Evaluation of Floorcovering Abrasion Resistance by Means of Image Processing Technique

An important factor in material quality is the time duration that materials are used (known as substance lifetime). Lifetime is a function of several factors, and among them wearing and abrasion resistances are more important than the other aspects. In addition, to the physical and mechanical properties, abrasion has a significant effect on the textiles appearance. This phenomenon considerably influences the texture of floor coverings in which continuous abrasion are applied. While the texture retention of the floorcovering during lifetime usage is quite desirable and leads to consumer satisfaction, it is necessary to evaluate the abrasion resistance of floor covering before its application. In this paper, the abrasion resistance for three types of floorcoverings (100% polypropylene(pp), 100% polyester(p) and 50/50% polypropylene-polyester(pp/p)) are tested with four kinds of steel abrasives with different coefficients of friction during three steps of abrasion cycles (1000,3000 and 5000). Their images were assessed by image processing method with two different functions. The results approved the procedure of the abrasion during 5000 cycles in the experimental condition. Weight changes of the floor-covering samples were evaluated as an index to illustrate the abrasion process.