Mechanical properties and tactile sensation of naturally colored organic cotton fabrics

Abstract

This study was carried out to investigate mechanical properties of naturally colored organic cotton (NaCOC) fabrics, to evaluate tactile sensory perceptions, and finally to identify the related mechanical parameters with the sensory perceptions. Two species, coyote-brown and green NaCOC fiber, commercially available, were selected and woven into plain and twill fabrics. Seventeen mechanical properties were measured by KES-FB system. Then, primary hand value (PHV) and total hand value (THV) were calculated by KN-203-LDY and KN-302-SUMMER, respectively. For sensory perception evaluation, 30 participants answered the questionnaire consisted of nine different bipolar adjectives dealing with tactile sensation using the semantic differential scale (SDS). As the result of mechanical properties, there were meaningful differences in shear, surface, compression properties, thickness, and weight of 4 NaCOC fabrics. For hand value, a coyotebrown twill fabric was evaluated as the most appropriate for lady’s summer dress applications. In sensory perception evaluation, meaningful differences of sensory perception were shown among 4 specimens except ‘fineness’ and ‘wetness’ perceptions. Prediction models for sensory perceptions of NaCOC fabrics were extracted by regression analysis in ‘softness’, ‘fineness’, ‘warmth’, ‘pliability’, ‘limpness’, ‘thinness’ and ‘wetness’ perceptions.