Kawabata Evaluation System For Fabrics Research Articles

Evaluation of the Wetness of Pantiliners

This study makes an objective evaluation of the wetness of pantiliners based on their physical properties and a subjective evaluation of the wetness of commercially produced pantiliners, based on subjective hand evaluation tests and wear trials performed by female subjects. The heat, air, and water transport properties of the pantiliners were measured using the Kawabata Evaluation System for Fabric (KES-FB) system, while the subjective wetness of the samples was analyzed using physical parameters. The wetness of pantiliners could be predicted from the water transport property. Those pantiliners that were evaluated as wet showed a large maximum value of heat flux under the wet condition ( qmax-wet). The qmax-wet value is one of the key parameters for evaluating the wetness of hygiene products.

Effects of Softeners on Mechanical Properties of Cotton Fabric

Most commercial textile materials are given a “soft finish” for the comfort of the wearer. This paper investigates the effects of two levels of concentration for six commercial softeners on cotton knitted fabrics. The fabric properties are measured by using the Kawabata Evaluation System for Fabrics (KES-FB). It is found that the application of softeners reduces the bending properties of interlock knitted fabrics due to the reduction in inter-yarn friction as the result of the lubrication effect of the softeners. For most softeners, a higher level of concentration leads to a softer fabric, but the optimum concentration level depends on the exact chemistry of the softener. Furthermore, the application of softeners does not reduce the shear properties of the knitted interlock fabric as expected. The main reason is that the shear deformation of a knitted structure is due to the stretching of the loops rather than inter-yarn movement as in the case for woven fabrics. The increased stability of the fabric after softener application makes the fabric more resistant to shear deformation. Therefore, for interlock knitted fabrics, shear properties are not reliable indicators of the softening effect.

Do mechanical tests of glove stiffness provide relevant information relative to their effects on the musculoskeletal system? A comparison with surface electromyography and psychophysical methods

The main purpose of the present study was to test the construct validity of two mechanical tests of glove stiffness using a surface electromyography (SEMG) methodology that would allow estimating the effect of glove stiffness on forearm muscle activation during a standardized grip contraction. The mechanical tests [free-deforming multidirectional test (FDMT) and Kawabata Evaluation System for Fabrics (KESF)] were applied on 27 gloves covering a wide range of stiffness. In 30 human subjects, a psychophysical assessment of these gloves was also carried on in addition to the SEMG test. The results showed that the sensitivity of the different tests to glove stiffness differences was slightly better for the FDMT (75% sensitivity) than for the psychophysical assessment (72%), while the SEMG test showed much lower sensitivity (13–31%, depending on the muscle). The SEMG test was highly correlated to the psychophysical assessment (0.88–0.95, depending on the muscle tested), and the FDMT (0.88–0.94) and KESF (0.77–0.86) mechanical tests, showing the construct validity of mechanical tests, particularly for the FDMT. It was concluded that mechanical tests provide relevant information relative to the effect of glove stiffness on the musculoskeletal system of the forearm.

Effect of enzymatic treatment and reactive dyeing on the low stress mechanical properties of linen fabric

The present study was concerned mainly with the assessment of the modification of low stress mechanical properties of linen fabric that were induced by enzymatic treatment. In addition, the effect of dyeing with reactive dye on the enzyme treated linen fabric on the low stress mechanical properties were also investigated. Kawabata Evaluation System for Fabric (KES-F) instrument was used for assessing the low stress mechanical properties, i.e. tensile, shearing, bending, compression, and surface properties. Experimental results showed that the enzymatic treatment could alter those properties to different extent depending much on the concentration of enzyme used.

Physical interpretation of pulling-out curve based on a new apparatus

A new apparatus that measures multiple mechanical properties through a single test in principle has been developed and presented, which could be used for handle evaluation of textile materials. The characterization system of the handle properties of fabrics and yarns (CHS-FY) is also capable of measuring mechanical properties, including the weight, bending, friction, and tensile behaviour, through just one pulling-out measurement. The measurement principle and structure of the CHS-FY system is described and the relations between mechanical properties and indexes of the pulling-out curve are investigated in the paper. The extraction force and distance curve was obtained and have been compared with the mechanical behaviour of fabrics as determined by Kawabata's Evaluation System for Fabrics (KES-FB) system. The mechanical properties correlate well with the characteristic indexes of the pulling-out curve, and the pulling-out curve could be divided into several steps, which include weight, bending, friction, and tensile behaviour. The steps mentioned above were validated from deformation by constructing a three-point beam structure. The high accuracy and correlations between mechanical behaviour and the pulling-out curve indexes show that the CHS-FY system is effective in measuring and characterizing the mechanical properties of fabrics.

