Modelling of thermal conductivity of knitted fabrics made of cotton–bamboo yarns using artificial neural network

Abstract

Regenerated cellulosic fibre made from bamboo is gaining popularity for apparel use due to its improved functional properties. This paper presents the modelling of thermal conductivity of knitted fabrics made from blended yarns of cotton and bamboo fibres using an artificial neural network (ANN). Five parameters, namely knitted fabric structure type, yarn linear density, bamboo fibre proportion (%), fabric thickness and fabric areal density, were used as inputs to the ANN model. The developed model was able to predict the thermal conductivity of fabrics with very good accuracy. The trend analysis of the developed model revealed the influence of various input parameters on the thermal conductivity of knitted fabrics. These findings can be judiciously used for the selection of optimum material and structural parameters of knitted cellulosic fabrics for a particular end‐use.