This study examines fiber shedding from polyester and polyester–cotton blend textiles during tumble drying in a domestic heat pump dryer, focusing on the effects of drum speed, load mass, and load composition. Standardized textiles and mixed consumer items (3 kg and 5 kg loads) were dried in a modified dryer with an external high-efficiency filtration system that enabled time-resolved gravimetric measurement of released fibers. Shedding was driven by mechanical stresses from textile motion and interactions, which depended strongly on drum speed and load characteristics. The greatest fiber release occurred at the nominal 58 rpm, associated with the cataracting regime. Lower speeds (10–30 rpm) reduced shedding but increased drying time, while a higher speed (70 rpm) combined with frequent textile redistribution produced the lowest shedding with little effect on drying duration. Load mass effects differed by load type: standardized 5 kg loads shed more than 3 kg loads, whereas the mixed consumer loads showed an opposite trend, which is interpreted as a load-composition effect rather than a direct mass effect. Overall, the results show a complex coupling between drum dynamics and textile interactions and indicate that adaptive drying strategies can reduce fiber release during tumble drying without compromising drying performance.
Novak et al. (Wed,) studied this question.