Wear Testing Results

Value Reflection of Supima® Cotton in Critical Consumer Products

By Dr. Yehia Elmogahzy, Professor of Fiber and Polymer Engineering, Auburn University

Summary Presentation Submitted To Supima® February 2009

Summary Points of Findings

Bed Sheets

• Supima® cotton bed sheets have passed the accelerated extreme durability tests with superior performance to bed sheets made from other fiber types.
• Under tension, Supima® cotton bed sheets were able to withstand up to 10 pounds per inch more than its close competitor, the Egyptian cotton bed sheets, and up to 50 pounds per inch more than bed sheets made from regular or specially blended cottons.
• Under tear, Supima® cotton bed sheets were able to withstand up to 2 pounds more than the Egyptian cotton bed sheets and up to 3 pounds more than bed sheets made from regular or specially blended cottons.
• Under Flex Abrasion, Supima® cotton bed sheets were able to withstand up to 200 abrasion cycles more than the Egyptian cotton bed sheets and up to 400 abrasion cycles more than bed sheets made from regular or specially blended cottons.
• Under Taber Abrasion, Supima® cotton bed sheets were able to withstand up to 100 abrasion cycles more than the Egyptian cotton bed sheets and up to 200 abrasion cycles more than bed sheets made from regular or specially blended cottons.
• Upon washing and drying, bed sheets made of Supima® cotton have survived the 50 washing/drying cycles with a combined superiority rate of 18% compared to bed sheets made from Egyptian cotton and 38% compared to bed sheets made from Regular cotton

Knit Sheets

• Supima® cotton knit sheets provides a range of 25% to 50% advantage in pilling resistance in comparison with regular-cotton knit sheets.
• Supima® cotton knit sheets provides a range of 20% to 42% advantage in bursting strength in comparison with regular-cotton knit sheets
• Upon washing and drying of 50 cycles, Supima® cotton knit sheets suffered the least thickness change and the best dimensional stability while regular-cotton knit sheets suffered substantial shrinkage.
• Upon washing and drying of 50 cycles, Supima® cotton knit sheets maintained an excellent pilling performance while regular-cotton knit sheets suffered substantial pilling.

Towels

• Supima® cotton towels exhibit minimum lint loss upon washing compared to comparable regular cotton towels
• Even at Higher Pile Density, Supima® cotton towels exhibit minimum lint loss upon washing and drying
• Regular cotton towels initially absorb more water (25% absorption rate) than Supima® cotton towels (20%). This is largely expected on the ground of better fiber compactness in the yarn structure for towels made from Supima® cotton, which is of great merits for durability purposes.
• Regular cotton towels initially dried much slower than Supima® cotton towels. Indeed, the dryness rate of Supima® cotton towel was from 33% to 65% better than regular cotton towels.
• When Supima® cotton towels of different pile density were compared, it was found that in general the higher the pile density the higher the absorption rate and dryness rate as well.
• Supima® cotton towels had a compression index of 33% compared to 21% and 24% of the regular cotton towels. Given the fact that Supima® cotton fibers are more flexible under tension and under bending to regular cotton fibers, one would expect a recovery from compression for Supima® cotton towels at a higher rate than regular cotton towels indicating superior softness
• Supima® cotton towels of different pile density: As expected, the higher the pile density, the lower the compressibility. But Supima® cotton towels maintained a compressibility index of above 24% or more.
• Superior pilling resistance of Supima® cotton towels which is commonly known in the market place

Copyright 2009 Supima

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