Fibers and Polymers 2019, Vol.20, No.

11, 2416-2425 ISSN 1229-9197 (print version)

DOI 10.1007/s12221-019-9119-1 ISSN 1875-0052 (electronic version)

Mechanical and Thermal Properties of Knitted Fabrics

Produced from Various Fiber Types
E. Oner*
Textile Engineering Department, Usak University, Uşak 64000, Turkey
(Received February 1, 2019; Accepted May 30, 2019)

Abstract: Although there are several parameters affecting fabric behavior, one of the most important factors that determines
the fabric properties is the fiber type and its features. Many types of natural and chemical fibers can be used according to the
usage areas and expected performance characteristics from the fabrics. Therefore, it has great importance to know the effects
of fiber types, which have different sources, structures and properties, on the fabric properties. In this study, the performance
and thermal comfort properties of nine different knitted fabrics made from natural, regenerated and synthetic fibers were
investigated. Within this scope, air permeability, abrasion resistance, bursting strength, thermal properties such as thermal
conductivity, thermal diffusivity, thermal resistance and thermal absorptivity of knitted fabrics made from different fiber
types were measured. In general, it is concluded that the characteristic properties of the fibers are important in determining
the mechanical and thermal properties of the fabrics.
Keywords: Knitted fabric, Natural fiber, Regenerated fiber, Synthetic fiber, Mechanical properties, Thermal properties

Introduction produced from the new fibers such as modal, micromodal,

Raw material is one of the most important factors
affecting the physical and chemical properties of textile
materials. For this reason, fiber type, fiber property, fiber
blending condition and fiber processing are very critical to
meet the expected features according to the usage area of the
clothing. In the past years, there were only natural fiber
types such as cotton, wool, silk, linen, hemp, ramie and jute
etc. that could be used as textile products in human life.
Since the production of rayon fibers called artificial silk in
1910, the production and use of artificial fibers have rapidly
developed [1]. Within this period, the fiber diversity of the
manufacturers has increased and the possibility of using
many fiber types with different properties has been created.
All fibers have different advantages and disadvantages, and
their priorities vary according to their usage area and
intended purposes. In order to provide better characteristics
in clothing systems, it is tried to combine the advantageous
properties of the fibers and to prevent disadvantageous sides
of the fibers by blending [2]. This is the reason why some
researchers focus on the analyzing the effect of the fibers
and their blends on some properties of the fabrics and
clothing.
Frydrych et al. [3] compared the thermal properties of
cotton and Tencel fabrics and their results indicated that
Tencel fabrics have lower thermal conductivity and thermal
absorption than cotton fabrics. Stanković et al. [4] investigated
the thermal properties of hemp, cotton and viscose knitted
fabrics and they found that fabrics produced from hemp
fibers or their blends exhibit thermal properties at a
comparable level to cotton and viscose fabrics. In the study
of Cimilli et al. [5], some comfort properties of the socks
*Corresponding author: eren.oner@usak.edu.tr
bamboo, soya fiber and chitosan were examined. According
to their results, it was seen that the fiber type has markedly
effect on the comfort properties, and the chitosan, modal,
and viscose fabrics showed better performance than the
other fabrics. Majumdar et al. [6] researched the thermal
properties of the knitted fabrics made of cotton, bamboo and
their blends, they showed that the thermal conductivity
decreases with the proportion of bamboo in the blend
increases. Bivainytė et al. [7] investigated the thermal
properties of the cotton, bamboo, polyamide, polypropylene
and polyester knitted fabrics, and they showed that bamboo
and synthetic blends have lower thermal conductivity than
others. An et al. [8] evaluated thermal and sensorial
properties of cotton, bamboo and soybean blended knitted
fabrics, they found that bamboo makes the fabric softer,
while soybean makes no improvement in thermal and
sensorial properties. Mikučionienė et al. [9] investigated the
physical properties of cotton, bamboo and viscose knitted
fabrics, and they indicated that the raw material of the
fabrics affects not only the thermal properties but also the
physical properties. Tausif et al. [10] examined the mechanical
properties of the knitted fabrics made from polyester/
bamboo and polyester/cotton, they showed that polyester/
bamboo blends have higher mechanical properties than
polyester/cotton fabrics. Atasagun et al. [11] researched the
performance properties of the knitted fabrics produced from
Viloft fiber and natural, synthetic blends, they showed that
mechanical properties of the polyester blends have higher
than others. Karthikeyan et al. [12] presented the thermal
properties of bamboo, Tencel and bamboo-tencel blended
knitted fabric and they noted that thermal conductivity
increases with increase in the proportion of bamboo. Sular et
al. [13] compared the performance properties of Polylactic
acid and the other natural, regenerated and synthetic knitted

