KHULNA UNIVERSITY OF ENGINEERING AND TECHNOLOGY

DEPARTMENT OF TEXTILE ENGINEERING

Course code : TE 4113

Assignment no. : 01
Assignment title : Carpet Testing

Submitted to Submitted by
Alberuni Aziz Taki Md Tajoar Genius
Assistant Professor Roll: 2021032
Department of Textile Engineering Department of Textile Engineering
KUET, Khulna-9203, Bangladesh KUET, Khulna-9203, Bangladesh

Date of submission: 09/10/2025

 Carpet Testing
A carpet is a type of textile floor covering that usually has a backing and an upper
layer of pile. Wool was historically used to make the pile, but during the 20th
century, synthetic fibers like polyester, nylon, and polypropylene have been used
more frequently because they are less expensive than wool. Typically, the pile is
made up of twisted tufts that have been heat-treated to preserve their structure.
Although the terms "carpet" and "rug" are frequently used interchangeably, rugs are
typically thought of as being smaller than a room and not fixed to the ground.

Carpet testing involves a range of scientific tests performed in laboratories to assess a

carpet's quality, durability, safety, and performance characteristics, ensuring it meets
national and international standards for consumer satisfaction and safety. Key tests
include carpet thickness test, carpet compression test, carpet durability test.

Carpet testing involves a comprehensive range of standardized scientific and

mechanical evaluations conducted in textile and material testing laboratories. The
primary purpose of these tests is to determine a carpet’s quality, durability, safety,
comfort, and overall performance characteristics, ensuring that it complies with both
national and international standards such as ISO, ASTM, or EN guidelines. These
evaluations are critical for consumer satisfaction, product certification, and
regulatory approval in domestic and international markets.

Importance of Carpet Testing:

• Consumer Safety: Confirms carpets meet safety standards, such as flame

retardancy requirements.
• Durability: Evaluates how well a carpet will withstand wear and tear from
foot traffic, furniture, and general use.
• Performance: Determines if the carpet performs as expected in terms of
appearance retention, stain resistance, and other aesthetic properties.
• Quality Assurance: Verifies that carpets comply with industry and
governmental standards, ensuring a product is reliable and meets
specifications.
• Environmental Compliance: Ensures carpets meet eco-friendly standards by
testing for emissions of volatile organic compounds (VOCs), recyclability, and
sustainable material usage, which is increasingly required in green building
certifications (e.g., LEED, BREEAM).
• Dimensional Stability: Assesses the carpet’s resistance to shrinkage,
stretching, and distortion under varying temperature, humidity, and usage
conditions, ensuring long-term fit and structural integrity after installation.
 Carpet Thickness Test by Using The Shirley Thickness Tester

Introduction: Thickness is an important property of a fabric that determines its

warmth, weight, and stiffness. Thickness measurements are very sensitive to the
pressure and sample size used in the measurement. This experiment we will
determine thickness of carpet. Usually carpet is used as a floor cover. It consists of an
upper layer of pile attached to a baking. The pile is made from wool.

Due to the scarcity of wool fiber, now-a-day, polypropylene, nylon or polyester fiber
is used to make ply. Another cause behind the uses of synthetic fiber is, synthetic
fiber is less expensive than wool. Carpet used not only for floor covering but also it is
used in variety purpose. Such as: insulating a person’s feet from a cold tiles or
concrete floor, making a room more comfortable as a place to sit on the floor,
reducing sound from walking and adding decoration or color to a room.

Objectives:
1. To know about carpet fabric.
2. Come to learn how to measures thickness of carpet.
3. To know about Shirley thickness tester.
4. To know working principle of Shirley thickness tester.
5. Come to learn how to calculate the recovery percentage.

Apparatus:
1. Shirley Thickness Tester.
2. Carpet as specimen.
3. Scissor
4. Scale.
5. Calculator.

Working Procedure: Figure 1 Shirley Thickness Tester.

1. At first, cut the specimen with scissor.
2. Then the prepared specimen is placed between anvil (E) and circular pressure
foot (D). The specimen is kept under constant circular pressure. Need to be
careful placing the specimen on the pressure foot. The specimen should not
have any wrinkles in it.
3. Now the specified pressure is applied on the circular pressure foot by the
pressure release lever.
4. A standard pressure of 90 grams per square centimeter is applied to the
specimen.
5. When the circular pressure foot presses the specimen, the thickness of the
fabric is measured with the help of a micrometer mounted in the tester.

Precautions:
1. Specimens should be prepared accurately. The specimen’s size should be
maintained according to recommended standards.
 2. Pressure should be selected according to recommended standards.
3. Release the pressure lever gently.
4. It is very important to read the results carefully.
5. Leveling should be done correctly.

