C. K. Chan

Using atmospheric pressure plasma treatment for treating grey cotton fabric.

Conventional wet treatment, desizing, scouring and bleaching, for grey cotton fabric involves the use of high water, chemical and energy consumption which may not be considered as a clean process. This study aims to investigate the efficiency of the atmospheric pressure plasma (APP) treatment on treating grey cotton fabric when compared with the conventional wet treatment. Grey cotton fabrics were treated with different combinations of plasma parameters with helium and oxygen gases and also through conventional desizing, scouring and bleaching processes in order to obtain comparable results. The results obtained from wicking and water drop tests showed that wettability of grey cotton fabrics was greatly improved after plasma treatment and yielded better results than conventional desizing and scouring. The weight reduction of plasma treated grey cotton fabrics revealed that plasma treatment can help remove sizing materials and impurities. Chemical and morphological changes in plasma treated samples were analysed by FTIR and SEM, respectively. Finally, dyeability of the plasma treated and conventional wet treated grey cotton fabrics was compared and the results showed that similar dyeing results were obtained. This can prove that plasma treatment would be another choice for treating grey cotton fabrics.

Artificial neural network approach for predicting colour properties of laser-treated denim fabrics

In this study, artificial neural network (ANN) and linear regression (LR) approaches are proposed for predicting colour properties of laser-treated denim fabrics. Denim fabrics were treated under different combinations of laser processing parameters, including pixel time (μs), resolution (dot per inch) and grayscale (lightness percentage) as inputs. Colour properties, including colour yield (K/S sum value), CIE L*, a* and b* values and yellowness index were predicted as outputs in these approaches. Later, the prediction performances of two approaches were compared and the statistical findings revealed that ANN approach was able to provide more accurate prediction than LR approach, especially for L value. Moreover, among the three input variables, grayscale (lightness percentage) was found to be the most important factor affecting colour properties of laser-treated denim fabrics.

Microscopic study of the surface morphology of CO2 laser-treated cotton and cotton/polyester blended fabric

This paper presents how the morphology of fibers is affected by CO2 laser treatment. The change in morphology of fibers induced by a laser affects the physical and mechanical properties of the fabric, such as water absorption, dye uptake, resistance to wrinkles and adhesion to other materials, etc. The morphology of laser-treated fibers was analyzed by scanning electron microscopy (SEM). Samples of cotton twill fabric, cotton/polyester blended twill fabric and cotton knitted fabrics with different yarn counts were studied before and after laser treatment. SEM images reveal different sizes of pores and cracks on the surface of cotton fibers. In the case of cotton/polyester blended twill fabric, the two types of fibers responded differently to laser treatment; the change in cotton fibers was slightly different from the SEM images of 100% cotton twill fabric. The number of pores and cracks on the fiber surface of cotton/polyester fabric was lower than that found in 100% cotton twill fabric. Polyester fibers melt and flow while cotton fibers are encased in resolidified polyester. For 100% cotton knitted fabrics, the thickest yarn with the lowest yarn twist exhibited the largest change when compared with fabrics knitted with lower yarn counts. The degree of change of fiber surface modification was enhanced with an increase of laser processing variables.

Effect Of Surface Treatment On The Properties Of Wool Fabric

Wool fiber is commonly used in textile industry, however, it has some technical problems which affect the quality and performance of the finished products such as felting shrinkage, handle, lustre, pilling, and dyeability. These problems may be attributed mainly in the presence of wool scales on the fiber surface. Recently, chemical treatments such as oxidation and reduction are the commonly used descaling methods in the industry. However, as a result of the pollution caused by various chemical treatments, physical treatment such as low temperature plasma (LTP) treatment has been introduced recently because it is similarly capable of achieving a comparable descaling effect. Most of the discussions on the applications of LTP treatment on wool fiber were focused on applying this technique for improving the surface wettability and shrink resistance. Meanwhile, little discussion has been made on the mechanical properties, thermal properties, and the air permeability. In this paper, wool fabric was treated with LTP treatment with the use of a non-polymerizing gas, namely oxygen. After the LTP treatment, the fabrics low-stress mechanical properties, air permeability, and thermal properties were evaluated and discussed.

Thermal Comfort Property of Uniform Fabrics of Selected Hong Kong Hospitality Industries

Comfort is one of the most important attributes demanded by modern clothing consumers. It reflects the psychological feeling of a wearer, featured by three latent independent sensory factors: thermal comfort, tactile comfort, and psychological comfort. This paper presents a detailed discussion of the mechanisms influencing different thermal variables on the basis of the thermal comfort properties of 12 commercial types of uniform materials collected from different sources with various fiber content, blend composition, fabric weave, color and end uses. Results generated include thermal conductivity, air permeability and moisture permeability since it is well established that the movement of heat, moisture and air through a fabric are the major factors governing clothing thermal comfort. The initiated research is intended to enable a quantitative analysis of the comfort properties of uniform fabrics currently in use. The results will help establish comfort levels for a wide range of fabric types and assist in fabric selection during uniform product development. In addition, this study might have potential application to other clothing products as well.

Relationship Between Physical and Low-stress Mechanical Properties to Fabric Hand of Woollen Fabric with Fusible Interlinings

Relationships among physical properties, low-stress mechanical properties and hand value of woollen fabric with and without fusible interlinings were examined. Subjective evaluation and objective measurements were analysed statistically. The results reveal that thickness, weight and adhesive density properties of woollen fabric with fusible interlinings impact hand value. Further exploration of adhesive point density, thickness and weight show effect on the lowstress mechanical properties from high to low in order. This study provides new theoretical insights on hand value and lowstress mechanical properties of woollen fabric with interlinings which is predicted by physical properties. It provided a convenient method for choosing request interlining for woollen fabric using for men’s suits.

Effect of Plasma Treatment on Cotton Desizing

As a significant amount of water, chemicals and energy are incurred in the preparation process of cotton materials, the handling of waste water and the associated chemical disposal is costly and the side effects that are resultant of the wastes affect the environment. Cost efficiency and environment protection are emphasized in this generation, and as a result, the textile industry is seeking for more cost saving and environmentally friendly cotton preparation processes as an alternative to conventional wet chemical processing. Moreover, the combination of both physical and chemical treatments will be the trend for future textile processing to achieve the desired fabric properties in a more flexible way. The application of plasma treatment on textile material has been proven successful in altering material performance without affecting its bulk properties, and also plasma treatment has been considered as a potential alternative to the conventional chemical wet treatment. Background information on plasma and the effects of atmospheric pressure plasma treatment on cotton fabrics are reviewed. Comparisons are made between conventional enzyme and plasma desizing.