Determining Tactile Comfort of Cellulose-Based Woven Fabrics, Knitted Fabrics and Terry Towels Using a Novel Instrument

In this study, tactile comfort of woven bed sheets, terry towels, and weft knitted fabrics made of cotton and blends was investigated. Tactile Sensation Analyzer (TSA) was used for determining surface characteristics and low-stress mechanical properties of fabrics. Micro and macro-surface variations were determined via a special sound analysis technique, and low-stress mechanical properties (deformation, elasticity, hysteresis, and plasticity) were measured in out-of-plane deformation state. Total hand (TH) scores of fabrics were determined by expert assessors via sensory tests. Findings of the study revealed that surface and low-stress mechanical properties measured using TSA were strongly and significantly correlated with sensory evaluation results in general. It was detected that tactile comfort of knitted fabrics and towels was strongly related to the magnitude of macro-surface variations; meanwhile, micro-surface variations were found out to be a more determinant parameter for bed sheets. It was observed that deformation and recovery characteristics of bed sheets and towels have a significant effect on TH scores as well. Hand of fabrics was also investigated by a conventional nozzle test equipment for comparison purposes, and it was detected that TSA results can represent fabric hand better than the raw data obtained from the nozzle test equipment.