Air Permeability Of Fabrics Research Articles

Optimization of air permeability of spunlaced filter fabrics using the Box–Behnken experimental design

One of the most important characteristics that a filter must possess is high air permeability. A good filter fabric must be able to capture the dust particles while maintaining a good airflow through it in order to reduce high pressure drop. Therefore, producing a filter fabric with the desired air permeability can be challenging as several process parameters such as fiber types, area weight and water jet pressure will interact with each other during spunlacing process and influence the fabric air permeability. To study the effects of these independent variables on the air permeability of three different types of spunlaced fabrics, the Box–Behnken design was used to model their effects. The fibers used were polyacrylonitrile, polyphenylene sulfide and blend of polyphenylene sulfide/polyimide. In addition, filtration properties of some of the filter samples were also evaluated. Based on the effects of the fiber types, area weight and water jet pressure on the fabric air permeability, the optimum conditions for achieving higher air permeability were fiber types (+1 level), area weight (0 level) and pressure (−1 level), respectively. The air permeability of the fabrics decreased with increasing water jet pressure for all fiber types and increasing area weight decreased the air permeability. It was observed that the independent variables had a significant effect on the air permeability. Filtration efficiency of the selected filters samples were ≥95%. Among the selected samples, polyphenylene sulfide/polyimide (440 g/m2) fabric has the lowest pressure drop whereas polyacrylonitrile (560 g/m2) has the highest pressure drop.

A new approach for optimizing water resistance and air permeability of denim cotton fabric

The quality of the denim fabric is a phenomenon that requires successfully meeting several properties at the same time among these properties are air permeability and water resistance Very little study has been carried out on multiple properties and parameters at the same time In this study we used Response Surface Methodology to optimize levels of thickness and optimum and levels of fabric mass per unit area which simultaneously maximize water resistance and minimize air permeability of denim cotton fabric A response surface methodology was employed for data analysis experimental results of denim cotton fabric A set of expressions expressed by contours plot was obtained for predicting the water resistance and air permeability performances of denim fabric quality as a function of fabric thickness and fabric mass per unit area Those fabric rsquo figures were optimized by first graphical approach based on overlaid contour plot and second by the desirability function approach to achieve maximum water resistance and minimum air permeability simultaneously

Effect of Biaxial Stretch and Domestic Washing on Air Permeability of Elastic Knitted Fabrics for Sportswear

This paper introduces a non-automatic device to apply biaxial stretch and investigates the effect of biaxial stretch and domestic washing on air permeability of polyamide-elastane knitted fabrics for sportswear. Air permeability of the selected fabrics significantly increased upon biaxial stretch, regardless the fabric type and stretch level (5% or 10%) applied. Generally, air permeability of relaxed fabrics decreased due to slight shrinkage that occurred upon washing, but domestic washing was not found to have a statistical significant influence on air permeability of the selected fabrics. The manual device proposed applies stretch in one or two directions, it is robust and easy to handle, and fabric preparation is quite straightforward. The fabric holder used in this study is particularly suited to the head of the air permeability tester and the level of stretch applied depends on type of fabric.

Investigation of Thermo-Physiological Comfort and Mechanical Properties of Fine Cotton Fabrics for Ladies’ Summer Apparel

ABSTRACT Fine cotton fabrics such as “Lawns” for ladies’ apparel are extremely popular in the subcontinent and all those parts of the world where summers are scorching and the subsequent rainy seasons quite hot and humid. The required fabrics should neither be too thin to be weak nor too thick to be uncomfortable. The main objective of this study was to investigate thermo-physiological comfort and mechanical properties of cotton fabrics ranging from approx. 50 to 80 g/m2 areal densities (GSM) using 80, 70, 60, and 50 Ne yarn counts and to determine optimum fabric parameters for good fabric comfort and strength. Fabric of a specific areal density could be developed either by using coarser yarn counts with lower number of ends and picks per inch or by using finer yarn counts with higher number of ends and picks per inch. Results show that fabric of a specific areal density produced from coarser yarns with lower number of ends and picks results in better fabric air permeability and better tear strength, as compared to that made from finer yarns with higher number of ends and picks per inch. However, fabric thermal and water vapor resistance are not significantly affected by either approach used for the range of fabrics produced in this study. Based on response surface optimization, the optimum fabric parameters were found to be 60 Ne warp count, 50 Ne weft count, 90 ends/inch and 50 picks/inch for simultaneously achieving good fabric air permeability and strength properties.

