Antimicrobial finishing is increasingly used for various purposes in textile products. Therefore, it is important to determine whether the antimicrobial finish changes comfort properties (air permeability, water absorption, etc.) of knits. The objective of this research was to establish the influence of antimicrobial treatment conditions on air permeability and water absorption properties of plain plated knits. The investigations were carried out with three groups of single plain plated knits. The ground and plating yarns of I group of knits is pure fiber cotton, man-made bamboo, polyester. The ground yarns of II and III groups of knits are accordingly polyamide and elastane threads. The plating yarns in mentioned groups are the same as in I group -cotton, man-made bamboo, polyester yarns. Part of the knits of all groups were treated in an antimicrobial solution of iSys AG and organic-inorganic binder iSys MTX (CHT, Germany) as well as the other part of the knits were treated in the same conditions as treated in antimicrobial solution, however, an antimicrobial material and binder were not used. It was established that air permeability of investigated knits changed insignificant by regardless of whether reagents providing an antimicrobial effect were used or not used in finishing process. This means that the chemical substance used for antimicrobial finishing do not worsens an air permeability of knits. Meanwhile, the water absorption of antimicrobial treated knits was significantly (44 % ÷ 91 %, according to fiber composition of investigated knits) lower than of blank treated knits because the organic-inorganic binder, used in antimicrobial treatment, forms the sol-gel layer on the surface of fiber.

Textile materials are usually exposed to thermal, physical and mechanical effects during treatment processes. These influence the changes of material dimensions. Designing knitted products it is important to predict direction and rate of dimensions change, because this can affect physical properties such as air permeability of knits. The objective of this research was to investigate the influence of antimicrobial treatment conditions on the structure characteristics, thickness and air permeability of plain and plaited knits. The investigations were carried out with two groups of plain and plated single jersey knits. The face yarns of these groups were cotton, bamboo viscose yarn and polyester (Dacron®) thread. 10 tex × 2 textured polyamide (PA) and 20 tex textured polyester (PES) threads were used as the base threads in plated knits. Knitted samples were treated with antimicrobial material Isys AG and organicinorganic binder Isys MTX (CHT, Germany). It was established that blank and antimicrobial treated knits changed structure parameters, thickness and air permeability. The changes of structure parameters, thickness and air permeability were more associated with conditions of treatment (temperature, treatment in solution, mechanical action) rather than with antimicrobial and sol-gel substances used in treatment.