Studies on low-stress mechanical properties of polyester/cotton suiting fabrics

Abstract

<span style="font-size:11.0pt;line-height:115%; font-family:" calibri","sans-serif";mso-ascii-theme-font:minor-latin;mso-fareast-font-family:="" "times="" new="" roman";mso-fareast-theme-font:minor-fareast;mso-hansi-theme-font:="" minor-latin;mso-bidi-font-family:"times="" roman";mso-ansi-language:en-us;="" mso-fareast-language:en-us;mso-bidi-language:ar-sa"="">The effects of different stages of finishing such as scouring, mercerisation, heat-setting, polyester dyeing, cotton dyeing and finishing on low-stress mechanical properties of polyester-cotton suiting fabrics have been studied. It is observed that the finished fabrics have tensile energy, tensile resilience and elongation of the order of the grey fabric, but smaller bending and shear values. In general, scouring and dyeing soften the fabrics, resulting in smaller bending and shear values, whereas mercerisation and heat-setting stiffen the fabrics, resulting in higher values. On the contrary, yarn bending rigidity and hysteresis values after dyeing are higher compared to those after mercerisation and heat-setting. This shows that the structural changes have played far greater role in deciding the fabric properties.</span>