Polyurethane–superabsorbent polymer-coated cotton fabric for thermophysiological wear comfort

This study aims to create both protective performance and thermal comfort of polyurethane (PU)-coated clothing by integrating a superabsorbent polymer (SAP) on cotton fabric. A protective surface on the fabric against chemical and water penetration was developed by coating the fabric with PU and SAP and characterised by using Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy and scanning electron microscopy. Surface wettability and liquid chemical-resistant properties of the coated fabrics were evaluated by measuring water contact angle, water repellency rating and chemical penetration through fabric. The experimental results demonstrated that SAP-coated cotton fabrics have almost the same water and chemical resistance properties, with no or slight deterioration in protection performance. Moreover, the coating of SAP on cotton fabric lead to improved heat and vapour transmittance that conferred much greater thermal comfort because of less sweat accumulation on the skin or inner clothing. In addition, a slight improvement in air permeability and unchanged moisture management profiles of SAP-coated fabrics indicates moisture vapour can only be diffused through coating due to strong hydrophilic nature of SAP. Integration of superabsorbent polymer on cotton fabric is a promising approach to develop protective clothing that provides simultaneous protection and thermophysiological comfort to the wearer.

Multi-objective Optimization of Woven Fabric Parameters Using Taguchi–Grey Relational Analysis

ABSTRACT Optimization technique is mainly used to find out the optimal value of control factors which yield the best response variables. In the case of more than one response variable, the optimization process using the Taguchi approach will give a different set of optimal level for each response variable. Consolidating Taguchi method with grey relation analysis will give optimal levels of control factors for all response variables. In the present study, multi-response optimization based on Taguchi-grey relational analysis was conducted to maximize tensile strength, breaking extension and air permeability of cotton woven fabrics. Cotton woven fabric parameters such as weft yarn count, weave structure, weft yarn density with three levels, and twist factor of the weft yarn with two levels were used as control factors. Using full factorial design, 81 experiments will be conducted. Whereas, using the Taguchi approach and L18 orthogonal array in particular, these experiments will be reduced to 16 experiments. Using Taguchi-grey relational method, optimal combination of the control factors which yield the best-woven fabric properties under study were obtained.

Prototyping and analyzing physical properties of Weft knitted spacer fabrics as a substitute for wound dressings

In this research, the required physical properties of weft knitted spacer fabrics, as an alternative for wound dressings have been investigated. For this purpose, weft knitted spacer fabrics with five different fabric structures have been produced on the electronic flat knitting machine. Moreover, in order to compare the properties of the produced fabrics with available wound dressings in the market, two kinds of wound dressing have been prepared from the market. Then, the physical properties of the spacer fabrics and the wound dressings such as air permeability, water vapor permeability, thermal conductivity, compressibility and absorbency have been measured and compared. The results show that in weft knitted spacer fabrics with the same fabric structure of the outer layer and different inclination angle (the angle formed between the outer layer and the spacer yarn), by decreasing the inclination angle, the fabric air permeability, water vapor permeability and absorbency decrease and the thermal conductivity and compressibility increase. Moreover, the use of tuck stitches in the outer layer of the spacer fabric leads to an increase of air permeability, water vapor permeability, absorbency and thermal conductivity and decrease of compressibility. The wound dressings also exhibit less air permeability and compressibility than weft knitted spacer fabrics. On the other hand, they possess higher water vapor permeability and absorbency. According to the results, among the examined weft knitted spacer fabrics in this research, the fabric with the tuck stitches in the outer layer is specified as the most appropriate alternative for wound dressing, in case of wounds with low exudates.

