Optimizing the Cotton and Cotton / Modal Blended Fabric Properties on Single Jersey Machinery

Abstract:

Knitted fabrics are widely used in clothing due to their unique stretch ability, which is completely different from the woven fabric behavior. All regenerated cellulosic fabrics have the same chemical composition, yet they differ in their molecular properties, which leads to different behaviors during their processing and in the final service ability of the produced garment.

Therefore, the main objective of this research work is to optimize the single jersey machine setting, mainly the input tension, using different cotton and Modal blend. In this research study, four different blends of cotton and Modal yarns (100% cotton, 50/50 Cotton / Modal, 70/30 Modal/Cotton and 100% Modal) were produced on the same knitting machine with different yarn input tension ranging from 2 CN to 14 CN. All the produced fabrics were half bleached and dyed under identical dyeing conditions and two different finishing methods. The dimensional properties, physical properties, some mechanical properties, shrinkage and the difference in color shade were measured for the produced fabrics.

Material and Methods:

In this research work, 30/1 ring spun 100% cotton, 50/50 Cotton / Modal, 70/30Modal / Cotton and 100% Modal yarns were used to produce single jersey knitted fabrics.

Fabric Production:

All the fabric samples were produced on Mayer and Cie S4-3.2 single jersey circular knitting machine with 24 gauge, 1944 total number of needles, 26 inch diameter and 84 feeders. The loop length was kept constant at 2.8 mm. All grey fabrics were half bleached and then dyed in the same manner with two different finishing lines. Then they were left to reach the full relaxed state. The yarn input tension is measured electronically in CN using MLT WESCO device.