This document describes various methods to test the absorbency of textile materials, including immersion/sinking tests, drop tests, spot tests, wicking/column tests, and spray tests. The immersion/sinking test measures the time for a fabric sample to fully immerse in liquid. Drop and spot tests analyze how a liquid penetrates and spreads. Wicking/column tests observe liquid rise over time. Spray tests evaluate surface wetting using a spray rating scale from 0-100. Proper testing of absorbency is important for understanding a fabric's ability to absorb and retain liquids.

1. ABSORBENCY TESTS
Dr.R.Sunitha
Assistant Professor SS
Department of Textiles and Clothing
Avinashilingam Institute for Home Science and
Higher Education for Women, Coimbatore.

2. Absorbency
• Absorbency is the ability of the textile
material to absorb and retain liquids within
itself
• Absorbency is the capturing and holding
liquids
• Good absorbency requires a rapid capture and
holding capacity
• Water passes through the fabric by wetting
followed by capillary action and the
combination of these two

3. Methods for Assessment of
Absorbency
• There are three methods for assessing
absorbency of a textile material
• 1.Immersion/Sinking Test
• 2.a Drop Test and b. Spot Test
• 3. Wicking/Column Test
• 4. Spray Test

4. 1.Immersion/Sinking Test
• Sample of size 1cmx1cm is cut and is left on
the surface of the liquid
• Time is noted with the help of stop watch and
the time taken for complete immersion is
observed and recorded
• Five samples are tested, the average is taken
and the result is expressed in seconds

5. 2.a Drop Test
• The standard method used is AATCC Test
Method 79
• The fabric is mounted on an embroidery
hoop without wrinkles
• Water is dropped on the surface of the
fabric using burette which dispenses a drop
of water at a distance of 9.5mm from the
surface of the fabric
• the stop watch is started
• Time taken for the drop to completely
penetrate into the fabric is observed
• This gives the absorbency rate of the fabric
• The result is recorded in seconds

6. 2b. Spot Test
• Water coloured with a dye
is dropped on the surface of
the fabric using pippette at
different places of the
fabric
• The shape and area of
absorbency is observed
• The result is recorded as
shown in the figure and is
suitable mostly for woven
fabrics to analyse the
scouring effect on the fabric

7. 3. Wicking/Column Test
• The sample is cut of dimension 18cmx5cm
• A beaker is taken and filled to about 50ml with
water coloured with dye
• Then the fabric sample is marked 1 cm from the
bottom with an incredible ink
• Then the fabric is hung using a glass rod into the
beaker such that the 1cm level of the fabric is
immersed into the dye solution
• The stop watch is on and the time is kept as
constant say 5 minutes
• Then the level of raise of dye solution in the
fabric is observed and the height is noted above
the 1cm marking

8. • The stop watch is on and the
time is kept as constant say 5
minutes
• Then the level of raise of dye
solution in the fabric is observed
and the height is noted above
the 1cm marking
• This is found in both warp and
weft directions
• About 5 samples are tested and
recorded
3. Wicking/Column Test Cont…

9. 4. Spray Test
• The sample fabric is mounted on the embroidery
hoop and fixed on the instrument at 45o
• Now the beaker is filled with 250 cc water and poured
on the funnel
• The water is showered through spray nozzle on the
fabric
• After spraying has finished the sample holder is
removed and the surplus water removed by tapping
the frame 6 times against a solid object, with the face
of the sample facing the solid object.
• The water repellency is assessed from the spray rating
chart
• 5 tests should be made and the nearest rating
assigned to each, since no interpolation is allowed, i.e.
a rating for a specimen cannot be 75
• The mean of the 5 ratings is taken as the result
Spray Tester

10. Spray Test Diagram

11. Ratings
• 100 - No sticking or
wetting of the upper
surface.
• 90 - Slight random sticking
or wetting of the upper
surface.
• 80 - Wetting of upper
surface at spray points.
• 70 - Partial wetting of
whole of upper surface.
• 50 - Complete wetting of
whole of upper surface.
• 0 - Complete wetting of
whole of upper and lower
surfaces.

12. Reference
• https://www.slideshare.net/sayeedice/how-
to-test-absorbency-of-a-fabric
• https://textilelearner.blogspot.com/2012/02/
water-repellency-water-repellent.html
• Angappan.P and Gopakrishnan, 1997, Hi-Tech
Offset Printers