Content uploaded by Zulfiqar Ali Malik
Author content
All content in this area was uploaded by Zulfiqar Ali Malik on May 29, 2019
Content may be subject to copyright.
International Journal of Clothing Science and Technology
The mechanical and comfort properties of cotton and regenerated fibers blended
woven fabrics
Wasif Latif, Abdul Basit, Zulfiqar Ali, Sajjad Ahmad Baig,
Article information:
To cite this document:
Wasif Latif, Abdul Basit, Zulfiqar Ali, Sajjad Ahmad Baig, (2018) "The mechanical and comfort
properties of cotton and regenerated fibers blended woven fabrics", International Journal of Clothing
Science and Technology, https://doi.org/10.1108/IJCST-07-2017-0101
Permanent link to this document:
https://doi.org/10.1108/IJCST-07-2017-0101
Downloaded on: 21 March 2018, At: 06:23 (PT)
References: this document contains references to 18 other documents.
To copy this document: permissions@emeraldinsight.com
The fulltext of this document has been downloaded 5 times since 2018*
Access to this document was granted through an Emerald subscription provided by emerald-
srm:123756 []
For Authors
If you would like to write for this, or any other Emerald publication, then please use our Emerald
for Authors service information about how to choose which publication to write for and submission
guidelines are available for all. Please visit www.emeraldinsight.com/authors for more information.
About Emerald www.emeraldinsight.com
Emerald is a global publisher linking research and practice to the benefit of society. The company
manages a portfolio of more than 290 journals and over 2,350 books and book series volumes, as
well as providing an extensive range of online products and additional customer resources and
services.
Emerald is both COUNTER 4 and TRANSFER compliant. The organization is a partner of the
Committee on Publication Ethics (COPE) and also works with Portico and the LOCKSS initiative for
digital archive preservation.
*Related content and download information correct at time of download.
Downloaded by Kent State University At 06:23 21 March 2018 (PT)
The mechanical and comfort
properties of cotton and
regenerated fibers blended
woven fabrics
Wasif Latif, Abdul Basit, Zulfiqar Ali and Sajjad Ahmad Baig
Department of Yarn Manufacturing, National Textile University,
Faisalabad, Pakistan, and
Department of Management Sciences, National Textile University,
Faisalabad, Pakistan
Abstract
Purpose –The purpose of this paper is to study the 100 percent pure cotton and 50:50 cotton and
regenerated fibers (tencel, modal, bamboo, viscose) blends. The blends of regenerated fibers with cotton are
studied so as to replace 100 percent cotton fabrics with the cotton blends as cotton cannot fulfill the demand of
clothing due to the increasing population.
Design/methodology/approach –In order to conduct this study, cotton, as natural cellulose fiber,
was used. Regenerated fibers include viscose, tencel, modal and bamboo. Five yarn samples of Ne 30/1 of
100 percent cotton and blends (50:50) of cotton with tencel, modal, bamboo and viscose fibers were produced.
The blending was done in the Blow-room, and yarn samples were produced by employing the ring spinning
technique. Plain woven fabrics samples with Ends (76) and Picks (68) per inch of 120 gsm were prepared.
The fabric samples were tested for mechanical (warp and weft tensile and tear strengths) and comfort
properties (air permeability, moisture management and thermal resistance).
Findings –Cotton:tencel fabric has the excellent mechanical (tensile and tear strength) as well as comfort
properties (air permeability, moisture management and thermal resistance). It means that the most suitable
blend that cotton can make with the regenerated fibers is the tencel. Therefore, to have more comfortable
fabrics, the fabrics which are being made by 100 percent cotton can be replaced with the cotton:tencel.
Originality/value –To the authors’information, no study has been reported in which all the regenerated
fibers blended with cotton were studied. Hence, the aim of this work is to study the mechanical and comfort
properties of the regenerated fibers (modal, tencel, viscose and bamboo) blended with cotton. The blends of
cotton with regenerated fibers might replace 100 percent cotton in clothing applications as cotton cannot
fulfill the increasing demanding of clothing.
