Indian Journal of Fibre & Textile Research (IJFTR)

Physical and mechanical properties of Eri-silk/jute blended fabrics

Thu, 01 Jan 2026 00:00:00 +0530

In the present study, an effort is made to blend Eri-silk fibre with jute in different blended ratios (Eri-silk: Jute ratios of 100/0; 75/25, 50/50, 25/75 and 0/100) to develop a range of blended yarns. These yarns arethen used as weft yarn to produce a value-added woven textile of plain weave design, while keeping the cotton yarn in the warp direction. The resulting fabrics are evaluated comprehensively to identify the blend ratio that provides superior physical, mechanical and comfort-related properties. Areal density, thickness, crease recovery angle, stiffness, tensile and tearing strengths, elongation percentage, cover factor, water wicking, air permeability and drapability are assessed in detail. Based on the findings,theEri-silk: jute (75/25) blend is observed to exhibit the most favourable overall performance across the tested parameters. Different apparel textile products arealso developed from blended fabrics, demonstrating their potential for functional and aesthetic applications.

Consumed sewing thread behavior for knitted fabrics using factorial design method

Zouhour Chourabi, Faouzi Khedher, Boubaker Jaouachi — Thu, 01 Jan 2026 00:00:00 +0530

This study investigates experimentally the influence of key parameters on sewing thread consumption. Eight knitted fabrics with different plain structures and thicknesses are tested by sewing two layers using a chain stitch type 401. The effects of sewing machine foot pressure, needle thread tension and fabric thickness on the consumed sewing thread have been investigated. It is concluded that an increase in the foot pressure height increases sewing thread consumption, as well as the fabric thickness. However, increasing the needle thread tension decreases the sewing thread amount. Using multi-linear regression method, good relationships (regression coefficient close to 1) between thread consumption behaviours and the investigated parameters are observed.

Analysis of some comfort properties of rib-knitted fabrics from the point of fabric structure

Azita Asayesh, Zahra Ghanbari — Thu, 01 Jan 2026 00:00:00 +0530

This study aims to examine the effect of float stitches on the key comfort properties of rib-knitted fabrics. Knit pattern, as a structural parameter, plays a significant role in determining fabric behaviour, and this research evaluates how variations in float stitches affect air permeability, water vapour permeability, thermal resistance, and related comfort characteristics. The findings show that incorporating float stitches reduces both air and water vapour permeability, while increasing thermal resistance, thereby making these fabrics more suitable for winter clothing due to enhanced thermal insulation. An increase in the number of float stitches across successive courses further raises water vapour permeability, thermal resistance, and energy absorption, but lowers air permeability and resiliency. When float stitches are present on both sides of the fabric, thermal resistance, energy absorption, resilience, and thickness recovery improve, whereas air permeability, water vapour permeability, and relative compressibility decrease compared to fabrics with floats on only one side. The study indicates that fabrics with float stitches on one side are better suited for summer clothing due to their improved moisture management, while those with float stitches on both sides are more suitable for winter use, owing to their superior thermal insulation.

Predicting thermal behaviour of multilayered fabric assemblies using artificial neural networks

Samridhi Garg, Vinay Kumar midha , Monica Sikka — Thu, 01 Jan 2026 00:00:00 +0530

The study aims to predict the thermal resistance of a multilayered fabric assembly comprising an inner layer of interlock fabric, an outer layer of PU-coated nylon, and a middle layer of spacer fabric, hollow polyester wadding, or micro polyester wadding, using Artificial Neural Networks (ANN) in MATLAB. Two neural networks are developed to predict the thermal resistance. Network one (N1) consists of three layers with four neurons in the hidden layer, and network two (N2) comprises three layers with three neurons in the hidden layer. In N1, four input parameters—thermal resistance of individual layer (inner, middle, and outer) and the thickness of the multilayered assembly—are employed. In N2, only the thermal resistance of the individual layers is used as input. The predictive performance of both models is evaluated using four statistical parameters: root mean square error (RMSE), mean bias error (MBE), mean absolute error (MAE), and coefficient of determination (R²). The results indicate that even without incorporating the thickness of the multilayered assembly, the ANN model can accurately predict the overall thermal resistance based solely on the thermal resistance of the individual layers.

