Comfort Analysis of Woven Cotton/Polyester Fabrics Modified with a New Elastic Fiber, Part 1 Preliminary Analysis of Comfort and Mechanical Properties

This study aimed to establish the effect on comfort of introducing the DOW XLA™ fiber in woven polyester/cotton fabrics used for professional wear end use. The comfort elements analyzed in this study were thermal and moisture sensations, tactile sensations, and pressure sensations. A fabric elasticized with the elastic fiber polybutylene terephthalate (PBT) was also included in the study for comparative purposes. This study was also devoted to establishing how the fabric mechanical and comfort properties change with repeated laundry washes (which is denoted here as the maintenance study). The results indicated that the use of DOW XLA™ fiber inside a core spun yarn to elasticize fabrics for professional wear provided additional comfort over non-elasticized fabrics by adding stretch and an improved hand feel. These fabrics showed a thermophysiological and sensorial comfort that remained constant with washing cycles. The differences in performance found when compared against traditional non-elasticized and PBT-elasticized fabrics were explained as a result of having an elastic fiber in the core of the core spun yarn that had moderated elastic response after yarn and fabric finishing processes.