2416
Mechanical and Thermal Properties of Various Fiber Types Fibers and Polymers 2019, Vol.20, No.11 2417

fabrics, according to their results polyester and its blend feeling features [15]. Cotton fibers were selected as
fabrics came to the forefront with high bursting strength reference raw material in this study. Flax is a bast fiber used
values. Basit et al. [14] examined the thermal and mechanical to produce linen yarns, fabrics and clothing. Flax fibers
properties of cotton, bamboo, modal, Tencel and viscose consist of many individual fibrils held together by a natural
woven fabrics, and they found that Tencel fabrics have cellulosic adhesive material [16]. The thermal properties and
excellent mechanical and comfort properties. chemical resistance of linen products make it suitable for
When the studies in the literature are examined, it is seen many consumer applications and consumer finds linen
that there is a lack of a comprehensive study that deals with fabrics as comfortable with cool feeling. Linen knitted
natural, regenerated cellulose, regenerated protein and fabrics were produced as an alternative natural fiber type in
synthetic fiber varieties together and examines the mechanical this study.
and thermal properties of these fibers together. Therefore, The major man-made cellulosic fiber is rayon produced by
this paper purposes to describe the effect of fiber solution of a cellulose source followed by forcing of the
characteristics on the mechanical properties such as bursting solution through a spinneret and subsequent regeneration to
strength and abrasion resistance and the thermal properties form the fiber [16]. The most known rayon as viscose which
such as thermal resistance, thermal conductivity, thermal is first generation regenerated cellulosic fiber was chosen in
absorptivity, thermal diffusivity, thermal resistance and air this study. Another type of cellulosic rayon is modal fibers,
permeability of the knitted fabrics. which are produced by process giving a high tenacity and
wet modulus [17] and these fibers were also used in the
Experimental study. Bamboo fiber is produced from bamboo pulp, which
is extracted from the bamboo stem and leaves by wet
Materials spinning [10]. Bamboo fibers were selected in this study
In the present study, nine different kinds of fiber types because of they are frequent characterized by comfort
were used to produce 29.5 Tex ring-spun yarns. Natural features in the literature. Tencel is a lyocell fiber obtained by
(cotton and flax), regenerated cellulosic (viscose, modal, dissolving cellulose in N-methyl morpholine oxide and
bamboo and Tencel), regenerated protein (zein) and produced with wet spinning technique. Because of using
synthetic (polyester and polyamide 6.0) fibers were chosen. non-toxic process and coagulation bath, Tencel fibers are
Knitted fabrics with nine different fiber types were produced called ecofriendly [18]. Zein is the name given to herbal
on Shima Seiki SSG 234SV flat knitting machine with protein in corn. Zein fiber is produced by dissolving proteins
machine gauge of 7 and needle bed of 90 inch at constant from corn in dilute alkali and forcing these solutions through
machine settings and at the same tension. All fabrics were a spinneret into an acid-formaldehyde coagulating bath [16].
knitted with single jersey knitting type. Knitted fabrics were Zein fibers were selected for this study in order to represent
only treated by softening and washing processes. The regenerated protein fibers.
properties of knitted fabrics produced in the study are Polyethylene terephthalate polyester is the major synthetic
presented in Table 1. fiber in manufacture volume and owes its popularity to its
Cotton fibers are known as the main raw material of textile versatility alone or as a blended fiber in textile products.
and they have critical importance textile market. Cotton is This generic type of polyester was chosen in this study.
closely pure cellulose fiber and it forms from polymeric Polyamide 6.0 is a type of polyamide fibers which have the
cellulosic chains. Consumers commonly choose cotton placement of the amide groups in a continuous head-to-head
products with its natural hand, bulky, softness and comfort arrangement [16]. These fibers are generally known as
strong and durable fibers useful in a wide range of textile
Table 1. Basic properties of the knitted fabrics applications, and they were selected in this study to analyze
Courses Wales Weight Thickness
their characteristics.
Fiber type
per cm per cm (g/m2) (mm)
Methods
Cotton 13.2 9.6 220.16 1.16
The knitted fabrics were laid on a flat horizontal surface
Linen 12.4 9.2 213.02 1.04 for full relaxation and condition for 24 hours at standard
Viscose 12.4 8.0 199.81 0.94 atmospheric conditions (20±2 oC, 65±2 % relative humidity)
Modal 10.4 8.4 180.60 0.89 before the tests in accordance with ASTM D1776/D1776M-
Bamboo 12.4 9.2 203.64 0.92 15.
Tencel 10.8 9.2 183.16 0.97 Air permeability measurements were performed with
Zein 12.8 9.6 207.38 0.98
Textest FX 3300 Air Permeability Tester. Tests were
repeated 10 times for each knitted fabric at 20 cm2 applied
Polyester 12.4 8.4 224.28 1.12
test area under 100 Pa test pressure, l/m2/s measurement unit
Polyamide 6.0 12.0 8.8 210.42 1.10 were determined according to ASTM D737-04 (2012) test
2418 Fibers and Polymers 2019, Vol.20, No.11 E. Oner