Incorporation of carbonised water hyacinth for increasing mechanical, thermal, and odour properties of fabrics

Thu, 01 Jan 2026 00:00:00 +0530

This study aims to carbonise water hyacinth, activate it chemically using ZnCl₂, and apply the resulting material in textile finishing to enhance selected properties of clothing. Water hyacinth, a widely occurring free-floating perennial aquatic weed, is often regarded as invasive; its conversion into a value-added textile finish therefore presents both environmental and functional benefits. The carbonisation process produces concave, oval-shaped carbon nanoparticles measuring approximately 200 nm by 100 nm, which are subsequently applied to fabrics using padding, coating, coat–pad curing, and infrared dyeing techniques. Among these, the coated samples produced through multiple padding cycles exhibit the most promising performance in terms of FTIR characteristics, air permeability, and stiffness. Although the treatment does not significantly improve mechanical properties such as tensile, bursting, or tear strength, it does enhance thermal behaviour, yielding a 13.8% increase in thermal insulation (CLO) and a 14.3% increase in thermal resistance (m²·K/W). Notably, the treated samples also demonstrate 100% odour resistance. Energy Dispersive Spectroscopy confirms the material composition, showing 99.32% carbon and 0.32% zinc distributed uniformly across the examined areas, indicating successful particle deposition.

Shrinkproofing of wool using benign methanolic potassium hydroxide and sericin biopolymer

N. Srikrishna, Deepti Gupta — Thu, 01 Jan 2026 00:00:00 +0530

In this research work, wool fabrics are pretreated with methanolic potassium hydroxide and subsequently treated with the biopolymer sericin to impart shrink-proofing. The effects of key process parameters, namely the concentration of potassium hydroxide and the concentration of sericin, on the area shrinkage of wool are examined. The results indicate that wool pretreated with 0.02 M methanolic potassium hydroxide followed by 15 g/L sericin shows the least area shrinkage of 6%, compared with untreated wool. The fabrics are characterized using scanning electron microscopy, tensile strength testing, bending length measurement and yellowness index evaluation. The findings demonstrate that controlled hydrolysis of wool fibres, followed by sericin coating, provides a satisfactory anti-felting effect. The colour of the wool changes to off-white without adversely affecting handle, tensile strength or elongation. The proposed shrink-proofing method proves effective, as it is chlorine-free and employs benign potassium hydroxide along with sericin reclaimed from silk waste, offering a safer alternative to conventional chemical-based polymers.

Inclusion complexation of clove oil in MCT β-CD grafted cotton for enhanced stability using nanoemulsion as a sustainable alternative to solvent

Deepshikha, Lalit Jajpura, Prof. J N Chakraborty — Thu, 01 Jan 2026 00:00:00 +0530

The aim of this study is to investigate the effectiveness of reactive monochlorotriazine β-cyclodextrin (MCT β-CD) in developing durable, fragrance-finished cotton fabrics using clove essential oil applied through solvent and nanoemulsion techniques. Natural essential oils offer desirable sensory and functional attributes; however, their limited durability on textiles necessitates the development of suitable microencapsulation systems. In this work, MCT β-CD is synthesised from β-CD and cyanuric chloride, characterised using FTIR, TGA, SEM, EDS and XRD, and subsequently covalently grafted onto cotton under alkaline conditions. Optimal fixation is achieved using a 70 g/L MCT β-CD solution, as determined through add-on percentage, wash durability and phenolphthalein absorbance analysis. Clove oil is applied to the MCT β-CD finished cotton using both ethanol-based solvent treatment and a sustainably formulated nanoemulsion. The retained oil content is quantified after atmospheric exposure and multiple wash cycles. Results show that MCT β-CD exhibits strong covalent bonding with cotton, resulting in significantly enhanced durability for clove oil through the formation of an inclusion complex. The nanoemulsion method performs comparably to the solvent method, offering an effective and environmentally benign alternative for essential-oil finishing. Thus, the nanoemulsion technique can be utilised efficiently as a sustainable alternative to toxic solvents in essential oil applications, resulting in MCT β-CD finished textiles with multifunctional properties.

