23

CHAPTER 3
MATERIALS AND METHODS

3.1 INTRODUCTION
The present study is focused on the effect of material variables,
machine variables and processing treatments on dynamic elastic behavior of
cotton / spandex knitted fabrics. In order to study these objectives, different
kinds of knitted fabrics ere produced. The fabric samples ere subjected to
heat setting, dyeing and compacting, and tested for their dynamic elastic
properties. The details of the materials used and the experimental procedures
adopted in the study are described in this chapter.
3.2 MATERIALS
3.2.1 Yarns and Fabrics
In general, !".#$ tex

cotton hosiery yarn and 2% denier spandex as
used to produce spandex back plated cotton knitted fabric. The spandex brand
name called Texlon produced by &yosung 'hemical Inc (td, as used
throughout the study.
3.3 METHODS
3.3.1 Fabric Prodc!ion
In order to produce spandex back plated cotton knitted fabric, the
circular single jersey machine as used. In a circular knitting machine, there
2"
are multiple numbers of feed positions arranged in a circular form, so as to
feed individual knitting positions as the knitting needles, carried by the
moving cylinder, are rotated past the positions.

!. )ariable diameter pulley drive shafts
2. )ariable diameter pulleys
3. *elt drive
". +ositive storage and spandex feeder drive pulley
,. -pandex yarn feeder
$. -pandex drum surface driven rods
#. -pandex package
.. /uide roll and stop motion for spandex yarn
0. -pandex yarn
!%. 'arrier plate
!!. 'otton yarn
!2. 1eedle
!3. +ositive storage feeder
Fi"r# 3.1 Dri$# !o co!!on and s%and#& 'arn %ac(a"#s
2igures 3.! and 3.2 sho one feed position of a circular knitting
machine having a series of knitting needles that move reciprocally in response
to a cam belo a rotating cylinder that holds the needles.
2,

2or plating knit operations, spandex yarns are fed from separate
attachment called memminger lycra attachment. The spandex packages ere
kept on the surface driven rods and directly fed to needle through guide roller
and stop motion. The cotton yarns are fed from the positive storage feeders.
This attachment gets drive from separate variable diameter pulleys from the
machine. -pandex packages get drive from the surface driven rollers in its
attachment. The cotton yarn loop length and spandex feed tension adjustments
can be varied for the to yarns separately.

)a* S%and#& s%%+' %ac(a"# )b* Posi!i$# s!ora"# ,##d#r ,or co!!on 'arn
Fi"r# 3.2 F##din" o, co!!on and s%and#& 'arns
3 spandex and cotton yarns are delivered to the knitting needles by
a carrier plate. The carrier plate simultaneously directs both the yarns to the
knitting position. The spandex and cotton yarns are introduced to the knitting
needles at a same rate to form a single jersey knit fabric as shon in
2igure 3.3.

2$

!. -pandex yarn
2. 'hange of direction roll
3. 'otton yarn
". 'arrier plate
,. 1eedle
$. -pandex yarn plated on back side of fabric
#. 'otton yarn at front side of fabric
.. (oops formed by needles
0. -pandex yarn feed slot
!%. /uide hole for cotton
Fi"r# 3.3 -ni!!in" o, s%and#& and co!!on 'arns
The cotton yarn is delivered from the package to a positive storage
feeder that passes the yarn to the carrier plate and knitting needles. The yarn
passes through a guide hole in the carrier plate. 4ptionally, more than one
cotton yarn may be fed to the knitting needles through different guide holes in
the carrier plate. The spandex is delivered from a surface driven package and
passes through a broken thread detector and a guide slot ithin the carrier
plate. The guide slots are separated from one another in the carrier plate so as
to present the cotton yarn and spandex to the knitting needles 5laycock 2%%$6.
2#
2or single jersey knitted fabric in circular knitting machines, the process of
co7knitting spandex is called 8plating9. In this process, cotton and spandex
yarns are knitted parallel to each other. The cotton yarn forms loops in the
face side of the fabric and the spandex forms loops at the back side of the
fabric. The formation of loops ith cotton and spandex yarns is shon in
2igures 3." 5a6 and 5b6.