Development of shrink resistance cotton using fluorocarbon

An attempt has been made to develop shrink resistance cotton textile by making it hydrophobic. The cotton fabric was made hydrophobic by treating with fluorocarbon resin emulsion at varying concentrations along with catalyst. The hydrophobicity was measured by carrying out water repellency test and also determining the water contact angle. The air permeability of cotton fabric was also determined and was not adversely affected. The untreated and treated cotton fabric was subjected to repeated domestic laundry condition and shrinkage was measured. In order to determine the impact of fluorocarbon treatment on fabric, the physical properties of treated and untreated cotton fabrics were compared. No adverse impact was observed in colour fastness properties. The tensile and tear strength showed good retention even at higher concentration of water repellent chemicals. This work finds wide use in home textiles and hotel industry. This work is of industrial interest as value added shrink resistance cotton textiles can fetch more export earnings.

Enhanced Stain Removal and Comfort Control Achieved by Cross-Linking Light and Thermo Dual-Responsive Copolymer onto Cotton Fabrics.

Enhanced capabilities of stain removal and comfort control are simultaneously achieved by the light and thermo dual-responsive copolymer poly(triethylene glycol methyl ether methacrylate- co-ethylene glycol methacrylate- co-acrylamide azobenzene) (P(MEO3MA- co-EGMA- co-AAAB)) cross-linked on cotton fabrics. P(MEO3MA- co-EGMA- co-AAAB) is synthesized by sequential atom transfer radical polymerization with a molar ratio of 8 (MEO3MA):1 (EGMA):1 (AAAB). The MEO3MA units induce a thermoresponsive behavior to the copolymer. The hydrophilicity of the copolymer films can be further improved by the light-induced trans- cis isomerization of the AAAB units with UV radiation. The copolymer is facilely immobilized onto cotton fabrics with 1,2,3,4-butane tetracarboxylic acid as cross-linker. Due to the immobilization of P(MEO3MA- co-EGMA- co-AAAB), the hydrophilicity of the fabric surface is increased under UV radiation. Therefore, by simply installing a UV light source in the washing machine, better capability of stain removal is realized for the cross-linked cotton fabrics. It can prominently reduce the consumption of energy, water, and surfactants in laundry. In addition, the trans-AAAB units of the copolymer cause the cross-linked P(MEO3MA- co-EGMA- co-AAAB) layer to be more hydrophobic under ambient conditions. Hence, the copolymer can more easily collapse and form a porous structure on the fabrics. Thus, the air permeability of cotton fabrics cross-linked with P(MEO3MA- co-EGMA- co-AAAB) is enhanced by 13% at human body temperature as compared to P(MEO3MA- co-EGMA), giving improved comfort control during daily wear.

Air Permeability of Multilayer Needle Punched Nonwoven Fabrics

Air permeability of multilayer nonwoven fabrics obtained by combining needle punched webs made from fibers with different linear mass densities is investigated. The optimal composition of nonwoven webs providing multilayer fabrics with increased permeability is determined. A model linking the air permeability of multilayer fabrics with their thickness, which depends on the number of layered webs, is proposed. The air filtration mechanism in webs and multilayer fabrics is substantiated. The process of structural formation of the webs and multilayer fabrics is considered. The influence of the structure of the webs and multilayer fabrics on their air permeability is determined.

Porosity and air permeability relationship of denim fabrics produced using core-spun yarns with different filament finenesses for filling

In this article, porosity and air permeability of denim fabric produced from filament core-spun yarns with different filament fineness and yarn linear density were demonstrated. For this purpose, 110 dtex drawn textured polyester filaments with conventional, fine, and micro finenesses were used as core part, and combed cotton fiber was used as sheath part to obtain core-spun yarns with four different yarn linear density on a modified ring spinning system with the same spinning parameters. Besides the production of core-spun yarns, 100% cotton ring-spun yarns were produced as control group at the same conditions for each yarn linear density, as well. To evaluate the effect of filament fineness and yarn linear density on air permeability and total porosity, denim fabrics were obtained by using 24 yarn samples as weft at the same cover factor with four determined weft densities. Results showed that filament fineness and yarn linear density have a significant effect on total porosity and air permeability at a significance level of 0.05. In addition, high correlation (79.4%) between air permeability and total porosity of denim fabric samples was observed at a significance level of 0.01.

