Study of mechanical properties and characteristics of eco-fibres for sustainable children's clothing

Abstract

The aim of this paper is to study the application of eco-fibres as a new approach to achieve the multifunctional design for children’s clothing toward sustainability in the clothing industry. In this regard, this study focuses on the evaluation of the fabrics’ mechanical properties including tensile strength and microstructural details as critical points for multifunctional children's clothing purposes. The eco-fibre fabrics studied are organic cotton twill and recycled polyester. Studies have proven that frequent laundering and dry-cleaning result in increased pilling. Furthermore, high quality of colour fastness properties was found in 100% organic woven cotton fabric and recycled polyester fabric printed by non-harmful dyes. Organic cotton fabric is found to offer minimum tear resistance due to the lower strength of cotton fibres. The study found very good physical properties of organic cotton fabric during the mechanical test as well as recycled polyester fabric, which are also safe and eco-friendly. Therefore, these materials are suitable to be used in sustainable clothing design, as it is also a means towards the reduction of environmental pollution and tackle resource depletion associated with the clothing industry.