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The use of nonwoven fabrics in garment has been, up to now, purely functional and hidden from view. In fact, their uses have been limited to garment interlining in the apparel industry. Felted structures from wool have been limited to the craft market for the production of art and craft objects of decoration. This paper aims to compare the mechanical and thermo-physical comfort properties of a woven wool, a felted wool fabric, a felted wool/polyester and two non-woven synthetic fabrics for apparel use.

Fabric samples were sourced locally. Five fabric samples were selected: one woolen woven, one felted woven, one polyester/wool non-woven and two non-woven synthetic fabrics. The wool fabric was felted by mechanical action using the Wascator FOM 71P machine. All fabric samples were conditioned before they were tested for their mechanical and thermal comfort properties as per standard test methods.

The comparative study of the mechanical and thermal properties of the five fabric samples have been successfully investigated as textile materials for commercial garments. In terms of fabric stiffness, drape and handle, the two non-woven synthetic fabrics were, in general, poorer than the woven wool and the felted woven wool fabrics. The synthetic non-woven fabrics also performed poorly in terms of serviceability. But it was found that the nonwoven synthetic fabrics were best suited when thermal insulation is required and were found to be better than the woven felted wool fabric of comparative weight per unit area.

The value of this study is that it demonstrates the scope of felted woolen structures and other synthetic nonwovens fabrics as usable materials, in part or in full, in the development of apparel for winter wear especially in cold environments and where aesthetic appeal is secondary.

The aim of this study is to determine the fracture behavior of wool felt and fabric based epoxy composites and their responses to electromagnetic waves.

Notched and unnotched tensile tests of composites made of wool only and hybridized with a glass fiber layer were carried out, and fracture behavior and toughness at macro scale were determined. They were exposed to electromagnetic waves between 8 and 18 GHz frequencies using two horn antennas.

The keratin and lignin layer on the surface of the wool felt caused lower values to be obtained compared to the mechanical values given by pure epoxy. However, the use of wool felt in the symmetry layer of the laminated composite material provided higher mechanical values than the composite with glass fiber in the symmetry layer due to the mechanical interlocking it created. The use of wool in fabric form resulted in an increase in the modulus of elasticity, but no change in fracture toughness was observed. As a result of the electromagnetic analysis, it was also seen in the electromagnetic analysis that the transmittance of the materials was high, and the reflectance was low throughout the applied frequency range. Hence, it was concluded that all of the manufactured materials could be used as radome material over a wide band.

Sheep wool is an easy-to-supply and low-cost material. In this paper, it is presented that sheep wool can be evaluated as a biocomposite material and used for radome applications.

The combined evaluation of felt and fabric forms of a natural and inexpensive reinforcing element such as sheep wool and the combined evaluation of fracture mechanics and electromagnetic absorption properties will contribute to the evaluation of biocomposites in aviation.

The breaking strength compromises fabric wearing out during wear of garments and is a determining parameter in their useful life. Thus, it is intended to compare the efficacy of each method concerning the understanding of results, which is, the explanation of the phenomenon, namely through statistical models which characterize abrasion strength, measured by each method, as a function of fabric assurance by simple testing (FAST) parameters.

The simulation of abrasion mechanism was done on Martindale wear and abrasion tester, following two ways: the weight loss and two yarns breakage methods. The average weight loss of a fabric was determined among four specimens (in mg/5,000 cy). Fabric abrasion was done against a standard wool fabric under a 12 KPa pressure. In the two yarns breakage method, the number of abrasion cycles required to break two yarns is determined according to Woolmark Company TM 112 test standard.

In general, no better models to explain abrasion strength by the breakage of two yarns method are achieved when FAST variables are considered respecting those based on classical ones. However, for woollen fabrics, there is an interesting model, which gathers classical and FAST variables with higher explanation: shear rigidity and polyamide composition. This allows one to conclude that this FAST parameter performs an important role in the abrasion behaviour of fabrics.

As the abrasion consequences cause fabric degradation, a better understanding is obtained of the different abrasion stage mechanisms, which explain both evaluation methods: breakage of two yarns and weight loss. It is intended to gather conditions for a future definition of a single and comprehensive evaluation methodology of abrasion.