Designing layer-to-layer angular interlock weaves for body-border superimposed reversible double-face figured fabrics

R.G. Panneerselvam, Prakash C, D. Raja — Thu, 01 Jan 2026 00:00:00 +0530

This study aims to develop and analyse a new weave structure for producing Double-Face Figured (DFF) reversible fabrics that overcome the limitations of existing designs. DFF fabrics, composed of two interlaced layers displaying distinct images on either side, are traditionally woven using self-stitched double cloth or four-weft orthogonal weaves. However, these methods yield coarse textures or require dual warp beams. To address these issues, a Layer-to-Layer Angular Interlock (LLAI) weave structure is proposed and evaluated for its suitability in DFF weaving. The LLAI weave is designed on a 6-end × 8-pick grid, resulting in four cloth parts formed by superimposed images. Corresponding weaves are developed for each part, with additional variations created by interchanging picks to achieve balanced lifting in a body-border style. Computer-aided design tools are used for motif creation, guide graph development, superimposing, and weave application. Fabric samples are woven using both electronic and mechanical jacquards to validate the structure. Results confirm that the LLAI weave enables the smooth interchanging of plain structures without any weave prominence and can be woven using a single warp beam. The new weave structure thus offers improved texture, design flexibility, and production efficiency, making it suitable for reversible garments, dress materials, home furnishings, carpets, and technical textiles.

Effect of Pile Yarn Properties and Abrasion Factor on Thermal and Sound Absorption Performance of Carpets

Gülbin FİDAN — Thu, 01 Jan 2026 00:00:00 +0530

Sustainability, recycling and using of recycled materials on manufacturing, have very significant environment affects. Carpet recycling is a very difficult process as many fibres consist of carpet structure all at once such as jute, acrylic, polypropylene, polyester. Hence, to contribute to sustainability, it has become even more important for carpets to be used for a long time. For this context, wilton type face to face carpets were produced by pile yarns with different filament fineness and texturing parameters, and these carpets were also exposed to an abrasion test. Afterwards, acoustical and thermal performances of abraded and non-abraded carpets were investigated. According to the findings of this experimental study, it was reached that carpets woven with pile yarns produced by 3.13 dpf filament fineness, ceramic disc type and 1-7-1 disc combination may be preferred, to prevent the decreasing thermal and sound absorption performances during long-term using of carpets.

Sensorial comfort characterisation of cut protective workwear made from metallic core covered yarn

Zayedul Hasan, Rochak Rathour, APURBA DAS, Ramasamy Alagirusamy, Nandan Kumar — Thu, 01 Jan 2026 00:00:00 +0530

The aim of this study is to investigate the influence of metallic core-covered yarn fabrics on the tactile comfort of cut-protective clothing. Here, a 6-end satin weave is selected owing to its tight structure and reduced number of interlacings, which are advantageous for both cut protection and tactile comfort. Metallic core covered yarns with linear densities of 15, 10, and 8 Ne are produced using stainless steel filament as the core, high-performance polyethylene as the outer sheath, and polyester as the inner sheath. Nine hybrid woven fabric samples are then developed using these yarns in a 6-end satin design at three different areal weights: 150, 200, and 250 g/m², woven on a rapier loom. The low-stress mechanical properties of the samples, including tensile, shear, bending, compression, surface friction, and surface roughness, are assessed using the Kawabata Evaluation System to determine their sensory comfort characteristics. The results indicate that areal weight and bulk density exert a significant influence on the tactile properties of metallic core covered yarn fabrics used in cut-protective applications.

Influence of draw frame passages on fibre orientation in sliver and air vortex spun yarn quality

Karuppusamy S, KARTHIK T, Murugan R — Thu, 01 Jan 2026 00:00:00 +0530

This study examines the impact of the Integrated Draw Frame (IDF) process, a method gaining popularity in recent years, on fibre orientation and yarn quality of air vortex spun yarns compared to the conventional Non-Integrated Draw Frame (Non-IDF) process. The effects of IDF and Non-IDF passages on sliver orientation parameters, such as cutting ratio, combing ratio and extended fibre percentage, are evaluated in both carding and finisher draw frame slivers. Yarns produced through the Non-IDF route exhibit higher yarn strength and elongation, complemented by better fibre alignment, lower unevenness percentages and fewer imperfections compared to those produced via the IDF process. Similarly, slivers from the Non-IDF process demonstrate superior cutting ratio, combing ratio and extended fibre percentage compared to slivers from the IDF route. This improvement is attributed to the additional doubling and drafting processes employed in the Non-IDF method, which result in more parallelised, straightened and oriented fibres. Although the yarn quality in the IDF process is slightly lower than that of the Non-IDF process, the manufacturing cost is reduced by Rs. 1.17/Kg in the IDF process.

