional cover,  i.e.

                      Fractional cover = d / p.

Substituting Peirce’s estimate of yarn diameter, d = 1/28 √N, we have 

d / p= [1/(28√N) x1/p]

 But 1/p = n, where n = threads/in., so

 d / p= n/(28√N) ……………………………… (6)

Now d/p has a value of 1.0 when the yarns are just touching. Peirce multiplied eq.(6) by 28 to eliminate the numerical constant, 28, and defined the result as the ‘coverfactor’, K.

Cover Factor, K  = n /  √N  ……………………………………………..(7)

Because we have multiplied by 28, cover factor as defined in eq.(7) has a value of 28 when the yarns are just touching. The relative yarn spacing corresponding to various cover factors are shown below:

It is usual to calculate separate cover factors for the warp and the weft. Using the suffices 1 and 2 for warp and weft, we have

      Warp Cover Factor, K₁ = n₁ / √N₁ and

      Weft Cover Factor, K₂ = n₂ / √N₂.

The sum of the warp and weft cover factors is known as cloth cover factor, Kc.  It is customary and more informative, however, to state the warp and weft cover factors separately. Just as twist factor enables us to compare the relative hardness of twist in yarns of different counts, so cover factor enables us to compare the relative closeness of the yarns in different fabrics.

Math related to cover factor

Compare the relative closeness of the warp yarns in the following two plain cloths; (a) 16s cotton; 50 ends/in; and (b) 36s cotton; 84 ends/in.

We have the cover factor for cloth (a), K₁ = 50 / √16   = 12.5.

And for cloth (b) cover factor, K₂ = 84 / √36   = 14.0

So the ends are more closely spaced in cloth (b) than in cloth (a)

MATH:- Calculate the warp and weft cover factors for the following fabric: 60 denier nylon x 48s worsted; 96 x 72.

      60 denier = 5315/60 = 88.57s cotton count.

So, K₁ = 96 / √88.57   = 10.2

       40s worsted = 48 x 560/840 = 32s cotton count.

So, K₂ = 72 / √32   = 12.7

GENERAL FORMULA FOR CALCULATING COVER FACTORS

   Indirect systems                                              direct systems.

      K = cn/ √N                                                    K = cn √N

Where N is the yarn number in the particular system.

System                Value of c                          System          Value of c

Cotton                     1.0                                     Denier        0.01375

Worsted                  1.228                                 Tex             0.04126

Linen lea                 1.667                                 lb/spdl        0.2422

MATH: Calculate the cover factor corresponding to 80 threads/in. of 100 denier. 

From the table constant for the denier system is  0.01375.

Therefore, K  = 0.01375 x 80 x √100  = 11.0

MATH: How many threads/in. of 5 tex nylon are required to give the same cover factor as 90 threads/in. of 2/100s cotton?

Since the equivalent singles count of 2 /100s is √50 s.

Therefore,

                            K  = 90/ √50.

So, K = 12.7  = 0.04126 x n √5

 Therefore  the number of threads required

n=12.7/0.04126 x √5 = 138 threads / in.         

Thus required thread/in is 138 of 5 tex to give the same cover factor as 90 threads/in. of 2/100s cotton.

This problem can also be solved with reference to the formula for calculating cover factor.

     5 tex  = 590.5 / 5  = √118 s cotton count.

As before, K  = 12.7  = n/ √118.

Therefore n = 12.7 x   118   = 138 as before.

Wish You Good Luck..................................
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Fibre Blends; Properties of fiber Blended Yarns

Fibre Blends 

Fibre Blending is the process of mixing fibers together. As noted earlier, it can take place at any of several points during the preparation of a yarn. The purposes of blending are (1) the thorough intermixing of fibers and/or (2) combining fibers with different properties to produce yarns with characteristics that cannot be obtained by using one type of fiber alone. Self blending of bales of the same fiber is done routinely in processing natural fibers because the fibers may vary from bale to bale. In this type of blending, the mixing of as many bales as possible is done early in the processes preparatory to spinning so that the subsequent steps can help to mix the fiber still more completely. For the same reasons, even when two or more different fiber types are combined, blending is done as early as possible. Carding helps to break up fiber clusters and intermix fibers more thoroughly. However, if the fibers being blended require different techniques for opening, cleaning, and carding, as with polyester and cotton, then slivers can be blended. For blended yarns of different fibers, the blend level is the percentage by weight of each fiber. Blending is not limited to staple-length fibers. Filament fibers of different generic types can be combined into a single yarn. This can be done either by extruding these fibers side by side, during drawing, or during texturing. As described earlier, a blended yarn can be core spun with one fiber at the center and a different fiber as the covering or be wrapped with one fiber making up the central section and another the wrapping yarn. As yarn spinning and texturing technologies grow more sophisticated, we expand the possibilities of combining several different fibers into one yarn. Multiple-input texturing machines can produce specialty yarn blends. 

It should be noted that fabrics woven from two or more yarns each made of different fibers are not considered blends. These fabrics are, instead called combination fabrics. They do not behave in the same way as those fabrics in which, the fibers are more intimately blended and may require special care procedures. Regrettably, the Textile Fibers Products Identification Act (TFPIA) labeling requirements do not distinguish between blended fabrics and combination fabrics when fiber percentage contents of fabrics are given. 

Properties of Blended Yarns 

Fibers with different characteristics, blended into a yarn, can each contribute desirable properties to the final textile material. The ultimate performance is an average of the properties of the component fibers. For example, a fabric of 50 percent cotton and 50 percent polyester would have an absorbency intermediate between that of cotton or polyester. In some cases, however, the observed fabric property is not determined simply by the relative amounts of each fiber in the blend. In blends of nylon with cotton, the tenacity of the blended yarn initially decreases with increasing amounts of nylon because of differences in the breaking elongation of the two fibers. At the breaking elongation of the cotton fibers, the nylon fibers are not assuming their share of the stress, leaving the cotton to bear the load. 

The stage at which blending occurs also affects the properties of the fabrics. In general, the more intimate the mixing of fibers in the blends, the better the resulting properties. Yarns blended at the fiber stage exhibit a more effective averaging of properties than ply-blended yarns. Even though considerable study and evaluation have been made of optimum fiber proportions required to achieve desired results in blends, no certain conclusions have been reached. It is clear that extremely small proportions of fibers have no appreciable influence on performance, although they may have some effect on appearance.