Cigarette smoke uptake by different woven fabrics: Analysis of mechanical and colour properties

Abstract Although the impact of smoking tobacco on human health is well understood, less is known about the effects of tobacco smoke on cotton, viscose and polyamide fabrics. In this study, tobacco smoke was applied to fabric samples to investigate the effects of tobacco smoke on their mechanical and colour properties. For this purpose, tobacco smoke was pumped into a mechanism consisting of a glass box, in which cotton, viscose and polyamide fabrics were placed in a suspended position. The fabric samples were treated with tobacco smoke for 1 or 2 months. The samples were evaluated in terms of tensile and tear strength, elongation at break, as well as pilling and abrasion resistance values. A colour measurement test was used to investigate the withering effect of tobacco smoke, and Fourier Transfer–Infrared analysis was performed to examine the chemical changes. The tensile strength values in the warp direction were 419.34, 404.62 and 421.78 N without treatment and after 1 and 2 months of tobacco smoke treatment, respectively, for the cotton woven fabric. Furthermore, for woven cotton fabric, the L* value decreased from 93.8 to 78.7 after being treated with tobacco smoke for 2 months. As a result of this study, it was determined that tobacco smoke has no effect on the tensile strength properties of fabrics, causes changes to pilling and abrasion resistance values, and adversely affects the colour properties of fabrics.