standards.
Abrasion resistance measurements of the knitted fabrics
were performed by James Heal Nu-Martindale Abrasion and
Pilling Tester according to ASTM D4970/D4970M-10e1.
Abrasion resistance of the fabrics was determined according
to the cycle at the breakage of the sample (Number of cycles
were noted when first thread is broken).
Bursting strength measurements were performed by James
Heal TruBurst Bursting Strength Tester, by selecting 7 cm2
test area, and according to ASTM D3786/D3786M-09.
Measurements were repeated five times for each knitted
fabric. Bursting strength (kPa) and bursting distension (mm)
values were determined for all knitted fabrics.
Alambeta testing device, which was invented by Hes et al.
[19,20], was utilized to measure the thermal conductivity, Figure 1. Air permeability results of the fabrics.
thermal diffusivity, thermal absorptivity and thermal
resistance properties of the knitted fabrics. The contact correlations were obtained as expected (r=-0.810 for
pressure was 200 Pa in all measurements and all tests were weightiness and r=-0.671 for thickness). On the other hand,
carried out six times under standard atmospheric conditions. round cross sections of Tencel and modal fibers lead to a
In accordance with the experimental plan, air permeability, lower surface area with more fabric porosity. Bamboo and
abrasion resistance, bursting strength, bursting distension, zein fibers have a grooved structure, which provides a large
thermal conductivity, thermal diffusivity, thermal absorptivity surface area that leads to lower porosity [14]. Cotton and
and thermal resistance of the knitted fabrics were measured linen fabrics have the lowest air permeability, which may be
and the obtained results were evaluated in 95 % confidence due to hairy structure of natural fibers. Polyester and
interval (α=0.05) using IBM SPSS 23.0 statistical software polyamide fabrics have showed high air permeability values
by applying variance analysis. Besides, varying groups despite their high weightiness and thickness values. This
according to fiber types were determined multiple comparison result may be caused by the smooth surface structure of
Student-Newman-Kuels (SNK) post hoc test. synthetic fibers. According to the One-way ANOVA analysis
it is seen that air permeability values of the fabrics are
Results and Discussion significantly different between each other statistically
(p<0.05). SNK post hoc test results according to the air
In this study, air permeability, abrasion resistance, bursting permeability are given in Table 2.
strength, bursting distension, thermal conductivity, thermal As seen in the SNK post hoc results for the air
diffusivity, thermal absorptivity and thermal resistance of permeability values, cotton fabrics form a separate group
knitted fabrics having nine different kinds of fiber type were with the lowest values, and regenerated cellulosic fibers as
investigated. The results of the measurements were evaluated Tencel and modal fabrics take place with the highest values.
and fiber characteristics were analyzed.
Table 2. Results of SNK post hoc tests of the air permeability
Air Permeability
values
Air permeability is the measure of air flow passed through
fibers, yarns, and fabric structure. This parameter is one of Subset for α=0.05
Fabric N
the most important parameters that determines the 1 2 3 4 5
permeability and breathability of the fabrics, and it is also Cotton 10 796.67
associated with the porosity of the fabric [21]. The air Linen 10 1246.67
permeability measurement results are presented in Figure 1.
Zein 10 1346.25
When the air permeability measurement results are
Bamboo 10 1746.52
examined, it is seen that Tencel, modal and viscose fabrics
have the highest values whereas cotton and linen fabrics Polyamide 10 1943.35
have the lowest values. The reason for the higher air Polyester 10 2046.53
permeability of the Tencel, modal and viscose fabrics in this Viscose 10 2153.33
test group can be related to the lowest weightiness and Modal 10 2473.37
thickness values of these fabrics. Considering correlations Tencel 10 2573.50
between air permeability-weightiness and air permeability-
Sig. 1.000 0.505 1.000 0.059 0.505
thickness measurement results, significant and negative
Mechanical and Thermal Properties of Various Fiber Types Fibers and Polymers 2019, Vol.20, No.11 2419