Keywords Mechanical properties, Cotton, Comfort properties, Woven fabrics, Regenerated fibres
Paper type Research paper
1. Introduction
Cotton fabric is common in our lives, occurring in everything from domestic –t-shirts to
towels –to commercial and industrial applications. So, this crop has a gigantic load
to fulfill the increasing demand of the world. Denim industry is a big industry that relies
on cotton. On the other hand, unfortunately, conventional cotton is a notoriously “dirty”
crop containing lot of dust even after so much processing steps. Furthermore, only
2.5 percent of the world’s cultivated land is cotton which is not sufficient for growing
needs of drastically increasing world population. In addition, the increasing demand of
cotton gave rise to the use of herbicidal and pesticidal treatments with pesticidal
treatment covering 16 percent usage for a single major crop to nurture it in bulk quantity
with less damages but it is being paid at the cost of human health like risks of asthma skin
allergies and even cancers (Grose, 2009).
The growth of organic cotton has been encouraged for last few years which do not
require any treatment of pesticides. These organic farming methods use natural fertilizers,
like compost and animal manure, that recycle the nitrogen already in the soil rather
International Journal of Clothing
Science and Technology
© Emerald Publishing Limited
0955-6222
DOI 10.1108/IJCST-07-2017-0101
Received 19 July 2017
Revised 23 October 2017
Accepted 5 December 2017
The current issue and full text archive of this journal is available on Emerald Insight at:
www.emeraldinsight.com/0955-6222.htm
Mechanical
and comfort
properties
of cotton
Downloaded by Kent State University At 06:23 21 March 2018 (PT)
than adding more, which reduces both pollution and N
2
O emissions (Kramer et al., 2006).
The growth of organic cotton is limited to cope with the needs of the industry.
Cellulosic regenerated fibers have come a long way in this respect which serves as
environment-friendly fibers as they come from nature and go back to nature. They serve as
highly comfortable and breathable fibers and possess cotton-like properties, and thus can
serve as a better substitute to cotton (Kayseri et al., 2010).
Climate change is a dynamic process that is affecting global temperatures and carbon
dioxide levels in the atmosphere. Afterwards, solar radiations quality and heat stress have
become a main concern for researchers and producers. Cotton has been found more
susceptible during the reproductive state. High temperatures induce negative effects on
physiology, lowering photosynthetic activity. CO
2
might seem to have benefits for cotton
currently but, in long run, it may not be desirable as increased CO
2
content has been found to
increase pests which means more Potassium fertilizers and increased vegetative growth. Dry
land cotton is more susceptible in comparison to the irrigated one (Ton, 2011).
Due to the growing population, demand for the textile products and therefore textile raw
material has been gradually increasing. Due to the deficiency of natural fibers, the cellulosic
regenerated fibers were developed. Viscose fibers were developed more than 100 years ago.
The use of high tenacity viscose and modal fibers shows that these cellulosic regenerated fibers
have not only come a long way but are also well-established nowadays. New regenerated
cellulosic fibers, i.e. tencel fibers, have been produced with a more environment-friendly procedure
from a solution of non-derivative cellulose in a solvent spinning process. These types of cellulosic
man-made fibers enable the textile industry to expand its already wide range of applications into
functionality (Kayseri et al., 2010; Leading Fiber Innovation, 2016; Erdumlu and Ozipek, 2008).
Some studies have been carried out to study different properties of fabrics prepared by
regenerated fibers. Dimensional properties of viscose, modal and lyocell single jersey
knitted fabrics (made from staple spun yarns of Nec 40) were conducted with three levels
of loop length under dry wet and fully relaxation conditions. The course and wale spacing
values of lyocell were found lower than viscose and modal-knitted fabrics. Lyocell showed
high areal density with decreasing loop length. The fabrics made from lyocell showed
high bursting strength and lower spirality as compared to viscose and modal fabrics due
to structural characteristics of lyocell fibers (Sakthivel and Anbumani, 2012). Another
study revealed the comparison of physical properties (strength and tenacity) of the
bamboo/cotton blended yarn with similar 100 percent cotton yarn. It was found that for
each count of yarns, it showed a decreasing property with the increase of bamboo in the
blend. The quality characteristics depended upon the ratio of bamboo and cotton in
the blend (Prakash et al., 2011). Physical properties of plain-knitted fabrics made from
50/50 bamboo/cotton blended yarns were investigated by Demiroz Gun et al. (2008).