Innovative Use of Chrome-Containing Waste and Jute Fiber in the Production of Biodegradable Therapeutic Insole

Rethinam Senthil — Thu, 01 Jan 2026 00:00:00 +0530

This study explores the potential of converting chrome-containing waste (CCW) and jute fiber (JF) into usable products by creating foot pressure composite (FPC). Foot pressure composite (FPC) was produced using leather-based composite (LBC) and characterized using functional, thermal, morphological, mechanical, and biodegradation properties. Plantar pressure measurement analysis on healthy people wearing FPC demonstrated an increase in plantar pressure effect for the foot. The results showed that FPC was advantageous compared to normal insoles, providing beneficial pressure effects and possessing the necessary mechanical properties for FPC production. Additionally, FPC was found to be biodegradable. This study demonstrates that CCW and JF can be repurposed into cost-effective, therapeutic footwear, generating income, reducing environmental pollution, and offering a viable waste recycling technology.

Design & Characterization of Laminated Activated Carbon Fabric for Critical Military Applications

Thu, 01 Jan 2026 00:00:00 +0530

Activated carbon is known to be a potential adsorbent for different adsorptional applications due to large surface area and internal porosity. Presently, activated carbon in fabric form i.e. activated carbon fabric (ACF) and laminated activated carbon fabric (LACF) therefrom is being used as an essential component in military chemical protective clothing. LACF is primarily responsible for adsorption of potential chemical warfare agent during combat operations. We, report here preparation of Activated Carbon Fabric (ACF) and LACF from a commercially available rayon based carbon fabric through a process of treatment of carbon fabric in CO₂atmosphere. The prepared ACF was assessed for Brunauer-Emmett-Teller (BET) surface area measurement, internal porosity, pore size distribution, average pore diameter and adsorption isotherm. Further, LACF was prepared by laminating ACF with suitable textile materials on both sides to enhance the physical and functional characteristics. Functional properties of LACF were assessed for chemical endurance by measuring di-chloro-propane break through time (DCP-BTT), sulfur mustard break through time (HD-BTT), air permeability and water vapour transmission rate (WVTR). Similarly, physical properties viz; mass, thickness, bending length, flexural rigidity, peel strength and tensile strength/bursting strength were also studied. Durability of LACF was also assessed by evaluating physical and functional properties before and after six wash cycles. The findings in our study reveal that this type of material may find many usages in critical military clothing like chemical protective suit, facelet mask and breathable gloves for protection of military personnel’s in chemical warfare environment.

Controlled synthesis and performance study of hard elastic polypropylene fibres

Yuanyuan Li, Yantao Gao, Wenfeng Hu, Zan Lu — Thu, 01 Jan 2026 00:00:00 +0530

This study explores the fabrication process and performance characterisation of hard elastic polypropylene (PP) fibres. The fibres have been produced through melt spinning, followed by controlled stretching and post-processing treatments. Their structural and functional properties are examined using scanning electron microscopy (SEM), thermogravimetric analysis, differential scanning calorimetry, synchrotron radiation computed tomography, and mechanical testing. The results demonstrate that the fibres exhibit remarkable hard-elastic behaviour. Clear differences appear in the stress-strain curves between room temperature and water bath stretching. This variation is attributed to the possible formation of sub-crystalline structures during water-bath stretching, while slow cooling in air promotes structural optimisation and improved crystallisation. Furthermore, fibres extruded at 240 °C and subsequently annealed at 140 °C demonstrate the highest levels of elastic recovery and crystallinity, confirming the importance of precise thermal control in achieving superior mechanical performance.