Effect of silicone based softener on fabric handle properties made by ring, rotor and MVS yarns

Purpose The purpose of this study was to produce yarns from three different spinning techniques, i.e.Murata Vortex Spinning (MVS) ring spinning and rotor spinning. Those yarns were then used to produce fabrics. Then, the effect of silicone softener on tactile comfort of fabric was investigated. Design/methodology/approach Three different yarns, i.e. Ring, Rotor and MVS yarns, were used to make fabrics using CCI sample loom which were then subjected to post treatments like desizing, scouring and bleaching. After the completion of the dyeing process, silicone-based softener was used to improve the hand feel of fabrics. The structures of three yarns were evaluated using Scanning electron microscopy. The fabrics were evaluated against compression, bending and surface properties using Kawabata evaluation system. Findings The fabric made of MVS yarn depicted more geometrical roughness, coefficient of friction and bending rigidity but less compressibility as compared to fabrics made with other yarns. It was observed that softener concentration has a direct relationship with thickness and bending rigidity of the fabric, and inverse relationship with coefficient of friction and geometrical roughness of the fabric. Originality/value MVS yarn has some superior properties over rotor and ring spun yarn like high production rates, high resistance to pilling, clear appearance and stability against deformation but has disadvantage that it has less compressibility. Therefore, softener is applied on the fabric, to address this issue, so that it could also be used for apparels application.

Tactile evaluation of down jacket fabric by the comprehensive handle evaluation system for fabrics and yarns

Down jacket fabric is greatly important in determining the quality of a down jacket. In order to enrich the research on fabric handle, subjective and objective evaluations were made for down jacket fabrics that were less studied. The comprehensive handle evaluation system for fabrics and yarns (CHES-FY) can be used to evaluate the tactile handle of the fabric by accurately and efficiently measuring the basic mechanical properties of the fabric. Therefore, the CHES-FY was used to link the objective evaluation with the subjective handle, so as to effectively estimate the total handle value of the down jacket fabric. Fifty-two kinds of down jacket fabrics were objectively tested through measuring 17 extracted parameters, and principal component analysis was adopted to establish the five main handle characteristics of fullness, softness, stiffness, smoothness, looseness and tightness to characterize basic style of the down jacket fabrics. The results showed that the subjective and objective results were in good agreement. These characteristics can be used as indicators to characterize fabric performance, and the principal component expression to characterize fabric handle can better predict the handle characteristics of down jacket fabrics. This also proves that the CHES-FY can quickly and accurately obtain the fabric handle value, and can also evaluate the fabric quality level.

Evaluation of Quality and Assurance Parameters of Mulberry Silk Waste and Viscose Blended Knitted Fabrics by Using ‘Fabric Assurance by Simple Testing’ (FAST) Technique

Fabric handle is one of the influential properties for any fabric and is a guiding factor for optimum selection of textile materials for specific end uses. The paper deals with objective analysis of knitted fabrics for fabric hand. Present attempt was made on four knitted fabrics, blended in proportions of 50% mulberry silk: 50% viscose and 40% mulberry silk: 60% viscose, each in two different counts. Fabric Assurance by Simple Testing (FAST) was utilized for determination of properties which is precisely associated with apparel construction and its lastingness. Fabric samples were subjected to tests for obtainment of dimensional stability, formability, low load extensibility, bending rigidity, compression and shear rigidity. Knitted fabric blended in proportion of 50% mulberry silk: 50% viscose in 20 Nm count was found to be most feasible to large scale production and garment construction.