The results showed that the weight, thickness and air permeability values are
independent of the fiber type. Plain-knitted fabrics from modal/cotton blended yarns have
the highest bursting strength values (Demiroz Gun et al., 2008). Thermal comfort
properties of the plain-knittedfabricswereevaluatedbyA.DemirozGun.Fabricsmade
from 50/50 blend of modal/viscose fiber in microfiber form with cotton fiber were
compared with those of the similar fabrics made from 50/50 blend of conventional modal/
viscose fiber with cotton fiber and made from 100 percent cotton fiber. The thermal
conductivity results of the modal microfiber blended fabrics were lower than those of the
cotton fabrics and higher than those of the conventional modal fiber blended fabrics.
Because of the highest thermal absorptive values, the modal microfiber blended fabrics
provided the coolest feeling when compared with the other two fabric types (Gun, 2011).
In another study, the thermal comfort properties of single jersey knitted fabric
structures made from cotton, regenerated bamboo and cotton-bamboo blended yarns were
presented. The water vapor permeability and air permeability of the fabrics were
IJCST
Downloaded by Kent State University At 06:23 21 March 2018 (PT)
observed to increase with the increase in bamboo fiber content. Chidambaram et al. (2012).
Similarly, comfort properties of socks made from new fibers, such as modal, micro modal
and bamboo, were analyzed in comparison with cotton and viscose. Vapor transfer, air
permeability, wicking, wetting and heat transfer properties, which are related to comfort,
were evaluated. The results suggested that the fiber type, together with regain and fabric
properties such as thickness, affect some comfort-related properties of the fabrics. It was
suggested that for certain end uses, various combinations of fiber blends could be used
(Cimilli et al., 2010). The special functional and comfort properties of TENCEL® textiles
(generic name: Lyocell) were investigated by Abu-Rous et al. (2006). by the study of tencel
with fluorescence microscopy, in which it was found that the cool and smooth surface
(gentle to the skin), the wear comfort properties due to excellent moisture transport and
buffering, and the temperature control were due to the nano-structure of Lyocell fibers,
which is radically different from the other cellulosic fibers studied earlier.
To our information, no study has been reported in which all the regenerated fibers
blended with cotton were studied. Hence, the aim of this work is to study the mechanical
and comfort properties of the regenerated fibers (modal, tencel, viscose and bamboo)
blended with cotton. The blends of cotton with regenerated fibers might replace
100 percent cotton in clothing applications as cotton cannot take much load to fulfill the
increasing demanding of clothing.
2. Materials and methods
2.1 Materials
In order to conduct this study, cotton, as natural cellulose fiber, was used. Regenerated
fibers included viscose, tencel, modal and bamboo. The properties of cotton and regenerated
fibers are given in Table I.
2.2 Methods
2.2.1 Yarn production. Five yarn samples of Ne 30/1 of 100 percent cotton and blends of
cotton with tencel, modal, bamboo and viscose fibers were produced. The blending ratios
are given in Table II. The blending was done in the Blow-room, and yarn samples were
produced by employing the ring spinning technique. The machinery details are given in
Table III.
2.2.2 Fabric manufacturing. Plain woven fabrics samples with Ends (76) and Picks (68)
per inch of 120 gsm were prepared on CCI loom (model SL 8900S) of Taiwan. The loom was
with reed of 35, having a speed of 36 picks/min with 2 ends per reed dent. The total number
of warp ends was 1,120, and the prepared fabric had a length of 55 and a width of 15 inches.
The thickness of the fabric was 0.45 mm.