Teaching formats for both BA/MA students and MBA/PhD students in sustainable entrepreneurship and strategic management are offered in the teaching notes.

This case juxtaposes the company’s core values of gender equality, sustainability and inclusivity, with the financial pressures of expanding global operations in COVID-19 times.

This case illustrates the founding and growth of i-did in the broader context of the global circular textile industry. Being the first company that reclaims value of discarded textiles by making design products out of felt, the dilemma is on how i-did can create a blueprint for sustainable leadership in a scalable (financial) business case.

The learning outcomes of this case are as follows: to understand the concepts of circular economy and social impact and how they can be translated to business; to apply their knowledge of strategy and entrepreneurship for sustainable business innovation; to be able to analyze a company according to the Sustainable Development Goals, specifically around gender issues, inclusivity and diversity; to evaluate opportunities for multiple value creation in business; and to have the knowledge and capacity to create a circular business with the help of the Business Model Template.

This case engages students in critically reflecting on sustainability concepts in relation to i-did (theoretical value) and applying novel business model innovation tools to a real-world enterprise (practical value). The students get the chance to explore the ethical challenges the two entrepreneurial leaders face between short-term economic gains (or maybe even survival) and their core values of (gender) inclusivity, circularity and diversity.

Teaching notes and a summarizing two-pager are available for educators.

CSS 3: Entrepreneurship.

The purpose of this paper is to consider the thermal‐physiological comfort performances of a sport shirt made of a polyester (PES) fabric with incorporated activated carbon. After having characterized the modified PES fabric in Part I, the results of a wear trial campaign are shown and discussed in this work.

The wear trials have been carried out under a controlled physical activity. A short‐and‐intense effort and an intermittent effort of milder intensity were carried out twice by each volunteer: once wearing a shirt made of the modified PES fabric and the other one wearing an analogous shirt made of a conventional PES fabric.

When sweating was moderate, the modified PES shirt was judged as more comfortable on the average. As the effort became harder, the modified PES fabric turned out to be less comfortable than the conventional one. In the final recovery stage, the conventional PES was still more comfortable than the modified PES. This behaviour was justified according to the findings of Part I: at the beginning, the prevailing effect was the adsorbing ability of carbon particles that buffer sweat impulses, giving the user a pleasant dry sensation. Then, when sweating became intense, the lower evaporative cooling of the modified PES fabric became the key factor governing the physiological comfort of the garment. This is confirmed by a slightly higher skin temperature measured during the modified PES fabric trials. Finally, a post‐exercise chill sensation was felt with the modified PES fabric, due to a longer drying time.

The paper presents a comprehensive study of the thermo‐physiological comfort of a fabric containing activated carbon particles.

The dependence of seam slippage values on fabric construction parameters makes this property an interesting case for study.

In this study, made on a significant wool and blended fabrics sample, the seam slippage was measured, either in warp direction (weft yarns slip), or in weft direction (warp yarns slip), using a specially equipped load‐elongation tester. Testing was done following the TM 117 Woolmark Company test method.

For most fabrics, the conventional variables that impact seam slippage most seriously are opacity, polyamide content, finish type and cover factor.

Since this research does not deal with the variable of yarn crimp in fabrics, it is the cover factor that plays the central role, as the property determining seam slippage. The yarns with lower cover factor (less crimped) are in less danger of slipping between the perpendicular yarns (more crimped) and vice versa.

Based on the equations given, and changing the most relevant variables concerning the explanation of the fabric seam slippage property, the fabric properties can be optimised for specific end‐uses.

Optimisation of seam slippage in fabric design.

The study aimed to clarify differences in fabric hand perceptions among Japanese and Chinese participants and implement online shopping strategies that enable consumers to easily recognize fabric texture.

Forty (20 Japanese and 20 Chinese) participants knowledgeable about clothing and fabric were recruited. Participants evaluated fabric by sight and touch in a visuotactile experiment (VTE). The stimulus material comprised 39 fabric samples representing a broad range of fabric attributes (7 fibers, 5 weaving/knitting techniques and 3 yarn thicknesses and density). A Mann–Whitney U test and a factor analysis were conducted to determine differences in responses for the different fabric variables.