It is also seen that synthetic fibers as polyester and Table 3. Results of SNK post hoc tests of the abrasion resistance
polyamide fabrics take place in the same group with no values
statistical difference in terms of air permeability. Regarding Subset for α=0.05
to this post hoc test, it can be said that synthetic fibers Fabric N
1 2 3 4 5
chosen for this study have the similar air permeability
Tencel 3 11000.00
behavior. On the other hand, it is understood that regenerated
protein fibers as zein fabrics have lower permeability Viscose 3 12666.67
capacities than regenerated cellulosic fabrics. Bamboo 3 15333.33
Modal 3 17333.33
Abrasion Resistance Zein 3 22000.00
Abrasion can be defined as a loss of substance from a Cotton 3 24000.00
material resulting from mechanical processing, which can be Linen 3 29000.00
achieved in several ways. When a fabric is rubbed against a
Polyester 3 36333.33
rigid surface, abrasion of the fabric starts from fiber surfaces
by friction. In the literature, fiber breakage has been reported Polyamide 3 49000.00
to be the most important mechanism causing abrasion Sig. 1.000 0.025 0.505 1.000 1.000
damage in fabrics, and abrasion resistance is expected to be
related to the mechanical characteristics of the fibers [22].
The abrasion resistance results of the fabrics having different Regarding to the variance analysis it is determined that
fiber types are illustrated in Figure 2. abrasion resistance values of the fabrics are significantly
According to the abrasion resistance measurements, different between each other statistically (p<0.05). SNK post
polyamide fabrics have the highest resistance values, hoc test results in accordance with the abrasion resistance
followed by polyester fabrics among the fabrics used in this are presented in Table 3.
study. As Hu stated, natural and regenerated cellulosic fibers SNK post hoc test results show that the main differentiation
are more susceptible to mechanical damage compared to among the effects of the fiber type is provided by polyamide
synthetic fibers [23]. Hu also indicated that, polyamide fabrics with the highest values and Tencel fabrics with the
fibers due to have high elongation, elastic recovery and work lowest values. In addition, it takes attention that cotton and
of rupture have a good ability to withstand repeated linen fabrics take in same sub-group, and viscose, bamboo
distortion, are generally considered to have the best abrasion and modal fabrics take in same sub-group, which means that
resistance [23]. Linen fabrics not only show moderate they have similar effect on the abrasion resistance.
abrasion resistance, but also they have higher values than
cotton and other regenerated fabrics. Zein fabrics as Bursting Strength and Bursting Distension
regenerated protein fiber have higher abrasion resistance Bursting strength tests are generally used for knitted
values than regenerated cellulosic fabrics. On the other hand, fabrics, which do not have such distinct directions where the
it is noteworthy that Tencel fabrics have the lowest abrasion strength is at a maximum, and which is stressed in all
resistance values among all fabrics. This finding can be
related with the high fibrillation degree of Tencel fibers,
which causes hairy fabric surface and high friction [24].

