A new reactive urethane–silicone softener was developed to provide a soft touch to cotton knit fabrics with improved durability to washing and dimensional stability. The reactive urethane–silicone softener consisted of an amino silicone softener and a blocked isocyanate, which can crosslink and react with cellulose surfaces. The activated isocyanate from the blocked isocyanate reacted with the amino silicone softener by heat treatment at 150 °C for 30 min. The mechanical properties of the cotton knit fabrics treated with the urethane–silicone softener were evaluated using a Kawabata Evaluation System-Fabrics (KES-FB) system. The cotton knit fabrics treated with the urethane–silicone softener showed excellent elasticity, flexibility and shear recovery as well as excellent recovery against bending deformation, and soft and smooth surface characteristics with a small coefficient of friction that were maintained even after washing 20 times.

As an alternative to raw wood, processed timber can help reduce costs and environmental damage while meeting the needs of various fields that require building materials possessing the sensibility of raw timber. Veneer wood is positioned as a high-value-added product owing to its elegance and beauty, and it is used in various building-related fields, such as interior decoration, furniture, flooring, building interior materials, and lumber. Dyeing is necessary to enhance its esthetic appearance and expand its use. In this study, we compared and analyzed the dyeability of ash-patterned materials using acid dyes and evaluated their performance as interior materials. The ash-patterned material was dyed using three types of acid dyes, and a comparative analysis was performed. The most suitable dyeing conditions were 80 °C, 3 h, and 3% o.w.f. Furthermore, the effect of pretreatment before the dyeing process, the effect of methyl alcohol solvent during dyeing with acid dyes, and the dyeability of veneers dyed under various temperature and time conditions were also compared and analyzed. Resilience to daylight, resilience to rubbing, fire resistance, and flame retardance of the selected material were evaluated as being suitable for use as a building material for interiors.

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Background/Objectives: Using past research and a survey, this study evaluated employee satisfaction to understand the practical application and appropriateness of the National Competency Standards (NCS) curriculum and propose an effective education plan to improve the curriculum content. Methods: A curriculum satisfaction survey was conducted From February to October 2022 on 338 workers, after which the data were evaluated using frequency analyses and descriptive statistics. Results: It was found that most education participants were engaged in the textile and clothing industries and others were associated with fiber analysis or textile-related industries. Workers involved in design, trade, sales, customer counseling, process management, quality control, and R&D had participated in the training for which knowledge of clothing materials and manufacturing processes was needed. Satisfaction with the four curricula was generally high, with the newly added subjects showing a high satisfaction rate of 4.5 points or more. Therefore, identifying textile fashion industry company requirements in NCS curricula could be of practical assistance to both companies and employees. Conclusion/Implications: This study provides information on the education needs of workers and highlights to need to promote technological development links. Linking curricula with industry job systems based on NCS could improve practical job skills, strengthen employee and management expertise, and help better develop the domestic fashion industry.