Porosity determination of textile fabrics: A novel mathematical approach and experimental validation

Abstract

Porosity is a crucial parameter that regulates permeability, comfort, and pathogen barriers in textile materials. A fabric with greater porosity allows for greater moisture exchange but is less effective as a pathogen barrier. So engineering the fabric to meet both comfort and barrier properties are essential. Various methods (airflow, liquid penetration, and Image processing) are used to determine the fabric's porosity after fabric manufacturing. The mathematical calculation of fabric porosity before fabric manufacturing will become very helpful for precise fabric development. This research paper introduces an innovative and customized mathematical model designed to determine the porosity and pore size of fabrics, utilizing essential parameters such as areal density, thickness, yarn diameter, and yarn linear density. The effectiveness of the modified equation for fabric porosity is tested by using twelve different fabric samples with different areal densities in experiments. The comprehensive testing conducted provides evidence of the adaptability and resilience of the suggested model, highlighting its potential for wider utilization within the sector. The pore size of the prepared fabrics is measured by a capillary flow poro-meter (CFP), and porosity is measured by image analysis using Python programming. A perfect positive correlation has been observed between calculated and experimental porosity values.