Polypropylene nonwoven fabrics are treated by He atmospheric pressure glow discharge plasma. After plasma treatment, weight loss (%), surface properties (wettability, morphology, and chemical composition changes), tensile strength, low-stress mechanical properties, and air permeability of the fabrics are examined. Scanning electron microscopy analysis shows significant surface morphology changes in plasma-treated polypropylene fiber surfaces, corresponding to reductions in fabric weight. X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy analysis reveals that surface oxidation by the formation of hydrophilic groups enhances the surface wettability of the fabrics. Surface morphology changes with plasma treatment increase fiber-to-fiber friction, playing an important role in enhancing their tensile strength, low-stress mechanical properties, and air permeability.

Today, the knitting industry heavily uses spandex combined with cotton, especially for sportswear, foundation garments, intimate apparels, etc., due to outstanding features of spandex such as higher elastic recovery, good shape retention properties, soft and smooth handle, abrasion resistance, resistance to pilling, resistance to most chemicals, resistance to normal apparel exposure to sunlight and lower moisture regain (< 1 %) [1].Behavior of a knitted fabric under relaxation from yarn internal stresses imposed during knitting depends on the knit structure, fiber type, stitch length, fabric tightness factor, knitting tension, relaxation type, drying method, etc. However, under full relaxation condition, effects of yarn and fabric parameters on a knitted fabric become a minimum energy condition and the stitches give a predictable geometrical configuration [1-7]. 1 Thus, resiliency force and yarn frictional force acting on interlacing points are major forces which affect the relaxation behavior of knitted fabrics [1]. Regarding this, spandex with higher elastic recovAbstract In this study, dimensional stability of core spun cotton/spandex single jersey structures with high, medium and low tightness factors were experimented under dry, wet and full relaxation conditions. Results were compared with those for similar fabrics knitted from 100 % cotton. Course and wale spacing decreased and course, wale and stitch density increased with progression of relaxation and higher values reported with cotton/spandex structures. Course, wale and stitch density were linearly and positively correlated with loop length -1 or loop length -2 . Their correlation equations showed minimal intercepts under full relaxation and cotton/spandex exhibited lower intercepts. Dimensional constants (K-values) were predicted under 95 % significance level. Higher dimensional constants were reported with cotton/spandex single jersey structures than 100 % cotton and under full relaxation, cotton/spandex indicated better stable structures under full relaxation. From these experiments, it was confirmed that yarns with elastomeric components increase tightness factors, which have a significant effect on dimensional behaviors, giving better dimensional stability to single jersey fabrics. Yarn linear density was insignificantly changed during treatments.

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