RELATION BETWEEN STRUCTURAL PARAMETERS AND DRYING PROPERTIES OF COTTON KNITTED FABRICS

Drying time of textile product is an important comfort parameter that determines the evaporation speed of sweat or moisture from the fabric. The effect of structural difference on the drying properties of various knitted fabrics was evaluated in this study. Drying time and water absorption behavior of various single and double jerseys knitted structures were measured. The relation between drying time and water absorption percentage to the fabric thickness, tightness factor and areal weight was statistically analyzed. Strong correlation was found between drying time and the studied parameters. A new parameter “fabric linear weight” was also derived from the studied parameters in order to model the drying time of knitted fabrics mathematically. When drying time was considered, it was found that pique knit dried faster, while it took longer time to dry the three-thread fleece knit. On the other hand, the water absorption percentage of eightlock sample was the highest among all samples. A new drying test approach was also proposed to measure the static drying time of knitted fabrics capable of comparing the effect of different knitted structures.