The fabric hand perceptions factors were similar between both groups. Japanese participants showed a stronger preference for fabrics that felt wet. Japanese participants’ fabric hand perceptions had a 3-factor structure, while Chinese participants had a 2-factor structure. Chinese participants regarded “crisp” as perceptually and linguistically equivalent to “stretchy.”

The study’s findings suggest that Chinese people have stronger preferences in fabrics than Japanese people do. Japanese people evaluate fabric hand in a more nuanced manner than Chinese individuals, including discerning different fabric attributes, such as fiber and yarn thickness and density. Thus, nationality may influence fabric hand perceptions more than fabric knowledge does. Specifically, in evaluating “crispness,” the results required further analysis because differences in nationality may have affected evaluations regarding perception and linguistic perspectives. The findings provide design guidelines for implementing online shopping strategies adapted to each participant group.

The purpose of this paper is to investigate thermal protection provided by the fire fighting fabric systems with different layer under high-level thermal hazards with a typical temperature range of 800-1,000°C. The purpose of these fabric systems was to provide actual protection against burn injuries using garments worn by industrial workers, fire fighters and military personnel, etc.

The fabric system was consist of glass with aluminum foil as an outer layer, non-woven basalt, non-woven glass fabric containing NaCl-MgCl₂ and Galactitol phase change materials (PCM) which simulate multilayer fire fighter protective clothing system. Thermal protective performance tests were applied for thermal analysis and used as an attempt to quantify the insulating characteristics of fabrics under conditions of flash over temperature. The surface of fire fighting multilayer protective fabric has been characterized using the UV-Vis-NIR (ultraviolet-visible-near infrared) spectrophotometer

The clothing shows good thermal insulation and high-temperature drop during flash over environment and avoid second degree burn. The current PCM obvious advantages such as the ability to work in high temperature, high efficiency a long period of practical performance.

Using this design of composite multilayer technology incorporating two stages of PCM may provide people with better protection against the fire exposure and increasing the duration time which was estimated to be more than five minutes to prevent burn injuries.

Plans a wear simulation of assembled textile structures by sewing, basing the study on the submission of standardized seams carried out on 40 wool fabrics and blends containing wool to a series of 20 cycles of fatigue, including: washing, drying and submission to a static mechanical load under determined characteristics and steam ironing. Seams in the warp and weft directions were performed on. Examines the following parameters: fabric strength and elongation to break; seam strength and slippage; seam efficiency; seams’ opening limit and both the modulus at 1mm and at break, along the fatigue cycles. Analyses results obtained in function of the seam directions and fatigue cycles.

Friction is considered to be one property of cloth that has considerable importance in the fields of both technological and subjective assessment for surface properties of textile fabrics. The purpose of this study is to investigate the affective aspects of yarn and fabric structural parameters on the behavior of surface friction of plain woven fabrics.

In this study, nine varieties of half-bleached cotton plain-woven fabrics with three weft yarn count (tex) and three weft thread density (ppc) are produced and will be examined for their frictional characteristics. The surface frictional properties of plain-woven fabrics were measured by using Kawabata (KES-Fb4) testing instrument. The ANOVA analysis is used to determine how yarn (count) and fabric (density) structural parameters does influence the surface friction properties of the fabrics. Also, the interaction effects between the factors (count and density) on the response variable (surface friction) of plain-woven fabrics.

The findings of this study revealed that the effects of weft yarn count and pick-density have statistically significant on the frictional behavior of the fabric surface properties at a 95% confidence interval. Thus, weft yarn count has a positive correlation with both coefficient of friction (MIU) and mean deviation of coefficient of friction (MMD) on frictional behavior of the fabric surface properties. On the other hand, pick density has a negative correlation with both MIU and MMD on frictional behavior of the fabric surface properties. The weft count, pick density and their interactions (Count X Density) have multicollinearity in the experiment term because the variance inflation factor values were greater than one.

The findings of this study can be routinely used across the textile industries and laboratories to provide a fundamental understanding regarding the surface frictional properties of the woven fabric for different end applications concerning the yarn structural parameters and fabric structural parameters. And the relationship of count and density with surface friction of plain woven fabrics.