Preparation and properties of eccentric hollow fiber nonwovens for acquisition distribution layer

Through-air bonding is one of the thermal methods of bonding fibers in the production of nonwoven webs, and they are widely used in disposable sanitary products, especially in the acquisition distribution layer of diapers. In this article, the through-air bonded nonwoven fabrics were successfully prepared by ethylene–propylene fibers (polyethylene and polyethylene terephthalate (PE/PET)) and eccentric hollow fibers (PE/PET). The influence of process parameters such as the ratio of fibers was discussed for performance of through-air bonded nonwoven. Besides, the surface morphology, physical characteristics (thickness and breaking strength), air permeability, moisture permeation, liquid permeability, and absorption properties test of the nonwoven fabrics were investigated. The results demonstrated that the addition of eccentric hollow fiber increased the permeability, mechanical property, and the core absorption effect of the through-air bonded nonwovens. According to the results, the fabrics made of eccentric hollow fibers have good absorption and liquid transfer characteristics; the permeation time and wetback were found to be 0.85 s and 0.03 g, respectively.

PREDICTION OF AIR PERMEABILITY OF KNITTED FABRIC BY USING COMPUTATIONAL METHOD

Air permeability is one of the very important factors which need to be considered at the development stage of textile fabrics because it affects the comfort of the clothing. During normal and extreme environmental conditions human body releases heat and the heat can be controlled by the air exchange between the body and clothing microclimate and the external environment; the exchange phenomena depends on the air permeability of the fabric. The air permeability of fabric can be evaluated by both the experimental and computational methods. In this work, a computational method is used for the prediction of air permeability of fabrics. The geometrical model of weft knitted structures was generated by using the actual dimensional parameters of the fabric and was further analysed by applying appropriate boundary conditions. The simulated results obtained from computational analysis were compared to the experimental results. Furthermore, the validated models were further used to predict and analyse the effect of stitch length, stitch density and fibre volume fraction on the air permeability of the fabric.

Mechanical Assessment of Fire-off on CO/PET Fabrics

The present study investigates the mechanical properties of newly developed FR chemical Fire-off in order to assess textile service-life features. 350 g/L Fire-off finished bath was prepared and CO/PET fabric samples were treated via impregnation method. In order to investigate FR performance of treated fabrics LOI test was performed. Subsequently, fabric strength, abrasion properties and outward appearance; tensile properties, abrasion, pilling performance and whiteness of Fire-off treated fabrics were tested and evaluated. Mechanical test results showed that there was a slight increase in strength, elongation, abrasion and pilling. On the other hand, whiteness and air permeability of fabrics were decreased after Fire-off treatment.

Preparation and investigation of moisture transfer and electromagnetic shielding properties of double-layer electromagnetic shielding fabrics

In this study, a type of double-layer electromagnetic shielding fabric that combined reflection and absorption layers was successfully fabricated. Polypyrrole-coated cotton fabric was prepared by in situ polymerization and used as electromagnetic wave absorbed layer. A type of metal composite yarn containing stainless steel wire was woven into warp-knitted fabric as the reflection layer of double-layer electromagnetic shielding fabric. The electromagnetic shielding and conductive properties of double-layer electromagnetic shielding fabric were investigated in this work. Result showed that the electromagnetic shielding effectiveness could reach up to 15 dB in a large frequency range from 500 MHz to 1.5 GHz. The electrical conductivity of polypyrrole-deposited cotton fabric was 0.15 S/cm. To investigate the physiological wear comfort of prepared sample, the effect of moisture content on drying rate and air permeability was also discussed. Results indicated that the existence of polypyrrole on the cotton fabric displayed negative influence to water absorption. Furthermore, it was also found that the air permeability of electromagnetic shielding fabric decreased linearly with the increased water content in the fabric, and the air almost could not pass over the fabric when the water content reached approximately 80%. The study was designed in order to have a clear understanding of double-layer electromagnetic shielding fabric and provide advice to produce protective clothing to protect humans from electromagnetic radiation.