Plasma technology in wool

The textile industry processes a large quantity of fibres obtained from various animals of which wool is commercially the most important. However, it has some technical problems which affect the quality and performance of the finished products such as felting shrinkage, handle, lustre, pilling and dyeability. These problems may be attributed mainly to the presence of wool scales on the fibre surface. The scales are relatively hard and have sharp edges which are responsible for causing fibre directional movement and shrinkage during felting. Furthermore, the scales also serve as a barrier for diffusion processes which will adversely affect the sorption behaviour. In recent years, there has been an increase in the modification of wool surface scales by physical means such as mechanical, thermal and ultrasonic treatments, and chemical methods such as oxidation, reduction, enzyme and ozone treatments which can solve the felting and sorption problems to a certain extent. Hitherto, chemical treatments are still the most commonly used descaling methods in the industry. Owing to the effect of pollution caused by various chemical treatments, physical treatments such as plasma treatment have been introduced recently as they are capable of achieving a similar descaling effect. Since the 1960s, scientists have successfully exploited plasma techniques in materials science. The plasma technologies have been fully utilised to improve the surface properties of fibres in many applications. The fibres that can be modified by plasmas include almost all kinds of fibre such as textile fibres, metallic fibres, glass fibres, carbon fibres, fabrics and other organic fibres. Plasma-treated wool has different physical and chemical properties when compared with the untreated one. The changes in fibre properties alter the performance of the existing textile processes such as spinning, dyeing and finishing to produce a series of versatile wool products with superior quality. Therefore, the aim of this monograph is to give a critical appreciation of the latest developments of plasma treatment of wool. In this monograph, different surface treatments of wool including plasma treatment will be precisely described. Since plasma treatment can be used to alter material surfaces by removing outer layers, thus the method of generation of plasma and the reaction mechanisms between material surface and plasma species will be highlighted in this monograph. Similar to other chemical reactions, the factors such as (i) the nature of gas used, (ii) gas flow rate, (iii) system pressure and (iv) discharge power affecting the final results of plasma treatments will be described. The main content of this monograph includes the application of plasma treatment on wool under different industrial conditions such as dyeing and shrinkproofing processing which will be reported and discussed respectively. In addition, the common analytical methods such as Scanning Electron Microscopy, X-ray Photoelectron Spectroscopy and Fourier Transform Infrared Spectroscopy with Attenuated Total Internal Reflectance mode analysis employed for characterising the surface properties of plasma-treated wool will be discussed. Based on the surface characterisation results, more details about the mechanism of plasma treatment that affects the wool processing such as dyeing and shrinkproofing can be explored. In the latter part of the monograph, the serviceability of plasma-treated wool fabrics is discussed and the possibility of applying the plasma-treated wool fabric to industrial use is evaluated based on standard performance specification, e.g. ASTM. The fabric performance in terms of tailorability and sewability are also discussed with reference to the Kawabata Evaluation System for Fabric (KES-F) results. As the plasma process is a “dry” process, i.e. the water used in the plasma system can be recycled, thus it can solve the industrial effluent problem resulting in providing an effective means for the modification of wool fabrics.

Characterization of protective gloves stiffness: Development of a multidirectional deformation test method

A test method was developed to characterize the stiffness of protective gloves as perceived by users by applying multidirectional deformations to the material to simulate the behavior of gloves in use. Twenty eight protective glove models covering a broad range of stiffness were characterized with two mechanical methods: the new multidirectional test and the Kawabata Evaluation System for Fabrics (KESF) based on uniaxial deformations. Some differences were observed between the longitudinal and transversal KESF measurements even for isotropic materials. A psychophysical evaluation test was also carried out by thirty subjects in order to rank the gloves. The correlation between the psychophysical evaluation and the new multidirectional test method was higher ( r = 0.93) than those obtained with the KESF measurements along the longitudinal and transversal directions (respectively r = 0.79 and 0.76). This better performance of the new test method is attributed to the difference in the type of applied deformations: uniaxial for the KESF test vs. multidirectional for the test method developed in this study. Thus, this multidirectional test method, which applies more realistic mechanical deformations, appears as a promising tool for the characterization of protective gloves stiffness as perceived by users.

Objective evaluation of the Tencel fabric after fibrillation

The low-stress mechanical properties of Tencel fabric were examined by means of the Kawabata Evaluation System for Fabrics (KES-F) before treatment and after each process of fibrillation, namely (1) desizing, (2) primary fibrillation, (3) enzyme treatment, (4) secondary fibrillation and (5) dehydratingandtumbledrying.Itwasfoundthatthesurface, tensile, shearing, bendingandcompression properties were altered after each processing step. The changes in these properties are related closely to the inter-fibre/inter-yarn frictional force.

