Sustainable production and evaluation of the properties of polyester-okra blended knitted fabric

Abstract

The demand for fashionable knit fabric is increasing. Besides that, blended knit fabric, prepared from the blended yarn as well as using different types of yarn is also very popular to the modern customer. That's why, finding of new resource of raw material for fashionable knit fabric preparation is promising in the recent decade. Okra fiber is a biodegradable long staple bast fiber that can be obtained from abundant natural fiber sources after being extracted from lady's finger plants. It has high cellulosic content, worthy strength and modulus, and better thermal properties, making it a potential candidate as a raw material for the creation of stylish knit fabrics. Because of its rigidity and lack of flexibility, okra fiber cannot be spun into yarn on its own. In the current study, 1 × 1 rib fabric prepared from 30 Tex polyester/okra (PO) blended yarn of 80/20 and 85/15 blend ratio. For better comparison corresponding polyester/flax traditionally known as polyester/linen (PL) blended 1 × 1 rib fabric was also prepared. Current study found that, fabric characteristics, such as fabric weight, fabric dimension, air permeability, and bursting strength of PO blended fabric was compatible with PL blended fabric, with the exception of the fabric's hand feel characteristics. The overall findings revealed that the knit fabric qualities of PO mixed fabric were satisfactory. Due to the affordability and accessibility of okra fiber, the PO blended fabrics are very promising, sustainable and may be a viable choice to address the actual need for blended fabrics in the textile knitting industries.