Parameters Cotton Tencel Modal Viscose Bamboo
Linear density (dtex) ––1.3 1.3 1.3
Staple/cut length (mm) 27.3 38 39 39 38
Breaking tenacity (cN/tex ) 27.9 36 35 25 21
Elongation (%) 6.6 14 13 20 17
Moisture (%) 8.5 13 11 11 11
Micronaire (μg/inch) 4.6 –– – –
Length uniformity (%) 83.6 –– – –
Short fiber index 33.4 –– – –
Rd value 73.3 –– – –
+b value 8.6 –– – –
Table I.
Specifications
of fibers: cotton,
tencel, modal,
viscose, bamboo
Mechanical
and comfort
properties
of cotton
Downloaded by Kent State University At 06:23 21 March 2018 (PT)
2.2.3 Pre-treatment. The sample fabrics were first desized and then scoured and bleached.
The recipes and process condition of desizing, scouring and bleaching are given in
Tables IV and V. The structure of the fabric after removing from the loom is as follows:
the Ends per inch were 80 and Picks per inch were 64, and gsm was found to be 120.
The thickness of the fabric was 0.46 mm.
2.2.4 Testing. Each sample of yarn was tested for uniformity, imperfections using the
ASTM D1425/D1425M-09e1 standard method by Yarn Evenness tester UT5-2013, and
the tensile properties like breaking force, tenacity and elongation were measured using the
standard test method ASTM D2256/D2256M –10e1 with Yarn Tensile tester Tensojet.
The fabric samples were tested for mechanical (warp and weft tensile and tear strengths)
and comfort properties (air permeability, moisture management and thermal resistance).
The tensile strength of fabric samples was determined according to the standard testing
method ASTM D5035 –11. The tear strength of fabric samples was determined by the
Yarns Ratio
Cotton 100
Cotton:tencel 50:50
Cotton:modal 50:50
Cotton:viscose 50:50
Cotton:bamboo 50:50
Table II.
Blend ratios and
fibers used for
yarn samples
S. No. Machine Make
1 Blow-room Rieter, Truzschler
2 Card MK-5 Crosrol
3 Drawing frame DX8, RSB D 30
4 Comber Toyoda VC-5A
5 Simplex Toyota FL-16
6 Ring frame Toyota RY-4
7 Auto winder Muratec 21-c
Table III.
Machinery for yarn
manufacturing
Parameters Values
Desizer 5 g/L
Detergent 2 g/L
Temperature 40°C
Time 6 Hours
Table IV.
Desizing recipe and
process conditions
Parameters Values
NaOH ml/L 10
Stabilizer ml/L 5
H2O2 ml/L 35
Wetting agent g/L 2
Temperature 90°C
Time 40 min
Table V.
Scouring and
bleaching recipe and
process conditions
IJCST
Downloaded by Kent State University At 06:23 21 March 2018 (PT)
standard test method ASTM D1424-09(2013). The air permeability of each sample fabric
was determined using the standard testing method ASTM D737-04(2012) by air
permeability tester M-021A SDL Atlas, UK. Liquid moisture management properties
of pre-treated and finished samples were determined with the moisture management tester
M-290 SDL Atlas, UK, using the standard AATCC test method 195-2009. The thermal
resistivity of fabric samples were determined by using the standard test method ASTM
D1518-11a with the help of the thermal resistivity tester M-259B SDL Atlas, UK.
3. Results and discussions
3.1 Tensile strength of yarns
The results for tenacity and associated elongations at break percent of all yarns are plotted in
Figure 1. The tenacity of 100 percent cotton yarn is (19.06 cN/Tex) with the associated
elongation of 4.19 percent. Cotton:tencel blended yarn has the tenacity of (20.65 cN/Tex);
however, elongation is 12.57 percent. Similarly, Cotton:modal yarn has the tenacity of
(18.94 cN/Tex) and the elongation is 11.43 percent. The elongation at break of cotton fiber is
only 6.6 percent, which shows that cotton yarn is a stiff yarn. The elongation of tencel and
modal fibers are 14 percent and 13 percent, respectively, and their yarns give greater
elongation than cotton yarns. Cotton:bamboo (13.7 cN/Tex) and Cotton:viscose (12.97cN/Tex)
yarns have the lowest tenacities. The statistical analysis (one-way ANOVA) shows that the
strength of yarns of cotton and its blends has values significantly different as the
p-value is less than 0.05.
