Evaluating Static and Kinetic Friction Coefficients of Fabrics through Experimental Model

In this work, the coefficients of static friction $\left(\mu_{s}\right)$ and kinetic friction $\left(\mu_{k}\right)$ of textile materials were investigated and calculated based on an experimental model under various conditions including fabric types (cotton, linen, polyester), fabric interlacing method (woven and knitted fabric), inclined angle (0 to 45°), moving velocity, water content (wet and dry fabric), weight (gravitational force) and conveyor material (polyvinyl chloride, cotton/polyester). Accordingly, the friction coefficients were determined based on the motion between the fabric and the conveyer on the proposed model. The difference between $\mu_{\mathrm{s}}$ and $\mu_{\mathrm{k}}$ (denoted as $\Delta \mu$) was found and also influenced by aforementioned conditions. The highest $\Delta \mu$ values were observed for polyester fabric and polyester/cotton conveyor. Especially, $\mu_{\mathrm{k}}$ of fabric increased with increasing moving velocity as well as the inclined angle. In case of cotton fabrics, the difference of $\mu \mathrm{s}$ in dry conditions due to a greater effect of stickiness. However, this trend was reversed for linen fabric. Finally, the results indicated that both $\mu \mathrm{s}$ and $\mu \mathrm{k}$ decreased with increasing pressure on the experimental fabric. These findings revealed the characteristics of friction in fabric to more efficiently control its production and use.