TEXTILE LAB REPORT

Title:
Standard test method for breaking strength
of cotton fibres.

Objective:
To find the Presley length and strength index of cotton
fibres.

Apparatus and materials:

 Tensile testing machine
 Labatory balance
 Clamp vise
 Fibre clamps
 Clamp wrench or torque wrench
 Coarse comb
 Fine comb
 Shearing comb
 Fibre clips

Preparation of specimen:
 1. From a conditioned labatory sample, pull small tuft (pinches) of
cotton fibre to make the test speciemen (flat bundles).
2. Prepare small tufts of the fibres by taking two small pinches at
random from the unblended labatory sample and placing them one
on the top of other near their mid-points. Hold the tuft between
thumb and forefinger and comb with a coarse comb to remove
foreign matter and short fibres. When one end of the tuft fibre are
combed, reverse the tufts and comb the other end, taking care that
the fibres in the middle portion of the tuft are well-combed.
Approximately 10 strokes are necessary for combing each end of
the tuft. Prepare two of six tufts, each weighting 60 to 80mg, from
each sample to be tested.

Procedure:
Placing the specimen in the clamps:
1. Lock the fibre clamps in the vise, and then open the clamps.
2. Hold both ends of the specimen, keep it approximately ¼ inch
(6mm) wide and place it center of open clamps.
3. Apply the sufficient tension to hold fibres straight while the jaws
of clamps are lowered and tightened in the applying torque. The
torque is controlled by clamp vise or by a torque wrench.
4. Remove the fibre clamps from the vise.
5. Shear off protruding ends of specimen with the shear knife,
shearing downward and away from leather face of the clamps.
Operation of Tensile Testing Machine:
1. Insert the prepared clamps in the tensile testing machine and
release the locking or trigger mechanism to break the test
specimen.
2. After the specimen has broken, record the breaking force
3. Remove the clamps from instrument, check to see that all the
fibres are broken
4. If the fibres are not all broken or if the fibres are broken
irregularly, discard the specimen and make new test
5. If the break is acceptable, open the clamps, collect the broken
fibres with tweezer and weight them in mg
6. Calculate Presley index by dividing breaking strength in lbs. of
fibres, as read from tester, by the weight of broken fibres in mg

Calculations:
STRENGHT= 16.9lb.
WEIGHT=4mg
16.9/4 = 4.225 (PRRESLY INDEX)
The breaking strength of cotton fibres = 14.9/4.22
= 3.5 (Presley breaking strength)
Results:
Hence, the Presley strength and length index is determined from
Presley apparatus.