Optimization and prediction of overall moisture management capacity of cut-protective fabric

This study focuses on optimizing and predicting the moisture management capacity of cut-protective fabric made from multicomponent hybrid yarn comprising a polyester inner sheath, high-performance polyethylene (HPPE) outer sheath and stainless steel (SS) core. Box–Behnken response surface design was employed to investigate the relationships between yarn parameters and moisture management capacity. Regression and analysis of variance revealed significant effects of SS fiber diameter, HPPE linear density and yarn twist level. The quadratic model showed best fit, with predicted and adjusted R2 values of 0.9313 and 0.8076, respectively. Optimal moisture management capacity was achieved with SS fiber diameter of 40–45 µm, HPPE linear density of 350–400 denier and yarn twist of 400–450 m−1, yielding a desirability score of 1.0. The model demonstrated good predictive accuracy, with a mean relative error of 1.48% and root mean square error of 0.0060, confirming close agreement between experimental and predicted values.