Effect of silicone treatment on hand value of cotton handloom fabrics

Abstract

Cotton handloom woven finished fabrics have been treated with silicone softener in order to improve the hand value by overcoming the inherent drawbacks, such as harsh feel of handloom fabrics, so as to make them suitable for readymade garments. Evaluation of the hand values of handloom fabrics in terms of bending stiffness, surface roughness and softness have been conducted by using simple and cheaper instruments/techniques, like Shirley stiffness tester, digital image processing methods and fabric feel tester. It is observed that with the increase in concentration of silicone softener there is an improvement in the softness as well as smoothness of the fabrics. Consumers experience a better feel when they touch the silicone treated handloom fabric or the garment by their hand.