Figure 2. Abrasion resistance results of the fabrics. Figure 3. Bursting strength results of the fabrics.
2420 Fibers and Polymers 2019, Vol.20, No.11
directions at the same time during using [25]. In the bursting
strength feature of the fabric, the fiber strength, which is the
ability of fiber resistance to external damage, is a largely
effective parameter. The bursting strength measurement
results of the knitted fabrics made of different fiber types are
shown in Figure 3.
Bursting strength measurement results show that polyester
and polyamide fabrics have the highest values whereas
viscose fabrics have the lowest values. The high crystalline
region ratio and the polar structure of the polyester fibers
may have caused these fabrics to give high strength values.
Although the viscose rayon is cellulose, it has a much lower
degree of polymerization than cotton fibers [2]. Therefore,
viscose fabrics are less resistant than cotton fabrics. Among
regenerated cellulosic fibers, Tencel fabrics have the highest
strength values, and bamboo fabrics have lower strength
than Tencel and modal. This result is also in agreement with
the results of Basit et al. [14], who studied the mechanical
properties of cotton, Tencel, modal, viscose and bamboo
fabrics. On the other hand, zein, which is a regenerated
protein fiber, comes immediately after Tencel in terms of
bursting strength. It is noteworthy that, natural fiber as linen
fabrics have very high bursting strength values. As Franck
[26] indicated that flax fibers are one of the fibers with high
strength in natural fibers because of the high crystalline
regions. Linen fabric has higher strengths; as flax fiber has
higher strength.
The difference between bursting strength values of the
knitted fabrics was found statistically significant according
to the variance analysis (p<0.05). The SNK post hoc test
results according to fiber type for the bursting strength
values are given in Table 4.
According to SNK test results, knitted fabrics are divided
into three subsets for bursting strength values. It is
remarkable that viscose fabrics are separated from other
fabrics with statistically significance for strength values and
Table 4. Results of SNK post hoc tests of the bursting strength
values
Subset for α=0.05
Fabric N fibers are characterized by their high extensibility properties
1 2 3
Viscose 5 446.66
Bamboo 5 506.38
Modal 5 525.62
Cotton 5 553.86
Zein 5 568.42
Tencel 5 571.94
Linen 5 572.36
Polyamide 5 580.82
Polyester 5 583.50
Sig. 1.000 0.111 0.225
E. Oner
Figure 4. Bursting distension results of the fabrics.
formed a group of its own. Another regenerated cellulose
fibers bamboo and modal fabrics are placed in the second
group for bursting strength with lower values.
In order to observe the elongation ability of knitted fabrics
made of different fiber types, bursting distension values
were measured during bursting strength tests. The results of
these measurements are shown in the Figure 4.
According to the bursting distension results, it is observed
that linen fabrics have the lowest distension values whereas
polyamide fabrics have the top distension level. High
crystallinity of the cellulosic component of the flax fiber,
resulting in low extensibility of linen fabrics [26]. Linen
fabrics are generally wrinkling quickly due to the same
reason. Similar with this study’s finding, Kernaghan [27]
showed comparative stress/strain curves for flax and other
certain cellulosic fibers, and indicated that high tensile
strength but low extensibility and elongation at break of flax
fiber, compared to other cellulosic fibers. The polymers of
long-chain polyamides in the structure of polyamide 6.0
fibers cause the high elongation ability [16]. According to
the findings, zein fabrics as regenerated protein fiber attract
attention with their high bursting distension values. Zein
similar to wool fibers [2], and this may have caused these
fabrics to give high bursting distension values. In terms of
regenerated cellulosic fibers, it is seen that the distension
values of these fabrics are higher than natural cellulosic
fibers as cotton and linen fabrics. It was also referred in the
literature that regenerated cellulose fibers such as Tencel
modal and bamboo have higher elongation ability than
cotton fibers [10,14,28].
The effect of fiber types on the bursting distension was
found statistically significant (p<0.05). Among the measured
bursting distension values of the knitted fabrics, the results
of SNK post hoc test applied according to fiber type are
Mechanical and Thermal Properties of Various Fiber Types Fibers and Polymers 2019, Vol.20, No.11 2421