3.2 Mechanical properties of fabrics
3.2.1 Tensile strength of fabrics. The tensile strength of fabrics mainly depends upon the
yarn strength when fabric weave is same for all the fabrics. The comparison of tensile
strength of fabrics is shown in Figure 2. It is observed that cotton:tencel shows higher
tensile strength in warp (30 kgf ) and weft (28 kgf ) wise direction than 100 percent cotton
fabric (warp 24 kgf and weft 20 kgf) and other blends. It is due to the higher tensile strength
of the cotton:tencel yarn (20.6 cN/Tex). The minimum tensile strength in both the directions
(15 and 17 kgf) is shown by cotton:viscose fabric due to lesser tensile strength of cotton:
viscose yarn (12.97 cN/Tex). The statistical analysis (one-way ANOVA) shows that the
tensile strength in warp and weft direction for cotton and its blends has values significantly
different as the p-value is less than 0.05.
3.2.2 Tear strength of fabrics. The tear strength mainly depends upon fiber, yarn and
fabric characteristics. In the case of fiber, strength and fineness are the parameters that
25
20
15
10
5
0
Cotton Cotton:Tencel Cotton:Modal Cotton:Viscose Cotton:Bamboo
Tenacity (cN/Tex)
Elongation (%)
Figure 1.
Tenacities and
elongations at
break percent of
blended yarns
Mechanical
and comfort
properties
of cotton
Downloaded by Kent State University At 06:23 21 March 2018 (PT)
decide the strength of yarn and, ultimately, fabric. Single yarn strength, elongation as well
as twist are the strength-deciding factors. In the case of fabric, type of weave and weight/m
2
contribute to the strength (Dhamija and Chopra, 2007). In this work, yarn linear density and
weave design were kept constant. It was found that cotton:tencel fabric shows more tear
strength (warp-wise 1,540 gf and weft-wise 1,560 gf ) among all the fabrics as shown in
Figure 3, while cotton:viscose fabric (warp-wise 725 gf and weft-wise 685 gf) shows the least
due to the less strength of cotton:viscose yarn (12.97 cN/tex). In total, 100 percent cotton
fabric (warp-wise 1,100 gf and weft-wise 1,165 gf) gives less tear strength than cotton:tencel
(warp-wise 1,540 gf and weft-wise 1,560 gf ); however, it gives similar tear strength as given
by cotton:modal (warp-wise 1,160 gf and weft-wise 1165 gf) fabrics. Also, 100 percent cotton
fabric gives more tear strength than cotton:bamboo (warp-wise 775 gf and weft-wise 740 gf)
and cotton:viscose (warp-wise 775 gf and weft-wise 740 gf) fabrics. It is due to the fact that
as cotton:tencel yarn (20.65 cN/Tex) has more strength, its fabric gives the highest tear
strength. The statistical analysis (one-way ANOVA) shows that the tear strength in warp
and weft direction for cotton and its blends has values significantly different as the p-value
is less than 0.05.
3.3 Comfort properties
3.3.1 Air permeability. Air permeability is one of the most important comfort properties of
cellulose fibers. Cotton:tencel fabric (499 mm/sec) shows the highest value of air
permeability. Cotton:bamboo (260 mm/sec) shows the least air permeability. In total,
1,800
1,600
1,400
1,200
1,000
800
600
400
200
0
Cotton Cotton:Tencel Cotton:Modal Cotton:Viscose Cotton:Bamboo
Warp-wise (gf)
Weft-wise (gf)
Figure 3.
