Effect of Tumble-drying on Selected Properties of Knitted and Woven Cotton Fabrics: Part II: Effect of Moisture Content, Temperature Setting, and Time in Dryer on Cotton Fabrics

Abstract

Specimens of a plain-woven cotton fabric and a plain single-jersey weft-knitted cotton fabric were washed and then tumble-dried for predetermined periods of time under three different temperature settings. Length and width shrinkage, wrinkling, mass of the whole specimen, and warp and weft yarn diameters were determined by using the appropriate standard test methods. The interdependence of moisture content, temperature setting, and time in the tumble dryer was reported in Part I of this series. In Part II, their effects on the dimensional stability and appearance of both knitted and woven cotton fabrics are reported. It is demonstrated that temperature setting in tbe tumble dryer bad no effect on shrinkage. The increased exposure to agitation that occurred in tumble-drying under a low temperature setting had no effect on shrinkage. Low temperature setting and prolonged exposure to agitation were, however, slightly beneficial to the appearance of the plain-woven cotton fabric used.