THE F R I C T I O N PROPERTIES OF T E X T I L E YARNS

E. A. Nikonova and A. B. P a k s h v e r UDC 6 7 7 . 4 . 0 1 7 . 6 : 5 3 9 . 6 2

In textile p r o c e s s i n g the yarn is subjected the tension as a result of the friction

resistance of the yarn guide elements. The resistance varies with the number of fibres
in the yarn, the yarn twist, the type of surfactant treatment, the p r o p e r t i e s of these
agents, etc. The friction arising in the contact of two moving soli ds is governed / I / by
the pressure of one solid on the other and the interaction between the solids as a re-
sult of electrostatic charges and other intermolecular forces.
For technical and textile yarns the first of these factors is not significant and
the friction is p r i m a r i l y the result of intermolecular and electrostatic activity. In
this case the dynamic coefficient of friction p of a moving yarn is determined from the
Euler equation

PS
In Pt (I)

where PI is the yarn tension upstream from the solid of friction (gf), P2 is the yarn
tension downstream from that solid (gf), and a is the angle of curvature of the yarn on
the solid (deg).
It was shown elsewhere that p depends on the properties of the surfactant with
which the yarn is treated, on the surfactant concentration on the yarn /2/, and on the
speed of the yarn /3,4/. The value of p is at a distinct minimum at a surfactaut concen-
tration (c) of about 0 . 1 % on the yarn which represents a molecular layer. The develop-
ment of a minimum or maximum on the curve of ~ = f(c) depends of whether the lyophilic
(polar) or oleophilic (nonpolar) part of the surfactant m o l e c u l e o n t h e f i b r e is oriented.

il f
~s

~4 , I I I l
gg a* O,a 0 , # " I,o
Avidl on yam,% Lubricant viscosi~, cS
Fig. I Fig.2
Fig. 1. The coefficient of £riction ~ as a function of the
Avirol concentration on the fibre: I) friction on metal,
2) friction on fibre.
Fig.2. The coefficient of friction of polyamide yarn as a
function of the viscosity of the lubricant.

All-Union Scientific Research Institute for Synthetic Fibres; All-Union Scientific

Research Institute for Man-Made Fibre. T r a n s l a t e d from K h i m i c h e s k i e Volokna, No.6,
PP- 59 - 61, November - December, 1972. Original article s u b m i t t e d January 18, 1972

1973 Consultants Bmeau, a division of Plenum Publishing Company Limited, Davis House (4th Floc,),
8, Scrubs Lane, Harlesden, London NW10 öSE, England. All rights reserved. This artlcle cannot be
reproduced for any pmpose whatsoever without permtssion of the publisher. A copy of this article is
available from the publisher for $15.00.

657
 25

.\ "F
$
I I --'I~" i I ~ I
o 300 ~00 600
Twist, tums/m
Fig.3 Fig.4
Fig.3. Coefficient K as a function of the twist of polyamide
yarn.
Fig.4. The relation between the coefficient of friction and
the static charge qo (kV).

With a further increase in the surfac-

Y'~r tant concentration on the yarn (Fig. l) the
coefficient of friction ~ increases with the
viscosity of the lubricant component of the
surfactant (Fig.2).
These findings support the general
hypothesis that there are three zones of
friction for a lubricated textile yarn, viz.
0 2 ~ e e zone I in which the monomolecular surfactant
Moisture in yam,qo layer is formed on the yarn, zone II which
is an intermediate zone in which more surf-
Fig. 5- Relation between the static charge
actant layers are formed and hydrodynamic
and the moisture content of the yarn.
resistance develops in these layers, and
zone III which represents hydrodynamic flow
c o n d i t i o n s /5/- Olsen /6/ and Roder /7/ arrived at similar findings. According to the re-
sults in earlier r e s e a r c h /4/ the influence of the yarn speed v (within the range from 1
to 200 m/min) can be expressed by the empirical equation

~=A+I(~ (Z)

where A and K are constants. For polyamide yarn the validity of this equation is confir-
m e d by the data obtained by Olsen /6/.
For v = 0 the constant A = ~1' i.e. the static coefficient of friction which ex-
presses the m i n i m u m conditions under which the yarn slides spontaneously off the bobbin.
A c c o r d i n g to Roder / 7 / at ~I > ~ the yarn acquires sliding hand and begins to un-
ravel while at ~I < ~ both yarn and roving become firmer, the fibres cohere, and the
yarn hand b e c o m e s more brittle. The yarn can slide off, therefore, when K > O. It has
been established /4/, on the other hand, that the maximum possible yarn speed Vcr in
the yarn guide elements increases with a decrease in coefficient K. This coefficient,
n a m e d the cohesion factor by the present writers, thus influences the friction proper-
ties of yarns to a considerable extent.
The m a g n i t u d e of K for polyamide yarn should be within K > 1-10-3 to K < 6-10 -3
to prevent yarn turns sliding off the package. The rewinding speed Vcr can be at a
maximum.
The K values for some of the surfactants used for processing polyamide yarn are
given below.

