Abstract
Dimensional stability in cotton plain-jersey fabrics can be attained by either mechanical-relaxation techniques (consecutive laundering and tumble-drying cycles) or chemical treatments (fabric mercerization without tension). Both treatments cause large linear-dimensional changes (shrinkage) leading to the same final stable condition, that is, to a fixed loop configuration, categorized by unique values of k c and k w. Although, for all practical purposes, the ultimate k-values are close enough to constants, they are not entirely independent of fabric tightness (K) and some yarn variables. They are substantially the same as the values found for completely relaxed wool fabrics that have been treated to prevent felting. Geometrical fabric thickness and bulk density are significantly dependent on fabric tightness. Photographic evidence reveals that cotton yarns, like those of wool, bulk in the fabric during relaxation (both mechanical and chemical) to cause changes in ‘cover’. It seems that the fixed loop configuration occurs when bulking leads to a completely ‘jammed’ structure.
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