Development of thermoregulating textile materials with microencapsulated phase change materials (PCM). IV. Performance properties and hand of fabrics treated with PCM microcapsules

AbstractPolyester knit fabrics were treated with phase‐change‐material microcapsules by a pad–dry–cure method with a polyurethane binder. The treated fabrics were evaluated in terms of the thermal properties, air permeability, moisture vapor permeability, moisture regain, low‐stress mechanical properties, and hand, with respect to the add‐on of microcapsules. The surface morphology of the treated fabrics was investigated with scanning electron microscopy. The low‐stress mechanical properties of the treated fabrics, including the tensile, shear, bending, surface, and compression properties, were measured with the Kawabata evaluation system for fabrics (KES‐FB). As the add‐on increased, the heat storage capacity of the treated fabrics increased. The treated fabric with 22.9% add‐on was capable of absorbing 4.44 J/g of heat. The air permeability and moisture vapor permeability decreased, whereas the moisture regain increased, with an increase in the add‐on. The tensile linearity and geographical roughness increased, whereas the resilience, bending, and shear properties decreased with an increase in the add‐on. The fabrics became stiffer, less smooth, and less full as the add‐on increased, and thus the total hand value decreased. © 2005 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Appl Polym Sci 97: 910–915, 2005

Evaluating the Physical and Fabric Hand Characteristics of Lyocell Fabrics Made with Different Wood Pulps

Four different kinds of wood pulp are used to make lyocell fabric and its intermediate products, and each is evaluated in terms of its physical characteristics and fabric hand values measured with the Kawabata Evaluation System for Fabrics. The rank orders of fiber, yarn, and fabric characteristics as a whole suggest that H4 pulp is ranked highest for its physical characteristics, thus producing textile intermediates with higher strength and dimensional stability than the other pulp types. Comparing such physical results with the KES-FB rank orders, it appears that high strength and stability along with high elongation and crimp factors are less significant for characterizing fabrics with higher hand values. For lyocell fabrics made from yarns with higher CV%, the results are more favorable for increasing the hand values of numeri, fukurami, sofutosa, and shari characteristics, and such fabric hand as a total is an important requirement for women’s suit fabrics.

Structural characterization of textile fabrics using surface roughness data

The surface of the textile fabrics is not absolutely flat and smooth. Its geometrical roughness within certain extents is considerable. The surface roughness influences the fabric hand and it plays a significant role in the end use of the fabric. In parallel, the periodic variations of the fabric surface level due to the regular interlaced patterns of the yarns cause a respective variation of the geometrical roughness measurement. Thus, the fabric roughness data measured using the Kawabata Evaluation System for Fabrics and imposed to a certain process of numerical calculations result into the retrieval of the structural parameters of the fabric. The principle of the method has a non‐destructive character and can be applied to woven or knitted fabrics.

Textile Drape as Mechanical Phenomenon

The paper copes with the based on the continuum mechanics simulation of the textile drape. A textile surface is treated as linear elastic two-dimensional Cosserat continuum with independent in plane and out of plane material properties. Bending stiffness and in plane shearing stiffness measured with the Kawabata Evaluation System for Fabrics (KES-F) are used in the calculations. Other necessary material constants in the model, which are not measurable in a direct way with the KES-F and which are introduced in the model, are assumed. To solve the equilibrium equations of the system the Finite Element Method (FEM) is used. An implementation of the arc-length algorithm makes the tracing of the full equilibrium path (pre-buckling, critical and post-buckling behaviour) possible. The paper proves that the simulation of the textile drape with the methods of continuum mechanics can be done regarding measured material mechanical properties and carrying out a stability analysis. By now, the stability analysis has not been examined by the FE textile researchers. Therefore neither critical and post-buckling phenomena nor the ambiguity of the textile behaviour have been described or explained sufficiently.

A New Computerized Data Acquisition and Analysis System for KES-FB Instruments

The Kawabata evaluation system for fabrics (KES-FB) has been commonly used to measure fabric mechanical behaviors related to hand. However, the data acquisition and analysis technique for this system is obsolete and time-consuming. The purpose of this study is to develop a new data acquisition and analysis system for the KES-FB instruments using LabVIEWTM software and corresponding hardware (National Instruments). Windows-interface programs for each KES test method are created with the LabVIEW system. In order to validate this data acquisition system, twenty apparel fabrics are tested using both the original KES-FB data recording method and the new computerized data processing method. Linear regression and variance analysis are used to compare tested results and evaluate repeatability and variability within the two data acquisition methods. The R2 values of most linear regression models are close to 1.00, indicating that the KES data system has been successfully updated.