Tear strength
(warp-wise and
weft-wise) of fabrics
35
30
25
20
15
10
5
0
Cotton Cotton:Tencel Cotton:Modal Cotton:Viscose Cotton:Bamboo
Warp-wise Tensile Strength (Kgf)
Weft-wise Tensile Strength (Kgf)
Figure 2.
Tensile strength
(warp-wise and
weft-wise) of fabrics
IJCST
Downloaded by Kent State University At 06:23 21 March 2018 (PT)
100 percent cotton fabric (391 mm/sec) shows air permeability less than cotton:tencel;
however, it gives more air permeability than cotton:modal, cotton:bamboo and cotton:
viscose. The diameter of cotton fiber is 13 µm that is greater than all other regenerated fibers
(10.4-11 µm) giving lesser yarn diameter, and ultimately gives relatively more fabric
porosity. As a result, 100 percent cotton gives better air permeability than blends other than
tencel. Tencel has a circular cross-section (Carrillo et al., 2004), so it leads to less surface area
as compared to grooved structures like those of viscose (Uchida, 1967) and bamboo
(Erdumlu and Ozipek, 2008), which leads to the greater surface area as gaps within yarn are
reduced which might cause the hindrance to the passage of air (Tascan and Vaughn, 2008).
Air permeability also relates with the moisture transmission properties of fiber. Bamboo
fiber absorbs more than it spreads due to the grooved structure. Viscose has a skin/core
structure with dense shell and having a spongy core. Moisture transmission toward core is
limited (Abu-Rous et al., 2006), so the wicking of viscose is lower than modal and tencel.
Modal has small pores and very large pores toward the center. Tencel has homogeneous
distribution of pores in whole structure (Abu-Rous et al., 2006), which makes it to absorb and
wick the moisture well and hence highly air permeable as water does not trap in pores and
does not cause hindrance for air. The statistical analysis (one-way ANOVA) shows that the
air permeability for cotton and its blends has values significantly different as the p-value is
less than 0.05 (Figure 4).
3.3.2 Moisture management. The moisture management properties of fabrics are given
in Figure 5. Cotton:tencel (0.6576) and cotton:modal (0.6559) fabrics give the maximum
(i.e. better) moisture management properties. Cotton:bamboo (0.6433) and cotton:viscose
(0.6407) give more moisture management than 100 percent cotton fabric (0.6346). It means
that the regenerated fibers enhance the moisture management properties of blended fabrics
when blended with cotton. Cotton:tencel gives the maximum value due to the excellent
absorption and transport of moisture. Tencel has channels in its nano-structure which
enables it to transport the water through these channels present in the core, making it good
in moisture management. Tencel absorbs moisture and releases it outside, making the
wearer to feel comfortable (Leading Fiber Innovation, 2016). Modal fibers give a compact
external structure with very small pores and some large pores toward the center. Bamboo
has been found to have small gaps and voids in its structure by its study under an electron
microscope which enabled it to absorb moisture and by wicking through micro channels
made it a comfortable fiber (Erdumlu and Ozipek, 2008). Cotton also has moisture
absorption ability. It contains lumen in the center which is left behind after the collapse of
600
500
400
300
200
100
Air permeability (mm/sec)
0
Cotton Cotton:Tencel Cotton:Modal Cotton:Viscose Cotton:Bamboo
Figure 4.
Air permeability
of Fabrics
Mechanical
and comfort
properties
of cotton
Downloaded by Kent State University At 06:23 21 March 2018 (PT)
cell wall when fiber reaches its mature stage. Water absorption is aided by lumen.
Lumen also helps cotton to wick by drawing water through capillary action, thus making
cotton a comfortable fiber, but the wicking of cotton is less as compared to the regenerated
fibers. So, among all the cotton blends with regenerated fibers, cotton:tencel fabric was
found to have highest moisture management properties. The statistical analysis (one-way
ANOVA) shows that the moisture management for cotton and its blends has values
significantly different as the p-value is less than 0.05.
