International Journal for Research in Applied Science & Engineering Technology (IJRASET) ISSN: 2321-9653; IC Value: 45.98; SJ Impact Factor: 7.429 Volume 9 Issue I Jan 2021- Available at www.ijraset.com II. METHODOLOGY A. Procedure Three selected natural fibres, i.e., cotton, wool and silk were selected for the study due to their presence in museum collection in large volumes. The fabrics made of these selected fibres for the experiments was developed at the Weavers Service Centre, Bangalore, India. The experiment was designed to test the degree of change in strength and performance parameters of fabrics before and after simulated ageing. Therefore, experimental fabric samples were tested for selected strength and performance parameters before and after ageing. Standardised accelerated ageing procedure was followed to simulate the museum textiles that are very old, made of different weaves and are kept in either storage or displayed in museums. Accelerated ageing conditions were kept constant for all the three fabrics (process elaborated in section D). Thus, quantitative data established by standardised procedures was obtained on the extent of change each fibre undergoes after degeneration due to ageing. B. Sample Selection As per the information collected in the pilot phase of research, cotton and silk samples were developed in plain weave and wool samples were selected from twill weave. It is worthwhile mentioning here that pilot phase of this study was conducted in 14 museums spread across India, Australia & USA. During the pilot phase, conservators and curators of the selected museums were interviewed with the help of an open-ended questionnaire. The responses provided by these experts formed the basis of various constants and variables selected for this research. The specifications of fabric samples are as in Table 1.
S. No
Table 1: Fabic Specifications Fibre Color Weave GSM
1.
Cotton
White
Plain
80X70
2.
Wool
Off-White
Twill
55X54
3.
Silk
White
Plain
120X95
C. Testing Parameters For quantitative evaluation, specific strength and performance properties were selected to indicate level of deterioration after accelerated ageing. Further Standard Deviation (SD) and Coefficient of Variation (CV%) values were calculated for readings obtained so that accuracy of the experiments could be established. The three selected fibres were tested and compared for following parameters: 1) Fabric Weight: Grams per Square Meter (GSM) of the fabric samples is calculated for determining the mass of fabrics before and after accelerated ageing. Five samples of each fabric type were weighed for the purpose to get average value. Standard Deviation (SD) values and Coefficient of Variation (CV%) was also derived for the purpose of statistical analysis. Change in GSM of fabrics indicated the extent and direction of alteration in fabric character. 2) Tensile Strength: Change in tensile strength is the foremost indicator of modification in fabric strength and therefore longevity. To test the tensile Strength of fabric before and after ageing, Grab Test- ASTM D 5034-09 was used. Values for the breaking force and the elongation of the test specimen were obtained. From each laboratory sample, specimens from the warp direction and filling direction were taken as per the procedure prescribed in the standardised test. Also, SD and CV% was duly calculated for statistical analysis. 3) Abrasion Resistance: Museum properties are displayed and stored in a manner that artefacts face minimum abrasion, some amount of it is inevitable. Thus, propensity to surface damage due to abrasion is an important determinant of how much a fabric can be handled for cleaning, storage, display and even research purposes. Usually the surface wear-off due to abrasion happens because of loss of fiber matter from the surface of the fabric. Thus, a weakened fabric would result in loosened yarns and fragmented polymer chains lying on the surface of the fiber, which would readily erode on incidence of abrasion, further weakening the fabric.
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