Evaluation of the air permeability of elastic knitted fabrics and their assemblies

PurposeThe purpose of this paper is to evaluate the air permeability of knitted fabrics containing elastane fibre and their seams applying both the new approach based on fabric thickness measurement at different pressures and standard method.Design/methodology/approachInvestigations were performed with commercially available eight polyester knitted fabrics containing different elastane yarn proportion. Bonded seams were laminated applying the urethane thermoplastic adhesive film of 0.175 mm thickness. Bonds were laminated by heat at 5.6 kPa pressure applying pressing device GTK DEA 25 R at 140°C temperature for 40 s duration. Sewn seams were assembled with 607 covering chain stitch applying 5.0 stitches per cm density and 512 overedge chain stitch applying 5.0 stitches per cm density. Specimens without and with the seams were conditioned in standard atmosphere conditions according to the standard LST EN ISO 139 before air permeability testing according to the standard LST EN ISO 9237. Standard thickness of the investigated knitted fabric was determined according to the standard EN ISO 5084. It is known from literature that the porosity is dominant factor influencing the air permeability of knitted fabrics. Therefore, the assumption was made that due to fabric porosity knitted fabric thickness being measured at different pressures also may differ. Thus, the permeability property may also be related to the difference between fabric’s thicknesses being measured under different pressures which may be applied with different material thickness gauges.FindingsThere was shown that fabric assemblies make the significant influence on the textile permeability to air. The results obtained indicate that the air permeability of the investigated knitted fabrics depends not only on their structure parameters but also on the fabric seam type. Air permeability of the specimens with the seams was lower than one of specimens without the seams. The highest decrease in permeability which ranged from 19.9 per cent up to 60.0 per cent was determined for the bonds. Fabric specimens with 607 covering chain stitch seam were in the second place with regard to the previously considered parameter. And, their permeability was decreased from 0.6 per cent up to 52.6 per cent. Changes in the air permeability of the specimens with 512 overedge chain stitch seam were lowest in the range of investigated assemblies. Based on the determined results, it was concluded that the thickness difference of the specimens with and without seams measured at different pressures is related to fabric porosity which makes the significant influence on the air permeability.Practical implicationsThe samples of investigated fabrics were taken from the two companies which manufactures leisure clothing and sportswear such as skiing or swimming costumes, etc. Thus, the obtained investigation results are significant not only for clothing science but also leads the improvement of clothing quality in fashion industry.Originality/valueAssuring the comfort of the human body is one of the most important functions of clothing, especially of sportswear and leisure wear. Knitted fabrics should not only be elastic, but also have high air permeability for easily transmit of the perspiration from the skin to the atmosphere, thus making the wearer to feel comfortable. In this research, the air permeability of commercially available polyester knitted fabrics containing different amount of elastane was investigated and the influence of fabric assemblies on the air permeability property was evaluated. A new approach based on the fabric thickness measurement at different pressures and the standard methods for the evaluation of air permeability were used.

Fabrication of super-hydrophobic cotton fabric by low-pressure plasma-enhanced chemical vapor deposition

In this paper, a super-hydrophobic cotton fabric was fabricated by low-pressure plasma-enhanced chemical vapor enhanced deposition (LP-PECVD) with lauryl methacrylate (LMA) as the functional monomer. Scanning electron microscopy (SEM), atomic force microscope (AFM) and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy were used to analyze the changes of surface morphology and chemical composition of the cotton fabrics surface, respectively. A randomly wrinkled morphology was exhibited by SEM and AFM. The combination of the low surface energy film of LMA and micro-nano-scale structure resulted in the super-hydrophobicity of modified cotton fabrics. The reactive species in LMA/Ar plasma were studied by optical emission spectroscopy, and based on the results of the test, the reaction principle in the plasma reaction chamber was discussed. It was proved that the LMA film is polymerized by chemical bonds on the surface of cotton fibers. The water repellency, washing stability, water-vapor transmission, air permeability and tensile property of fabrics were also discussed. We found that a washing-stable and breathable super-hydrophobic cotton fabric can be achieved after treatment without decreasing the tensile property.

