Development of biodegradable tri-blended fabrics with improved moisture management properties using cotton/polylactic-acid/bamboo-viscose fibres

Abstract

The influence of fibre blend composition on the moisture management properties of tri-blended cotton-rich knit fabrics with biodegradability has been studied. The cotton, polylactic acid and bamboo-viscose fibres are blended to produce yarns of 14.7 tex (40s Ne) with four different blend proportions, namely 60/20/20, 50/30/20, 50/20/30 and 40/30/30. The yarns are then knitted into a single jersey structure of 130-135 gsm, followed by its scouring, bleaching and relaxation treatments. The relaxed fabrics are then evaluated for dynamic moisture transport properties using the SDL Atlas moisture management tester. The moisture management test results indicate that blending polylactic acid fibres with cotton and bamboo-viscose fibres improves the blended fabric's moisture management properties. The overall moisture management capability value is found to be better for cotton/polylactic-acid/bamboo-viscose blended fabric in the proportion of 50/30/20.