Evaluation of the moisture management and air permeability of cotton/antistatic polyester knitted fabrics

This research fills in the missing knowledge on the moisture management and air permeability of knitted fabrics developed using mixed cotton/antistatic polyester yarns with both antibacterial and antistatic behavior to enhance their functionality. The effect of the knit pattern, technical side, percentage of fiber mixture and treatment on water absorption capacity and time, relative water vapor permeability and resistance, and air permeability of developed fabrics was investigated. The 1x1 rib knit and half-Milano rib knit patterns were applied in each 4 percentages of cotton and antistatic polyester and 3 types of finishing to prepare 24 fabrics. The water absorption capacity for 1x1 rib knit fabrics was in the range of 182–231% and 162–237% for the half-Milano knitted fabric with the ∼20% increase when increasing the percentage of antistatic polyester or applying the treatment. The water absorption time depended on the pattern, the fabric treatment, and the percentage of the fiber mixture. The applied antibacterial treatment significantly prolonged the water absorption time of most of the dyed and softened samples. The 1x1 rib knitted fabrics showed significantly higher water vapor and air permeability than the half-Milano rib knitted fabrics. The relative water vapor and air permeability of the treated samples increased significantly with an increasing percentage of polyester. Research results are of great practical value when designing new textiles and simulating mathematically their comfort behavior when choosing them for a particular garment.