Table 5. Results of SNK post hoc tests of the bursting distension

values
Subset for α=0.05
Fabric N
1 2 3 4
Linen 5 12.05
Cotton 5 12.56 12.56
Bamboo 5 13.08 13.08
Modal 5 13.28
Viscose 5 14.56
Tencel 5 14.58
Polyester 5 15.58
Zein 5 15.98
Polyamide 5 17.16 Figure 5. Thermal conductivity results of the fabrics.
Sig. 0.071 0.126 0.112 0.384

properties of the fabric, especially thickness. The quantity of

illustrated in Tables 5. fiber in the unit area increases and the amount of air layer
The SNK post hoc test results show that, linen fabrics are decreases as the fabric thickness and weightiness increases
separated from the other fibers by taking place in the first [31]. Pearson bivariate correlation analysis, which showed
sub-group with the lowest strength value. Cotton and high correlation coefficient between thickness and thermal
bamboo fabrics are included in the first and the second sub- conductivity values (r=0.736), applied to the data supports
groups. Synthetic fibers as polyester and polyamide fabrics this finding. In addition, among the fabrics used in the study,
are located in the same group with high values, and zein it can be said that natural fibers have the highest values,
fabrics are also located in this sub-group with disassociating synthetic fibers and regenerated protein fiber zein follow
from other regenerated fibers. them, and regenerated cellulosic fibers have the lowest
thermal conductivity values.
Thermal Properties The difference between thermal conductivity measurement
Heat transfer in dry conditions occurs with conduction, results of the knitted fabrics was found statistically
convection and radiation. Fabrics interpose a barrier to the significant (p<0.05). The results of SNK post hoc test, which
heat transfer to or from the environment, and amount of was applied according to the fiber type, are presented in
transfer depends on the temperature difference and the Table 6.
resistance to transfer of the fabric [29]. Thermal properties When the results of SNK post hoc test are evaluated, it is
of textiles such as the thermal conductivity, thermal observed that regenerated fibers are located at first and
diffusivity, thermal absorptivity and thermal resistance are second subsets, synthetic fibers are located at same sub-
mainly influenced by fiber properties, fabric construction,
clothing design and surrounding temperature and humidity.
In this study which examined the effect of fiber type on Table 6. Results of SNK post hoc tests of the thermal conductivity
fabric thermal properties, the mentioned properties were values
measured and evaluated by considering the fiber type. Subset for α=0.05
Thermal conductivity is a fundamental characteristic of a Fabric N
1 2 3 4 5
fabric that indicates its capability to conduct heat [30]. The
Tencel 6 0.0328
thermal conductivity measurement results of the knitted
fabric produced from different fibers are presented in Figure Modal 6 0.0334 0.0334
5. Bamboo 6 0.0349
Thermal conductivity results show that cotton fabrics have Viscose 6 0.0353
the highest values and that linen, polyester and polyamide Zein 6 0.0355
fabrics follow them respectively. On the other hand, Tencel Polyamide 6 0.0361
and modal fabrics have the lowest thermal conductivity Polyester 6 0.0372
values among all fabrics. When the results are carefully
Linen 6 0.0429
examined, it is observed that the thermal conductivity value
increases as the fabric thickness and weight increases. The Cotton 6 0.0509
thermal conductivity mainly depends on the structural Sig. 0.485 0.061 0.225 1.000 1.000
2422 Fibers and Polymers 2019, Vol.20, No.11 E. Oner