Characterizing Polyester Fabrics Treated in Electrical Discharges of Radio-Frequency Plasma

Polyester (PET) swatches are treated with an electrical discharge plasma of a reactive atmosphere (tetrachlorosilane) to graft chlorosilane groups, subsequently hydrolyzed to very hydrophilic hydroxysilane groups. The Kawabata evaluation system for fabrics (KES-FB), high resolution microscopy, and surface tension measurements are used to investigate the physical properties of the fabrics before and after plasma exposure. The results show that the surface parameters are considerably modified by the treatment.

Application of cluster analysis to fabric classification

This paper introduces a new way of classifying clothing fabrics objectively. Representative apparel fabrics were collected and measured by the Kawabata Evaluation System for Fabrics (KES‐FB). The disjoint clustering method was used to divide fabrics into four clusters, each representing particular fabric performance and end‐use characteristics. These classified clusters were further analyzed applying the method of principal‐component analysis to acquire factor patterns that indicate the most important fabric properties for characterizing different fabric end‐use. Extracted information from the instrumentally obtained data in terms of fabric physical properties is useful to fabric and garment producers, apparel designers, and consumers in specifying and categorizing fabric products, in insuring proper fabric use, and in controlling fabric purchase.

Quality Control of Silicone Softener Application

In this paper, the effect of silicone softener application on low-stress mechanical and surface properties of textile materials is investigated using the Kawabata evaluation system for fabrics. Regression equations are derived to describe the influence of the treatment conditions—temperature, curing time, and softener concentration—on mea sured KES characteristics. The physicomechanical parameters of most correlation in teractions and the importance of end quality are outlined. This work provides an ap proach for selecting KES parameters that are appropriate for quality control in silicone softener application.

Effect of Fabric Mechanical Properties on Drape

We investigate the relationship between the fabric drape coefficient from the Cusick drapemeter and mechanical properties tested on the Kawabata Evaluation System for Fabrics (KES-F) for woven fabrics. This is the first attempt at determining a compre hensive relationship between the fabric drape coefficient and mechanical properties. Drape coefficient ( DC) is the dependent variable. Sixteen mechanical properties tested on the KES-F system and their transformed forms are the independent variables. Four regression models are proposed: the multiple linear regression of the DC with KES-F original data, Niwa's model, logarithms for KES-F data, and logarithms for both the DC and KES-F data. Except for an initial run with Niwa's model, the mechanical properties correlated to drape coefficient are reduced to three or four by screening out intercor related parameters using stepwise regression. The regression results are analyzed in terms of correlation coefficients, residuals. and T values. The version with logarithms for mechanical properties and drape coefficient seems to be more accurate. We know that bending and shear properties are close related to drape coefficient. and this analysis shows that two other parameters—mean deviation of friction coefficient and tensile linearity—are also highly correlated with drape coefficient and may be independent.

Comparison of Mechanical Properties of Shirting Materials Measured on the KES-F and FAST Instruments

This study compares the test results of the FAST system (fabric assurance by simple testing) with those of the KES-F (Kawabata evaluation system for fabrics) for two series of twenty-two shirting materials in terms of their low-stress fabric mechanical properties of bending, shear, and tensile deformation. The first series of eighteen shirting fabrics, ranging in weight from 96 to 170 g/m2, was sampled from a leading Hong Kong shirt manufacturer. The second series of four denim shirting fabrics, ranging in weight from 199 to 217 g/m 2, was later included to test the validity of extrapolating the relationships observed for the first series of eighteen shirting materials. Despite some considerable differences in the measurement principles of the two testing systems, there are highly significant correlations between the parameters obtained from the test results of the two systems.

A Parametric Study of Fabric Drape

This paper presents a study of the effect of important fabric mechanical properties on drape. The study uses a mathematical modeling technique to simulate fabric drape. Young's modulus in the warp and weft directions, shear modulus, Poisson's ratio, and fabric thickness are the parameters studied in this work. Results of the analysis indicate that all of these characteristics have varying degrees of influence on drape. The validity of using experimental values of fabric mechanical characteristics obtained from the Kawabata evaluation system for fabrics is discussed. The most important requirement for obtaining a good simulation is the use of correct values for these parameters, obtained experimentally at conditions similar to drape.

Objective Evaluation for the Sense of Handling of Fabric for Skin-Like Sheets.

The sense of handling of nylon knitted fabric for skin-like sheets was evaluated objectively using their mechanical and surface properties. The tested fabrics are composed of knitted fabric for panty hose and a soft film with resin. The samples are different in the knitting type (wooly, shear, and support), resin, and the way of gluing. A translation formula from the characteristic values to the values of sense was derived. The characteristic values of the mechanical and surface properties were measured for each sample with the KES-F (Kawabata Evaluation System for fabrics). The values of sense of the samples were evaluated by 11 ladies. The subjective values given by the translation formula agreed well with the objective ones. The characteristic values of biaxial extension properties were found very dominant.