3.3.3 Thermal resistance of fabrics. The ability of a material to prevent flow of heat
through it is known as thermal resistance. The results of thermal resistance of fabrics are
given in Figure 6. It was found that cotton:tencel (0.0176 m
2
K/W) reveals a high thermal
resistance in comparison to 100 percent cotton as well as blends of cotton with other
regenerated fibers. It is well supported by the work done by Frydrych et al. (2002) which
reveals that Tencel presents lower values of thermal conductivity and high thermal
resistance. In total, 100 percent cotton also gave less thermal resistance than cotton:modal;
however, it gave more thermal resistance than cotton:bamboo and cotton:viscose fabrics.
Modal fibers have compact external structure with very small pores and some large pores
toward the center holding the air. Similarly, the inherent convolutions present in the cotton
Cotton Cotton:Tencel Cotton:Modal Cotton:Viscose Cotton:Bamboo
0.665
0.66
0.655
0.65
0.645
0.64
0.635
0.63
Moisture Management
0.625
0.62
0.615
Figure 5.
Moisture management
of fabrics
Cotton
0.02
0.018
0.016
0.014
0.012
0.01
0.008
0.006
Thermal Resistance (m2K/W)
0.004
0.002
0
Cotton:Tencel Cotton:Modal Cotton:Viscose Cotton:Bamboo
Figure 6.
Thermal resistance
of fabrics
IJCST
Downloaded by Kent State University At 06:23 21 March 2018 (PT)
fiber are also likely to increase thermal resistance by entrapping more air in the structure,
and it is well known that air is a good insulator. So, 100 percent cotton fabrics gave more
thermal resistance than cotton:bamboo and cotton:viscose fabrics as bamboo and viscose
fibers trap less air in their fiber structures.
The temperature regulation of the human body is a decisive factor for comfort in wear
and well-being. In warm climates and at high levels of physical activity, other properties are
needed than in cold environments or when the body is at rest. The clothing material must
have high moisture retention capacity as well as moisture transportation capacity to
maintain a constant temperature of the body. Moreover, the thermal resistance also plays an
important role in body temperature regulation. The skin temperature is 33-34°C when the
body is in a comfortable zone. In warmer climates where the temperature is more than 34°C,
heat can enter in the body from the environment that must be reduced. So, a fabric with
greater thermal resistance can reduce the heat transfer from the environment. Moreover, in a
hot environment, a fabric having more moisture management properties and greater
thermal resistance would be more comfortable than the other fabrics. Moreover, the
statistical analysis (one-way ANOVA) shows that the thermal resistance for cotton and its
blends has values significantly different as p-value is less than 0.05.
4. Conclusion
Cotton:tencel fabric has excellent mechanical (tensile and tear strength) as well as comfort
properties (air permeability, moisture management and thermal resistance). It means that
the most suitable blend that cotton can make among the regenerated fibers is the tencel.
Therefore, to have more comfortable fabrics, the fabrics which are being made by
100 percent cotton can be replaced with the cotton:tencel. In addition, cotton fibers which are
less ecofriendly and sustainable would be used in a lesser amount in cotton:tencel fabrics
replacing the 100 percent cotton fabrics which are used mostly in clothing.
References
Abu-Rous, M., Ingolic, E. and Schuster, K. (2006), “Visualisation of the nano-structure of Tencel®
(Lyocell) and other Cellulosics as an approach to explaining functional and wellness properties
in Textiles”,Lenzinger Berichte, Vol. 85, pp. 31-37.
Carrillo, F., Colom, X., Sunol, J. and Saurina, J. (2004), “Structural FTIR analysis and thermal
characterisation of lyocell and viscose-type fibres”,European Polymer Journal, Vol. 40 No. 9,
pp. 2229-2234.
Chidambaram, P., Govindan, R. and Venkatraman, K.C. (2012), “Study of thermal comfort properties of
cotton/regenerated bamboo knitted fabrics”,African Journal of Basic & Applied Sciences, Vol. 4
No. 2, pp. 60-66.