Conclusion:
The Shirley Thickness Tester helps us to measure the thickness of the carpet
specimen properly.
 Carpet Compression Test using Universal Testing Machine (UTM)

Introduction: The compression behavior of textile floor coverings, particularly

carpets, is an important property for evaluating their comfort, durability, and
performance under load. Carpets are subjected to repeated compressive stresses
during use, such as from walking, furniture, or equipment. The Universal Testing
Machine (UTM) allows controlled application of compressive force to determine the
carpet’s deformation, thickness loss, and recovery properties. This test helps assess
the suitability of carpets for domestic or commercial applications.

Objectives:
1. To measure the compressive deformation of a carpet specimen under
controlled loading conditions.
2. To evaluate the recovery behavior of the carpet after removal of compressive
load.
3. To assess the carpet’s resilience and suitability for practical end-use
conditions.

Apparatus:
1. Universal Testing Machine (UTM)
2. Carpet specimens
3. Measuring tools
4. Stopwatch

Working Procedure:
1. Prepare carpet specimens of the required dimensions
(usually square or circular pieces).
2. Measure and record the initial thickness of the Figure 2 Universal Testing Machine

carpet specimen at multiple points.

3. Place the specimen on the lower platen of the UTM.
4. Apply a gradual compressive load (as per standard, e.g., 50 N or 100 N) using
the upper platen of the UTM.
5. Record the compressed thickness of the carpet under load.
6. Remove the load carefully and allow the specimen to recover.
7. Measure the recovered thickness after a specified recovery period (e.g., 1
minute, 5 minutes).
8. Repeat the test for multiple samples to ensure accuracy.

Precautions:
1. Ensure carpet specimens are cut accurately and without damage.
2. Keep the UTM properly calibrated before performing the test.
3. Apply load gradually to avoid sudden deformation or slipping of the specimen.
4. Take multiple thickness readings for accuracy.
5. Avoid external disturbances (vibration, misalignment) during the test.
Conclusion:
The carpet compression test using a UTM provides valuable information on
the compressive deformation and resilience of carpet materials. A carpet with
higher recovery percentage is more suitable for heavy traffic areas, while lower
recovery indicates reduced durability under prolonged use. The results help in
selecting carpets according to end-use requirements such as domestic,
commercial, or industrial applications.
 Carpet Durability Test Using Martindale Abrasion Tester

Introduction:
Durability is a key performance parameter for floor coverings such as carpets, as they
are subjected to continuous foot traffic and surface wear. The Martindale Abrasion
Tester is a widely accepted instrument used to evaluate the abrasion resistance of
textiles and carpets. The test simulates normal wear conditions by rubbing the sample
against a standard abrasive medium under defined load and motion until deterioration
is observed. The results provide valuable information on the carpet’s ability to
withstand wear and its expected service life.
Objective:
1. To determine the abrasion resistance and durability of a carpet sample using
the Martindale Abrasion Tester.
2. To analyze the carpet’s performance under controlled abrasion cycles.
3. To compare the observed resistance with standard requirements for quality
evaluation.
Apparatus:
1. Martindale Abrasion Tester
2. Carpet specimens
3. Abradant material
4. Weights/Loading device
5. Cutting template
6. Magnifying glass
7. Scissors/Cutter Figure 3 Martindale Abrasion Tester

Working procedure:

1. Cut the carpet into circular specimens of the specified size (usually 38 mm
diameter).
2. Condition the specimens under standard testing atmosphere (20 ± 2°C, 65 ±
4% RH) for at least 24 hours.
3. Place the test specimen into the sample holder of the Martindale tester.
4. Fix the abradant material (standard wool or sandpaper) onto the abrading table.
5. Attach the required weights to apply the specified load (commonly 9 kPa or 12
kPa depending on test standard).
6. Start the machine; the sample undergoes a Lissajous motion, rubbing against
the abradant.
7. Set the tester to run for a predetermined number of cycles (e.g., 5,000; 10,000;
or more).
 8. Stop the tester at intervals (as per standard) to check for wear, loss of pile, hole
formation, or other visible changes.
9. Record the number of cycles at which noticeable damage or end-point failure
occurs.
10.Note down the abrasion cycles endured by the carpet specimen before failure.
11.Compare the result with standard requirements for durability classification.

Precautions:
1. Ensure carpet specimens are cut cleanly and uniformly without damaging the
pile.
2. Condition the samples properly before testing to avoid moisture-related
variations.
3. Check and replace the abradant fabric or sandpaper regularly to maintain
accuracy.
4. Calibrate the Martindale tester before use.
5. Avoid touching the abradant surface with oily hands to prevent contamination.
6. Stop the machine immediately if the specimen is displaced during testing.
Conclusion:
The Martindale Abrasion Test provides a reliable method for evaluating the wear
resistance of carpets. By simulating real-life abrasion conditions, the test helps
determine the durability and expected performance of the carpet under prolonged use.
The obtained results can be compared with standard specifications to assess whether
the carpet meets the required quality standards for commercial or domestic
applications.