Dimensional properties of spun viscose single jersey knitted fabrics

Abstract

Weft knitted fabrics are manufactured by interlacement of loops and the dimensions of these loops govern the fabric properties. The stable loop configuration governs the properties of the weft knitted fabrics, especially their dimensional stability and shape retention properties. Dimensional properties of weft knitted fabrics have been one of the most discussed areas in the textile industry as well as in research fields. The dimensional stability of single jersey knitted fabrics during various wetting and drying operations has been the subject of numerous studies during the last decade. During the process of relaxation, different weft knitted fabrics approach the minimum energy state in different ways. Dimensional properties of weft knitted fabrics made from moisture absorbent fibres like cotton and wool has been extensively studied by a number of research workers and very useful information has been provided. The dimensional properties and relaxation behavior of weft knitted fabrics made from viscose fibres has been given little attention. Viscose rayon fibres are moisture absorbent, easy to dye, comfortable, drapes well, soft to the skin and have a silk like aesthetic. As viscose fibres are widely used in weft knitted garments, greater attention and information is needed to understandiv the relaxation and shrinkage behavior of those fibres, which should be beneficial for their optimal use. The research work mainly deals with the effect of fibre type, yarn twist, yarn shrinkage, fabric structure, stitch length, dimensional stabilization methods and relaxation treatments on dimensional properties, dimensional constants and dimensional changes of spun viscose single jersey knitted fabrics. The analysis of dimensional properties, dimensional constants and dimensional changes of spun viscose single jersey knitted fabrics helps to study the performance of spun viscose single jersey knitted fabrics in terms of dimensional stability and shape retention. In order to study the effect of yarn shrinkage on the dimensional changes of spun viscose single jersey knitted fabrics, electronic wet yarn shrinkage tester has been designed. The effect of yarn twist and stitch length on dimensional properties of the spun viscose single jersey knitted fabrics were carried out with three levels of yarn twist and stitch length under dry, wet and fully relaxed states. Viscose ring spun yarns of 14.76 tex with 20.69, 23.27 and 25.72 turns per inch was made to study the effect of yarn twist on dimensional properties of the spun viscose single jersey knitted fabrics. It was found that there is significant contribution of yarn twist on dimensional properties and dimensional changes of the spun viscose single jersey knitted fabrics.