ASTM D4970 Test Method for Fabric Pilling ResistanceNov 25, 2025
ASTM D4970 Test Method for Fabric Pilling Resistance
Pilling is the little bits of fiber that gather together like a ball on top of your fabric, which affect appearance of the textile products. Pilling is fibre entanglement creating little balls of the fibres and has nothing to do with abrasion where fabric gets worn down. Pilling is caused by friction during wear, laundering and the characteristics of fabric itself. For example, taking clothes inside-out before washing can prevent some pilling. Pilling can sometimes be maintained or removed with a shaver while abrasion causes permanent harm (holes and tears).
Genenrally, synthetics tend to pill more than natural fibers because their longer length and greater durability cause easy form of pills; on the other hand they are also less prone to be pulled out of shape.STM D4970 is an well-accepted standard for measuring the pilling resistance of textile fabrics using Martindale machine.
Overview of ASTM D4970
This test method covers the determination of the resis-tance to the formation of pills and other related surface changeson textile fabrics using the Martindale tester.The proceduregenerally is applicable to all types of fabrics, being particularlysuitable for woven fabrics. NoTE l—For other methods,if testing the pilling resistance of textilos,refer to Test Mcthods D 3511.D 3512,and D 3514.
This test method is not suitable for fabrics thicker than3 mm (0.125 in.) because such fabrics cannot be mounted inthe specimen holder.
The fabric may be laundlered or dry cleaned beforetesting.
The walues stated in SI units are to be regarded as thestandard. The values given in parentheses are provided forinformation only.
Thris stcariderd does not purport to address all of thesafery concers,if avry, associated with its use. Ir is rheresponsibilisy of rhe uaser of this standard ro estcblish appro-priate safery and health practices and deternie the applica-biliry of vegulatory liirations prior to use.
About Martindale Pilling Tester
The martindale pilling tester is used to determine the pilling resistance of all kinds of textile structures.
The upgraded Martindale abrasion and pilling tester features several improvements. It is driven by a dual servo system, which enhances its performance and accuracy. The tester generates a standard Lissajous figure motion trajectory.
Test Procedure 1 All tests shall be conducted under standard environmental conditions. 2 Place a standard 140mm diameter wool felt disc and a fabric test specimen onto each operating platform. Position a circular foam disc measuring 38mm in diameter and 3mm in thickness, along with a specimen of identical dimensions, within the specimen holder, ensuring both specimens face outward. 3. Position the specimen holders on platforms containing identical fabric samples. Insert rods into each specimen holder to apply 3 kPa pressure to the 140 mm diameter specimens. This pressure is consistent with other tests and requires no additional weights. 4. Activate the instrument and allow it to complete 100 revolutions.
Rating 1 Position the 38mm diameter circular specimen squarely onto double-sided adhesive tape within the rating box. 2 Employing appropriate rating conditions, suitable standard fabrics or reference photographs, assess the grade of each specimen's front surface. Evaluate the specimen's grade by viewing it at a 45° downward angle. Use two standard grades or cards to assess the appearance of the test specimen. Where the appearance falls between two standard grades, an intermediate grade may be assigned, e.g. 3.5 or 2.5. Grade 5: No pilling. Grade 4: Slight Grade 3: Moderate Grade 2: Severe Grade 1: Very severe
italiano 