658
 K- I0-3
Friction on Friction on
metal yarn
Alizarin oil 1.1 4.4
Avirol 6.5 10.4
Alkamon 0S-2 5-6 6.4
Syntanol DS-IO 2.2 3.6
OP-IO 1.6 6.6
oP-18 (commercial) 5.5 9.3
0P-18 (purified) 4.0

These figures show that coefficient K varies with the chemical structure and the
purity of the surfactant. The data below and in Fig.3 define the friction behaviour on
metal of polyamide yarns treated with surfactants in relation to the twist and method
of treatment.
Po K-I0-3 Vcr
Yarn of 6.67 tex, 12 filaments, twist 10 turns/m,
without surfactant . . . . 0.516 34.6 26.0 35
Yarn of 29 tex, 80 filaments, twist 100 turns/m,
without surfactant . 0.430 34.0 9.2 191
Monofil of 1.75 tex, without surfactant • . 0.380 28.5 1.4 728
Yarn of 6.67 tex, 12 filaments, twist 10 turns/m,
sized . . . . 0.320 22.9 6.8 163
Yarn of 6.67 tex, 12 filaments, twist 200 turns/m,
without surfactant . . . . 0.310 24.0 4.2 260
Yarn of 6.67 tex, 12 filaments, twist 550 turns/m,
without surfactant 0.230 16.6 3.6 347

Yarn speed 9 m/min.

Normal yarn passage through the yarn guide elements requires that the lubricant
proportion on the yarn represents a near-monomolecular layer (about 0.1%). The surfac-
tant must be pure and the yarn must be compact with adequate twist and size pick-up.
As already stated, the yarn friction depends not only on intermolecular activity
but also in large measure on the static charge.
It was shown elsewhere (see Fig.4) that

lg qo = A -/- Koß (3 )
Ig q ffi lg «o - - [~~ (4)

where q is the eharge (kV) measured at the instant 7; A, K o and ~ are constants, and
is the time elapsed between the generation and measurement of the charge (min).
Coefficient ~ expresses the electrical conductivity of the yarn. This coefficient
varies with the nature of the fibre-forming polymer and (for conditioned yarn devoid of
lubricant) equals 0.0091 for Lavsan, 0.0125 for Nitron, and 0.017 for Capron. Coeffi-
cient ~ increases sharply and the charge qo decreases with an increase in the moisture
content of the yarn (Fig. 5).
It follows that the friction increases with qo and a decrease in ~. Finally, yarn
friction is greatly influenced also by the adhesion and uniformity of application of
the surfactant film on the yarn. Experiments have shown /8,9/ that the surfactant dis-
tribution along the yarn is uneven and d e p e n d s o n the method of application.
The coefficient of friction ~ varies with the proportion of surfactant on the
yarn. A low degree of adhesion of the surfactant on the moving yarn increases the un-
evenness of its distribution and hence the coefficient of friction still further so that
the yarn movement through the yarn guides becomes jerky and the tension stress variable.

659
 Fluctuations in the tension in turn have an adverse effect on the deformation,
elastic properties, shrinkage, dye uptake and other properties which depend on the in-
ternal stresses of the yarn.
The conclusions that can be drawn from the foregoing analysis are as follows:
I. The brightening or oiling of man-made fibres must be carried out with compounds
containing a surfactant which is stable to heating and in time and has a low but posi-
tive coefficient K.
2. The electrostatic charges and friction of yarns can be reduced by treating
them with a surfactant which is hygroscopic and has a high conductivity coefficient ~.
3. Sizing compounds reduce coefficient K and facilitate the yarn processability
in textile operations.
4. The surfactant applied to the yarn should form a firmly adhering monomolecular
layer.
5. The surfactant must be applied evenly along the yarn.

LITERATURE CITED
I. B.V.Deryagin, The Nature of Friction (in Russian), AN SSSR (1963).
2. E.A.Nikonova, A.B.Pakshver, and R.S.Yagudina, Fibre Chemistry, No.3 (1970), Plenum
Publ.Co. ,Ltd. ,London.
3. E.A.Nikonova and A.B.Pakshver, Fibre Chemistry, No.1 (1972), Plenum Publ.Co.,Ltd.,
London.
4. E.A.Nikonova and A.B.Pakshver, Fibre Chemistry, No.2 (1972), Plenum Publ.Co.,Ltd.,
London.
5. H.G.Howell, K.W.Meiszis, and D.Tabor, Friction in Textiles, London, Butterworths
(1959).
6. S.Olsen, Text.Res.J., 39, I (1969).
7. H.L.Roder, J.Text.Inst., 44, No.6 (1953).
8. W.Bobeth, A.Heger, and U.Munen, Faserf.u.Textilt., 7, 14 (1963).
9. L.M.Kavalerova, V.A.Meglitskii, and M.I.Zakharov, Khim.Volokna, No.1 (1968).

660