Cimilli, S., Nergis, B., Candan, C. and Özdemir, M. (2010), “A comparative study of some comfort-related
properties of socks of different fiber types”,Textile Research Journal, Vol. 80 No. 10, pp. 948-957.
Demiroz Gun, A., Unal, C. and Unal, B. (2008), “Dimensional and physical properties of plain knitted
fabrics made from 50/50 bamboo/cotton blended yarns”,Fibers and Polymers, Vol. 9 No. 5,
pp. 588-592.
Dhamija, S. and Chopra, M. (2007), “Tearing strength of cotton fabrics in relation to certain process and
loom parameters”,Indian Journal of Fibre and Textile Research, Vol. 32 No. 4, pp. 439-445.
Erdumlu, N. and Ozipek, B. (2008), “Investigation of regenerated bamboo fibre and yarn
characteristics”,Fibres & Textiles in Eastern Europe, Vol. 16 No. 69, pp. 43-47.
Frydrych, I., Dziworska, G. and Bilska, J. (2002), “Comparative analysis of the thermal insulation
properties of fabrics made of natural and man-made cellulose fibres”,Fibres and Textiles in
Eastern Europe, Vol. 10 No. 4, pp. 40-44.
Mechanical
and comfort
properties
of cotton
Downloaded by Kent State University At 06:23 21 March 2018 (PT)
Grose, L. (2009), “Sustainable cotton production”, in Richard, B. (Ed.), Sustainable Textiles: Life Cycle
and Environmental Impact, Woodhead Publishing Limited, Cambridge, pp. 33-62.
Gun, A.D. (2011), “Dimensional, physical and thermal properties of plain knitted fabrics made from
50/50 blend of modal viscose fiber in microfiber form with cotton fiber”,Fibers and Polymers,
Vol. 12 No. 8, pp. 1083-1090.
Kayseri, G.O., Bozdogan, F. and Hes, L. (2010), “Performance properties of regenerated cellulose fibers”,
Tekstil ve Konfeksiyon, Vol. 20 No. 3, pp. 208-212.
Kramer, S.B., Reganold, J.P., Glover, J.D., Bohannan, B.J. and Mooney, H.A. (2006), “Reduced nitrate
leaching and enhanced denitrifier activity and efficiency in organically fertilized soils”,
Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America, Vol. 103,
pp. 4522-4527.
Leading Fiber Innovation (2016), available at: www.lenzing.com/fileadmin/template/pdf/konzern/
prasentationen/LAG_Investor_Presentation_Q1_2016.pdf (accessed April 25, 2017).
Prakash, C., Ramakrishnan, G. and Koushik, C. (2011), “Effect of blend ratio on the quality
characteristics of bamboo/cotton blended ring spun yarn”,Fibres & Textiles in Eastern Europe,
Vol. 19 No. 6, pp. 38-40.
Sakthivel, J.C. and Anbumani, N. (2012), “Dimensional properties of single Jersey Knitted fabrics made
with New and regenerated Cellulosic fibers”,Journal of Textile and Apparel, Technology and
Management, Vol. 7, No. 3.
Tascan, M. and Vaughn, E.A. (2008), “Effects of fiber denier, fiber cross-sectional shape and fabric
density on acoustical behavior of vertically lapped nonwoven fabrics”,Journal of Engineered
Fibers and Fabrics, Vol. 3 No. 2, pp. 32-38.
Ton, P. (2011), Cotton and Climate Change: Impacts and Options to Mitigate and Adapt, International
Trade Center, Geneva.
Uchida, Y. (1967), “Problems of polynosic and high wet modulus-fibres”,Pure and Applied Chemistry,
Vol. 14 Nos 3-4, pp. 461-474.
Corresponding author
Abdul Basit can be contacted at: basit_ntu@yahoo.com
For instructions on how to order reprints of this article, please visit our website:
www.emeraldgrouppublishing.com/licensing/reprints.htm
Or contact us for further details: permissions@emeraldinsight.com
IJCST
Downloaded by Kent State University At 06:23 21 March 2018 (PT)
