Thermal comfort properties of single jersey fabrics made from recycled polyester and cotton blended yarns

Abstract

Thermal comfort properties of single jersey fabrics made from recycled polyester and cotton blended yarns have been studied. Single jerseys knitted fabrics are prepared with different recycled polyester blend ratios, linear density and loop lengths. Box and Behnken, a three level three variable factorial design technique has been used to study the interaction effects of the variables on the characteristics of fabrics. The influence of these variables on thermal comfort properties of fabrics is studied, their response surface equations are derived and design variables are optimized. Fabric becomes thinner, lighter and more porous with the increase in recycled polyester in blend ratio and loop length, whereas thicker, heavier and less porous fabric is resulted with the increase in linear density. Similarly, the increase of linear density results in thicker, heavier and less porous fabric with higher thermal conductivity, lesser air permeability and thermal resistance and high relative water-vapor permeability at medium linear densities. Loose structure results in thinner, lighter and more porous fabric with higher thermal resistance, air permeability and relative water-vapor permeability, and lesser thermal conductivity.