diffusivity values. The highest thermal diffusivity of the

Figure 6. Thermal diffusivity results of the fabrics.
group, and natural fibers take place in separate groups on
their own. The second highest thermal conductivity value of
linen fabrics, which is in the fourth order in terms of
thickness value, shows the high thermal conductivity
capacity of these fabrics.
Thermal diffusivity, which is the spreading speed of
thermal impulse through a fabric, is calculated from thermal
conductivity, fabric density and the heat capacity [19]. High
thermal diffusivity means that a material can adjust its
temperature with surroundings and reach a balanced state
quickly [32]. According to the calculation of the thermal
diffusivity, high thermal diffusivity can succeed with high
thermal conductivity, low density and low heat capacity of
the fabrics. The measurement results of the thermal
diffusivity of the knitted fabrics are given in Figure 6.
As seen from the thermal diffusivity results, the highest
values have seen in the cotton fabrics and polyester fabrics
follow them. On the other hand, it is observed that modal,
bamboo and Tencel fabrics have the lowest thermal
cotton fabrics resulted from the highest thermal conductivity
of these fabrics. Even though linen fabrics are found as the
second highest thermal conductivity, their thermal diffusivity is
found as fourth among all fabrics. This could be explained
by the higher specific heat capacity of the linen fabrics.
According to the variance analysis the effect of fiber types
on the thermal conductivity values of the knitted fabrics was
found statistically significant (p<0.05). The analysis results
of SNK post hoc test, which was applied for fiber type
parameter, are shown in Table 7.
When the table of SNK test results is examined, it is
noteworthy that the regenerated cellulosic fibers are in the
same sub-group without any statistical difference between
them. This condition shows that all of regenerated cellulosic
fabrics used in this study have similar behavior in terms of
thermal diffusivity. Apart from this, the highest thermal
diffusivity value of polyester fabrics to take place in a
separate group alone stands out.
Thermal absorptivity is accepted as the objective
measurement of the warm-cool feeling of fabrics [20]. The
warm-cool feeling is defined as the first sensation of heat
exchange between fabric and human skin during short
contact of the human skin with the fabric surface [30]. Low
thermal absorptivity value means a warm feeling, whereas
high thermal absorptivity value means cool feeling. The
measured thermal absorptivity results of the knitted fabrics
are presented in Figure 7.
The results of thermal absorptivity of the fabrics show that
bamboo fabrics have the highest values whereas polyester
fabrics have the lowest. According to the findings it can be
said that regenerated cellulosic fabrics may give cool feeling
to the human with their high thermal absorptivity values.
However, it is revealed that polyester fabrics used in the
study may give a warm feeling to the human with the lowest
thermal absorptivity values. In the case of synthetic fibers, it
is understood that polyamide fabrics may give cooler feeling

Table 7. Results of SNK post hoc tests of the thermal diffusivity

values
Subset for α=0.05
Fabric N
1 2 3 4
Modal 6 0.0630
Bamboo 6 0.0653
Tencel 6 0.0697
Viscose 6 0.0723
Zein 6 0.0980
Linen 6 0.1047
Polyamide 6 0.1057
Cotton 6 0.1517
Polyester 6 0.1950
Sig. 0.611 0.575 1.000 1.000 Figure 7. Thermal absorptivity results of the fabrics.
Mechanical and Thermal Properties of Various Fiber Types Fibers and Polymers 2019, Vol.20, No.11 2423

Table 8. Results of SNK post hoc tests of the thermal absorptivity

values
Subset for α=0.05
Fabric N
1 2 3 4
Polyester 6 96.1333
Polyamide 6 111.2333 111.2333
Zein 6 113.6667 113.6667
Cotton 6 115.3667
Tencel 6 124.5333 124.5333
Viscose 6 131.5000
Linen 6 132.5667
Modal 6 132.8667
Bamboo 6 137.8333
Figure 8. Thermal resistance results of the fabrics.
Sig. 1.000 0.659 0.079 0.073

