Thermal Comfort Properties of Rib Knit Structures in Relation to Fibre, Yarn and Fabric parameters

Knitted fabrics owing to their excellent stretch ability, good handle and comfort properties are preferred for sportswear, casual wear and intimate wear. Today's consumers seek both comfort and aesthetic appeal while choosing apparels and accessories. Comfort is the predominant factor for clothing layer in immediate skin contact to ensure dry feel next to skin. Therefore, the challenge while designing apparels and accessories entails both functional and aesthetic considerations. A gamut of fibre, yarn and fabric variables influence the comfort aspects of textiles. The present study was undertaken to engineer rib knit structures with varying fibre, yarn and fabric characteristics and designing next to skin accessories thereof. Polyester-cotton blended fabrics exhibited higher thermal resistance, lower thermal conductivity and better moisture vapor transfer properties compared to their viscose-cotton counterparts. Viscose-cotton fabrics on account of their lower thermal resistance, were found to be suitable for summer wear accessories intended for static/low physical activity level. However, PET/C fabrics were found to be suitable choice in cold weather conditions owing to superior thermal properties. PET/C and V/C fabrics showed an increase in thermal resistance and decrease in air permeability and water vapor permeability as the polyester and viscose filament denier was increased. Fabrics developed by feeding two yarns separately through different feeders were found to be more permeable to air and water vapor as compared to their counterparts. Furthermore, the application of antimicrobial finish imparted antimicrobial properties to treated fabrics with more zone of inhibition.