Search results

Firefighters are exposed to high outdoor temperature and heat stress caused by metabolic activities during firefighting and should wear protective clothing to ensure their safety and health. Traditional firefighter protective suits are bulky and heavy garments with reduced thermal comfort properties since the fabric thickness and moisture barrier layers prevent heat transfer of the garment and cause additional heat stress. The aim of this study is to reduce heat stress by creating a new fabric design with silica aerogel membrane as a moisture barrier for three-layer fabric system.

Polyacrylonitrile (PAN) nanofibers were produced with three different silica aerogel contents and used for three-layered clothing system as a moisture barrier for giving desired protectiveness and thermal comfort to firefighters. Different fabric combinations were designed using two types of outer shell fabrics, two types of moisture barrier fabrics, two types of thermal barrier fabrics and PAN/silica aerogel membranes.

The results show that a lighter fabric system with improved wearer’s mobility and thermal comfort properties (thermal resistance and moisture permeability) is achieved with the use of PAN/silica aerogel membrane as an intermediate layer compared to commercial thermal protective fabric systems.

Differently from traditional thermal protective clothing, which may not provide adequate protection in long-term heat conditions or when exposed to flash fire, a new thermal protective clothing has been developed to be used in extremely hot environments, providing desired technical and performance properties, ease to wear comfort.

The liquid water and water vapour transfer properties of fabrics play an important and decisive role in determining thermal comfort properties of clothing systems. The purpose of this paper is to analyse the effects of fabric composition (98 percent cotton–2 percent elastane and 100 percent cotton) and finishing treatments (rigid, resin, bleaching and softening) on the wicking, drying and water vapour permeability (WVP) properties of denim fabrics.

The research design for this study consists of experimental study. Two fabric compositions (98 percent cotton–2 percent elastane and 100 percent cotton) and four finishing treatments (rigid, resin, bleaching and softening) were evaluated to see the effects of elastane and finishing treatments on wicking, drying and WVP properties of woven denim fabrics. Results were analysed statistically.

Experimental results showed that the transfer wicking, drying and WVP values of denim fabrics were significantly influenced by fabric weight, fibre composition and finishing treatments.

The wicking ability of sweat from the skin to the outer environment of a skin contact fabric layer is the primary requirement.

As a result of the literature review, it was seen that there are some studies in the literature about comfort properties of denim fabrics, but there is no study concerning the water vapour transmission, wicking and drying properties of denim fabrics.

The purpose of this paper is to analyse dynamic drape behaviour of eight different types of woollen fabrics each treated by three different finishing processes.

A new apparatus was used to evaluate the dynamic drape formation process of woollen fabrics during the rotation of the samples at different speed grades of 0 (static drape), 30, 60, 90, 120, 150 and 180 rev/min for each sample. The computerised image analysis method was used to measure the drape coefficients (DCs).

As a result of experiments, it was found that shearing, calendaring, pressing processes affected the drapability and drape behaviour negatively, but belt pressing treatment and decatising process improved the drapability and the drape behaviour for all fabrics. Furthermore, there is a reverse relationship between fabric weight and drape behaviour. As the fabric weight increases, DC value increases due to the increase of fabric tightness.

To date, although many researchers have studied the static draping behaviour, the studies regarding the dynamic drape behaviour of the fabrics are quite limited to an extent. Besides, none of these studies regarding the drape behaviour have investigated the effects of different finishing processes on the drape behaviour of wool fabrics.

Surgical gowns should be designed and produced using special techniques to provide barrier properties against potential risks during surgery and healthcare procedures. Ultrasonic welding is one of these methods used to produce surgical gowns with determined barrier properties. The purpose of this paper is to analyse bond strength and permeability properties of ultrasonically welded nonwoven fabrics and compare them with traditional sewing techniques.

In this study, ultrasonic welding of nonwovens was performed to demonstrate its use as an assembly method. Performance requirements in the design of surgical gowns were determined. Fabric strengths and bond strengths of ultrasonic-welded and traditionally sewn fabrics were analysed. The performance properties, i.e., bond strength, air and water resistance of the fabrics and the joints obtained by ultrasonic and classical sewing methods were studied.

As a result, it was found that ultrasonic welding technique is a suitable method for joining layers in surgical gown production bringing the advantages of high water resistance together with acceptable bond strength.

The current study focuses on the use of ultrasonic welding of nonwovens used for disposable protective surgical gowns. Ultrasound welding technique was presented as an alternative to classic assembly methods and ultrasonic welding technology was applied to different fabric combinations simulating different layers in different joining sections of a surgical gown.

The main factors affecting consumers when selecting denim garments are aesthetic, appearance and fashion. Besides these factors, comfort and performance properties of the denim garments during usage are very important. The purpose of this paper is to determine the effects of different finishing processes on the performance properties of 100 percent cotton and 98 percent cotton+2 percent elastane denim fabrics.

The research design for this study consists of experimental study. In order to evaluate the effects of finishing on the performance properties of fabrics, eight types of fabrics were selected for evaluation. Rigid, resin, bleaching and softening type fabrics with and without elastane were analyzed statistically.

The results obtained in the study clearly showed that the types of finishing and elastane fiber in the fabric structure had a significant influence on mechanical and comfort properties of denim fabrics.

As a result of the literature review, it was seen that there were limited studies concerning mechanical, functional and comfort properties of denim fabrics together. In this study, the effects of finishing processes on the tear strength, stiffness, drape, mechanical and thermal comfort characteristics were deeply evaluated.

Sleep is a vital and a basic activity of human life and it is a physiological need for human body. Sleep quality is directly influenced by the comfort conditions of sleep environment. The purpose of this paper is to define the role of textile materials utilized as bed fabrics on air and mass transfer from the human body.

Thermal conductivity, thermal resistance, thickness, water vapour permeability and air permeability properties of fabrics were analyzed and statistically evaluated. Thermal conductivity and resistance measurements were performed in Alambeta test instrument. Water vapour permeability tests were done according to the Rotating Platform method, and air permeability was measured in FX 3300 Textest air permeability tester. Relationships between comfort parameters were statistically evaluated with correlation analysis.

Comfort is a major concept in the determination of overall life quality as well as sleep quality of a resting person. Therefore academic studies about thermal comfort prediction of sleep environment and bed surface fabrics are of great importance. This study investigates conventional mattress ticking fabrics in terms of comfort parameters and defines the important fabric properties on comfort parameters.

Sleep comfort is a promising area in textile comfort studies with its dynamics different from body thermal comfort during daily life. However, in general comfort studies are about garment materials which are in direct contact with the skin. This study tries to define the comfort status of textile materials which have indirect contact with the human body surface during sleep duration.

Knitted fabrics containing elastane provide high level of comfort and ease of usage because of the elastic and drape properties over the body. Knitted fabrics respond to every movement of the body and return back to its original shape easily so they are used widely for apparel production. The most important properties required from the elastic knitted garments are wear comfort, fit, breathability and durability. The purpose of this paper is to analyse the effect of elastane yarn count and ground yarn count on the performance properties of 12 single jersey knitted fabrics were analysed after dying.

The research design for this study consists an experimental study. In all, 12 fabrics containing half plating and full plating elastane were produced using 30/1-40/1 Ne yarn counts. Bursting strength, stretch recovery, residual extension, air permeability, spirality and drape properties of fabrics were evaluated.

As a result of study it was found a certain effect as the elastane amount and count changed. For all types of knitted fabrics, bursting strength values increased and fabric spirality values decreased as the elastane amount and elastane yarn count increased. Also it was found a significant relationship between elastane amount and count with air permeability, spirality, bursting strength and drape.

As a result of the literature review, it was seen that the effects of elastane amount, elastane yarn count and fabric yarn count on the performance properties of knitted fabrics has not been studied broadly.