Eco-friendly and Durable Antibacterial Cotton Fabrics Prepared with Polysulfopropylbetaine

A novel antibacterial agent polysulfopropylbetaine (PSPB) bearing carboxyl groups was synthesized and its application on cotton fabric to provide durable antibacterial property was also presented. The successful synthesis of PSPB and its immobilization onto the cotton fabric surface were verified by a series of tests including FTIR, 1H NMR, XPS and SEM. Viable cell counting method was employed to investigate antibacterial properties of the finished cotton fabrics. It was found that the cotton fabrics treated with PSPB were endowed with desirable antibacterial activity against both gram-negative bacteria Esherichia coli (E.coli, AATCC 6538) and gram-positive bacteria Staphylococcus aureus (S.aureus, AATCC 25922), with the bacterisotatic rates of 99.69 % and 99.95 %, respectively. Notably, the bacterial reduction rates still maintained over 90 % against both bacteria even after 50 consecutive laundering cycles. Moreover, tests concerning the hydrophilicity, air permeability, water vapor transmission, mechanical properties as well as thermal properties were carried out systematically. The experimental results indicated the hydrophilic performance, air permeability and moisture penetrability of the cotton fabrics finished with PSPB were improved greatly in spite of a slight reduction in thermal performance and little obvious influence on mechanical performance. The antibacterial cotton fabric has the potential to be applied in sportswear, underwear, household textiles, medical fields and much more.

Role of Knit Spacer Fabrics in Treatment of Pressure Ulcers

The article highlights some significant trends in the use of knit spacer fabrics in treatment of pressure ulcers. Healing of pressure ulcer wound is complicated and time consuming. Not only affecting the lives of patients and caretakers, but pressure ulcer also becomes the burden to the government. With the developing wound management techniques, companies have launched different wound dressing designed for pressure ulcer. However, regardless for their high price, it is rare that the wound dressing can provide good wound management and cushioning to the wound. Because of the excellent air permeability and compression performance of weft knitted spacer fabrics, it has been applied in different aspects including medical. A theory has been proposed to design a 3D knit spacer bed sheet that will allow patients with pressure ulcers to be comfortable by ensuring a low friction coefficient between their skin and the material. The friction coefficient will be reduced by not only the structure but by the 70 percent polyester, 22 percent polypropylene and eight percent spandex blend.

Application of Superabsorbent Spacer Fabrics as Exuding Wound Dressing.

Exuding wound care requires a dressing to quickly absorb exudates and properly manage moisture during the healing process. In this study, the superabsorbent spacer fabrics were designed and fabricated for application in exuding wound dressings. The fabric structure consists of three layers, including two outer hydrophobic layers made of polyester/spandex yarns and one superabsorbent middle layer made of superabsorbent yarns. In order to confirm the performance of these superabsorbent spacer fabrics, their dressing properties were tested and compared with two commercial foam dressings. The results showed that all the superabsorbent spacer fabrics had much faster wetting speeds (less than 2 s) than the foam dressings (6.04 s for Foam A and 63.69 s for Foam B). The absorbency of the superabsorbent spacer fabrics was at least twice higher than that of the foam dressings. The air permeability of the superabsorbent spacer fabrics (higher than 15 mL/s/cm2 at 100 Pa) was much higher than that of the foam dressings which had a too low permeability to be measured by the testing device. In addition, the water vapor permeability, thermal insulation, and conformability of superabsorbent spacer fabrics were comparable to foam dressings. The study indicates that the superabsorbent spacer fabrics are suitable for exuding wound dressing applications.