The Exchange Test Method

A-14: Resistance to Pilling

Issue Date: 30 Apr 1993

Revision Date: 09/30/2011

  1. PURPOSE AND SCOPE:

    To determine the resistance of woven and knitted fabrics to the formation of pills and other related surface changes. Man-made fibers tend to pill more than the natural fibers.
  2. PRINCIPLE:

    Pilling and other changes in surface appearance that occur in normal wear are simulated on a laboratory testing machine. Fabric samples are washed or dry cleaned. Depending on expected refurbishment, followed by controlled rubbing against an elastomeric pad having specifically selected mechanical properties. The degree of fabric pilling is then evaluated against standards on an arbitrary scale ranging from 5 (indicating no pilling) to 1 (indicating very severe pilling).

  3. REFERENCE:

    ASTM D 3514/D 3514M-10, Standard Test Method for Pilling Resistance and Other Related Surface Changes of Textile Fabrics: Elastometric Pad.
  4. APPARATUS:

  5. PROCEDURE:

  6. EVALUATION:

    Using the overhead lighting, rotate the specimens to the angle at which the pills are the most obvious. Rate the appearance of the face of the 3 specimens compared to the pilling test standards using the following scale: (Note: Assign half values when the appearance of a test specimen falls between that of two rating standards.)
  7. Rating Appearance
    5 No pilling
    4 Slight pilling
    3 Moderate pilling
    2 Severe pilling
    1 Very severe pilling
  8. REPORT:

    Report the average rating of the 3 specimens at:
    1. Average number of rubs at first sign of pilling.
    2. Average rating at the end of 5000 rubs.
  9. NOTE: