Dimensional, physical and thermal properties of plain knitted fabrics made from 50/50 blend of modal viscose fiber in microfiber form with cotton fiber

Abstract

In this study, the dimensional, physical and thermal comfort properties of the plain knitted fabrics made from 50/50 blend of modal viscose fiber in microfiber form with cotton fiber are compared with those of the similar fabrics made from 50/50 blend of conventional modal viscose fiber with cotton fiber and made from 100 % cotton fiber. All the fabric types are produced in three different stitch lengths. The slight differences among the fabric types are observed in terms of the stitch density results and the dimensional constants calculated in the fully relaxed state. In the fully relaxed state, the dimensional K values of the modal microfiber blended knitted fabrics are found to be more closely resemble those of the cotton fabrics rather than those of the conventional modal fiber blended fabrics. The lowest fabric thickness and bursting strength results are obtained for the modal microfiber blended fabrics. The modal microfiber blended fabrics reveal lower air permeability than the conventional modal fiber blended fabrics and higher air permeability than the cotton fabrics. It is also observed from the thermal comfort results that the modal microfiber blended fabrics have the lowest thermal resistance and the highest thermal absoptivity values. The thermal conductivity results of the modal microfiber blended fabrics are lower than those of the cotton fabrics and higher than those of the conventional modal fiber blended fabrics. Because of the highest thermal absorptivity values, the modal microfiber blended fabrics provide the coolest feeling when compared with the other two fabric types.