Supported by the Forschungskuratorium Textil e.V. by means of budget funds provided by the German Federal Ministry of Economy and Labour (Bundesministerium für Wirtschaft und Arbeit / BMWA) via the Arbeitsgemeinschaft industrieller Forschungsvereinigungen "Otto-von-Guericke" e.V. (AiF).

 

Term of project: 01.06.2003 - 31.08.2005

The aim of the research project was to develop an optimal construction for a textile floor covering in view of its soiling and cleaning behaviour. The use of chemical finishing products had to be avoided and the easy care properties to be reached particularly by means of construction variants with regard to modifications in the different relevant fields of the multi-component system textile floor covering. On the basis of the planned examinations a recommendation for a possible area of application of a textile floor covering by means of its construction data in view of its soiling and cleaning properties had to be elaborated. Results: A total of 24 different test carpets were manufactured. These test carpets vary with regard to their fibre fineness, cross-section, delustring, fibre type, yarn fineness, bulk, pile type, pile height and mass per unit area (stitch density). The soiling of the test products was carried out by means of different test arrangements. The cleaning was performed with a spray extraction device. The soiling and cleaning was examined by spectrophotometer and macroscope.

The test results show an influence of the fibre fineness on the soiling grade of the tested carpets. Coarse-fibred test products are less easily soiled than those with a finer titre. The comparisons with the cross-section of the fibre show that products composed of trilobal fibres soil more easily than those composed of hollow fibres.

Another influencing factor on the soiling properties is the yarn bulk which proves that high bulk yarns are less easily soiled than those with standard bulk. The surface weight of the carpet influences the soiling behaviour insofar as products with a higher density soil more easily than test carpets with a lower density. Due to uncertainty, it is not possible to make a statement on the parameters also examined i.e. fibre delustring, yarn fineness and pile height and their influence on the soiling behaviour of textile floor coverings. By means of spray extraction, the fine dirt adhering on the fibres can only partially be removed in all test arrangements. The influence of individual construction parameters on the cleanability can be evaluated as follows: In the case of cross-section and delustring of the fibres it is evident that the results are different depending on the soiling device.

Thus, it is not possible to make any statement on the influence of these construction parameters on the cleanability of textile floor coverings. Floor coverings made from fine yarns show a better cleanability that those from yarns with a more coarse titre. The parameters fibre fineness, bulk, pile height and weight of surface (stitch density) cannot be assessed.

• ANKER-Teppichboden
• CC Dr. Schutz GmbH
• Dura Tufting GmbH
• Ecolab GmbH & Co. OHG
• Invista Deutschland GmbH
• Klaus Steimann Unternehmensberatung
• Longlife Teppichboden
• RZ Chemie GmbH

We gratefully acknowledge the "Forschungskuratorium Textil" e.V. for the financial support of the research project (AiF-No.13494 N), realised by means of budget funds provided by the German Federal Ministry of Economy and Labour (Bundesministerium für Wirtschaft und Arbeit / BMWA) via the "Arbeitsgemeinschaft industrieller Forschungsvereinigungen "Otto-von-Guericke" e.V. (AiF). The German version of the final report (2005/85) is available at TFI.

Dipl.-Ing. Sophia Gelderblom; +49 241 9679 -134
sgelderblom@tfi-online.de