to cotton fabrics. The fabrics produced from regenerated

to the human than polyester fabrics with their higher thermal fibers have generally low thermal resistance values. This is
absorptivity values. Cotton and especially linen fabrics as also in agreement with the results of Tausif et al. [10] and
natural fibers show higher thermal absorptivity values than Chidimbaram et al. [33], who found the bamboo fabrics
synthetic fabrics. As was stated by Pavlović et al., it is have lower thermal resistance than cotton fabrics. On the
generally accepted that textile products produced from other hand, Tencel fabrics have the highest thermal
natural fibers provide higher thermal absorptivity and cooler resistance values among regenerated cellulosic fabrics. As
feeling, and this situation makes them convenient for hot reported by Basit et al. [14], this condition may be thereby
summer clothing [32]. This finding found in this study the lesser wicking of bamboo and viscose compared to and
supports this view. Another remarkable point is that the linen Tencel, which composes of structural subunits (fibrils) in the
fabrics, which are believed to keep the person cool during micro- and nanometer range and so conduct less heat. Apart
the summer, prove this with high thermal absorptivity from these findings, the most important parameters affecting
values. the thermal resistance of the fabrics are seen as weightiness
The difference between the thermal absorptivity results of and thickness. The high and significant correlations are
the knitted fabrics was found statistically significant obtained between thermal resistance and weightiness
(p<0.05), and the results of SNK post hoc test are given in (r=0.707), and between thermal resistance and thickness
Table 8. (r=0.791) values of the fabrics. This finding is also in
As seen in the SNK post hoc test results, synthetic fabrics agreement with literature [17,30].
take in place in same sub-group with low values whereas The effect of the fiber type on the thermal resistance
bamboo, modal and viscose take in the top sub-group with
high values. The zein fabrics as regenerated protein fibers
are separated from the regenerated cellulose fabrics once Table 9. Results of SNK post hoc tests of the thermal resistance
again and they are in a different sub-group. values
Thermal resistance is the ratio of the temperature Subset for α=0.05
difference between the two sides of a fabric to the heat flow Fabric N
1 2 3 4 5
rate per unit area. Thermal resistance indicates heat Bamboo 6 0.0261
insulation characteristic of the textile material [17]. High
Viscose 6 0.0266
thermal resistance provides the low heat loss whereas low
thermal resistance provides the high heat loss from body to Linen 6 0.0267
environment. The measurement results of the thermal Modal 6 0.0268
resistance of the knitted fabrics are shown in Figure 8. Zein 6 0.0277 0.0277
In accordance with the thermal resistance results of the Tencel 6 0.0297
fabrics, polyester fabrics have the highest values and Cotton 6 0.0326
polyamide fabrics follow them. This condition shows that, Polyamide 6 0.0355
synthetic fibers that used in this study make fabric having
Polyester 6 0.0419
higher thermal insulation. Among natural fibers, linen
fabrics show lower thermal resistance characteristic compared Sig. 0.459 0.055 1.000 1.000 1.000
2424 Fibers and Polymers 2019, Vol.20, No.11
results of the knitted fabrics was found statistically significant
(p<0.05) according to One-way ANOVA analyses. The SNK
post hoc test results are presented in Table 9.
The results of the SNK post hoc test show that polyester
and polyamide fabrics as synthetic fibers are separated from
other fabric groups with high thermal resistance values.
Except from Tencel fabrics, all of regenerated cellulosic
fabrics take in the same group with low thermal resistance
values.
Conclusion
In this research, the mechanical and thermal properties of
the knitted fabrics produced from different fiber types are
examined extensively with generally accepted test methods
in the literature, and the results are evaluated to shed light on
the further researches.
On the basis of the results obtained in this investigation, it
may be stated that knitted fabrics produced from natural
fibers as cotton and linen exhibited low air permeability,
moderate abrasion resistance, comparable level bursting
strength and low bursting distension, and high thermal
conductivity. It is noteworthy that linen fabrics, which are
believed to be comfortable in hot weather conditions and
keep cool during summer months, show high thermal
absorptivity, which means that it may give cool feeling, and
low thermal resistance, which means that it may transfer
heat from body to environment quickly. Zein fabrics as
regenerated protein indicate lower air permeability, higher
abrasion resistance, higher bursting strength and bursting
distension, lower thermal absorptivity compared to fabrics
made of regenerated cellulosic fibers. In this form, it may be
said that zein fabrics show some similar characteristics with
other protein fibers. Among regenerated cellulosic fabrics,
Tencel fabrics have come into prominence with their high air
permeability, the lowest abrasion resistance, high bursting
strength and high thermal resistance values. In terms of
synthetic fibers, polyester fabrics have higher air permeability,
lower abrasion resistance, lower bursting distension higher
thermal resistance than polyamide fabrics. Especially polyamide
fabrics have outstanding low thermal conductivity, high
extensibility and extremely high abrasion resistance properties
according to the findings of the study.
In general, it may be concluded that the characteristic
properties of the fibers are important in determining the
mechanical and thermal properties of the fabrics. In addition
to this, it is once again understood that fabric structural
parameters such as mass per unit area and thickness have
important effect especially on the thermal properties of the
fabrics. Although it is tried to be kept as similar as possible,
it is observed that differences in fabric structural properties
have a significant effect on air permeability and thermal
conductivity.
E. Oner
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