A comprehensive approach for human hand evaluation of split or large set of fabrics

Assessment of fabric handle relies on the feel of humans. The precision of the results greatly depends on the size of the fabric sets. The precision decreases with increasing number of samples as a consequence of assessors' fatigue and loss of concentration. Given the importance of handle assessment and in the absence of guidelines that assist assessment of large sample sets, this study proposes a comprehensive approach for testing large sets of fabrics by dividing them into several testing sessions, each of 10 samples at most. In the proposed way, tests can also be split over different panels, even at different locations, provided the panel accuracy is verified beforehand. The method to select the panel members, link the results obtained in different sessions and normalize the data are discussed in this paper. The proposed method was tested on 13 fabrics. Three fabric sensorial attributes (i.e. smoothness, softness and warmth) were assessed in two sessions by a panel consisting of 28 blindfolded members or assessors. Good agreement was found between the panel members for fabric smoothness and softness but the warmth of the fabrics was judged differently as shown by high disagreements between panel members. No significant origin-, gender- or age-based differences on the judgements were found. The findings of this test study are in agreement with previous studies where well-established assessment methods (i.e. instrumental methods or human panels on a smaller dataset) were applied and suggest that the proposed method can be successfully applied to assess large sets of fabrics.

Measurement of fabric handle characteristics based on the Quick-Intelligent Handle Evaluation System for Fabrics (QIHES-F)

A quick-intelligent handle evaluation system for fabrics (QIHES-F) was developed to evaluate tactile perceptions of fabric by measuring thickness and multiple mechanical properties of fabrics via a single testing process. The main aim dealt with in this study was to establish optimal and suitable regression models by a stepwise regression method based on the QIHES-F and human sensations of fabrics, thereby estimating total handle values effectively. Subjective evaluation by American Association of Textile Chemists and Colorists EP5-2007 and objective tests by QIHES-F of a wide range of 50 fabrics were conducted, to predict fabric handle from four primary handle characteristics and total handle values. Five prediction models corresponding to the fullness, stiffness, roughness, tightness and total handle of fabrics were built based on featured indexes to analyze the relationship between the subjective handle and experimental curve parameters. The indexes were featured from the force-displacement curves of QIHES-F. The results show that these featured indexes can be treated as indicators to characterize fabric properties, and that the five corresponding prediction models can predict handle characteristics of fabrics reliably, as the Pearson’s coefficients and adjusted coefficients are high. They indicate that QIHES-F can directly and accurately obtain fabric handle values and can evaluate the grades of fabric quality.

Structure/Function Analysis of Nonwoven Cotton Topsheet Fabrics: Multi-Fiber Blending Effects on Fluid Handling and Fabric Handle Mechanics

Greige cotton (GC) has attracted interest in recent years as an eco-friendly, functional fiber for use in nonwoven topsheet materials. GC imparts favorable fluid management and sensorial properties associated with urinary liquid transport and indices related to comfort in wearable incontinence nonwovens. Nonwoven GC has material surface polarity, an ambient moisture content, and a lipid/polysaccharide matrix that imparts positive fluid mechanic properties applicable to incontinence management topsheet materials. However, a better understanding of the connection between functionality and compositional aspects of molecular, mechanical, and material property relations is still required to employ structure/function relations beyond a priori design. Thus, this study focuses on the relation of key indices of material fluid and sensorial functions to nonwoven topsheet composition. Greige cotton, polypropylene, bleached cotton, and polyester fiber blends were hydroentangled at 60, 80, and 100 bar. Greige cotton polypropylene and bleached cotton were blended at ratios to balance surface polarity, whereas low percentages of polyester were added to confer whiteness properties. Electrokinetic and contact angle measurements were obtained for the hydroentangled nonwovens to assess surface polarity in light of material composition. Notably, materials demonstrated a relation of hydrophobicity to swelling as determined electrokinetically by Δζ, ζplateau, and contact angles greater than 90°. Subsequently, three blended nonwoven fabrics were selected to assess effects on fluid management properties including topsheet performance indices of rewet, strikethrough, and fluid handling (rate and efficiency of transport to the absorbent core). These materials aligned well with commercial topsheet fluid mechanics. Using the Leeds University Fabric Handle Evaluation System (LUFHES), the nonwovens were tested for total fabric hand. The results of the LUFHES measurements are discussed in light of fiber contributions. Fiber ratios were found to correlate well with improvement in softness, flexibility, and formability. This study provides insights that improves the understanding of the multifunctional properties accessible with greige cotton toward decisions valuable to selecting greige cotton as an environmentally friendly fiber for nonwoven topsheets.