)a* N##d+# +oo% ,or.a!ion )b* S%and#& %+a!#d co!!on ,abric s!rc!r#
Fi"r# 3./ P+a!in" !#c0ni1#
3.3.2 Proc#ssin" Tr#a!.#n!s
3.3.2.1 H#a! s#!!in"
The cotton / spandex single jersey knitted fabric as heat set at
2%%
%
' using heating chamber 53-:;< ;ake, chamber length of 22..$ cm
and fabric stretch at idth ise direction is 2,= of machine diameter6. 'otton
fabric as n>t heat set.
3.3.2.2 D'#in"
-pandex fibres are less fastness to dyes than most companion
fibers, and this must be taken into account during dyeing and subse?uent et
2.
processing. @yeing temperature above !%"A' ill loer the spandex fineness.
-pandex ill start melting losing its fibre shape, and ill result in loer
poer. Bhen dyeing temperature goes above !2%A', it ill result in spandex
degradation 52$6.

The spandex plated cotton knitted fabric as first bleached using
hydrogen peroxide bleaching for to hours. Then peroxide nutrition treatment
as given for one hour. Betting oil as added to dye bath. The fabric
samples ere dyed ith 2= shade hot brand reactive dyes. The fabric as
soaked in the dye bath for four hours. 3gain the samples ere treated ith
salt and soda and steamed at $,
%
' temperature. Then, the sample as treated
ith soap solution and acetic nutrition treatment for one hour.
3.3.2.3 Co.%ac!in"
These fabrics ere compacted using tubular compacting machine
53lbert make, -peed of " meters per minute, 'hamber length of ! meter,
2$ = over feed, 2abric stretch in idth ise direction as kept at !!= of
machine diameter and at the temperature of 0"
%
'6. Then, the fabrics ere
relaxed for ". hours.
3.3.3 T#s!in"
3.3.3.1 D#!#r.ina!ion o, d'na.ic 2or( r#co$#r'
3ssessment of dynamic ork recovery of the fabrics is a nely
developed method based on the :aabata 5!0.26 evaluation system for fabric
total handle measurement. The evaluation method is based upon tensile
resilience 5CT =6 measurement of :aabata <valuation -ystem. The CT
measurement ill produce stress strain hysteresis for applied force of ,%% gf / cm
5constant rate of loading6. 2or this applied force, the fabric extension is in the
range of , D !, =. *ut, elastic fabrics or garments expand 5due to body skin
20
movement6 up to ,% = as mentioned in the chapter !.!. The dynamic ork
recovery of the fabric 5e?uation 53.!66 is evaluated by constant rate of
elongation principle using Instron.

=
,%= 7 e2%
%
de 2 5loading6 energy Tensile
r

=
,%= 7 e2%
%
de 2 6 5unloading energy Tensile
s

!%% E
de 2
de 2
= recovery ork @ynamic
,%= 7 e2%
%
,%= 7 e2%
%

=
r
s

here, 2 F -tress value during loading 5 2
r
6 and unloading 5 2
s
6,
e F strain 5=6, de F extension ith respect to time.
That is,
Tensile energy 5unloading6
@ynamic ork recovery = F G !%%
Tensile energy 5loading6
The simplified form as mentioned in 2igure !.",
3rea under unloading curve
@ynamic ork recovery = F G !%% 53.!6
3rea under loading curve
3.3.3.2 Fabric s!r#ss s!rain ana+'sis
The fabrics ere tested for their dynamic elastic behaviour such as
dynamic ork recovery and stress at specific extension based on 3-T; @
"0$" D 0$ method 5'C< principle6 at different extension levels such as 2%=,
3%
3%=, "%= and ,%= extension using Instron tester. -ince, human body
movement expands the skin by !% to ,%= at different parts 5)oyce et al.
2%%,6, The applied load as , :1 at a speed of ,%% millimeters per minute
for !% cycles, !% sample siHe and gauge length of !%% mm.
3.3.3.3 3#o.#!rica+ c0arac!#ris!ics
The average ales per centimeter and courses per centimeter ere
measured ith the help of counting glass. The average loop length as
measured ith the aid of the &3TC3 course length tester 5method described
in *.-. &andbook no. !!, !0#", pp "/!%27"/!%$6. The fabric areal density as
measured using an electronic scale according to method I-4 3.%!I!0##. The
fabric thickness as measured ith the aid of thickness gauge 5under the
applied load of ,% grams per s?uare centimeter6 according to method I-4
,%."I!00$. 2abric geometrical characteristics ere measured at ten different
places in the fabric in each case.
The given materials and methods are common for all the chapters
from " to 0. The detailed specifications of the materials, machines and process
treatments are discussed under each objective mentioned in the respective
chapters.