Cotton woven fabrics were treated with three different silicone softeners. These softeners were applied on the fabric using the pad- dry-cure method. The hand value of treated fabrics was analyzed by determining bending length, crease recovery angle, and surface roughness and smoothness
properties. With increased silicone softener concentration, an improvement in surface smoothness of the fabric was observed at a certain level, beyond which there were no significant changes in smoothness. Statistical analysis (ANOVA) was carried out to establish a relationship between the
application of softeners at different concentrations on the bending length, smoothness, and crease recovery angle properties. A correlation was established between subjective and Kawabata analyses.
Before dyeing, woven cotton fabrics have been passed through different pre-treatments like desizing, scouring, bleaching and mercerising to enhance quality. In every treatment cotton fabric is treated with different chemicals and mechanical processes. After these treatments, the feel of the fabric has been changed. The change in feel or in terms of the hand value of treated fabrics were analysed by determining the bending length, crease recovery angle, SEM, FTIR, surface roughness and smoothness properties. Other physical properties viz. the tear and tensile strength were also evaluated. Fabric surface roughness and smoothness were determined using the Kawabata Evaluation System (KES) and digital image processing method. Using MATLAB software, digital image processing techniques were used to evaluate the roughness index. The study revealed that the pretreatment process alters the fabric surface. Statistical analysis (ANOVA) was carried out using SPSS software in order to establish the relationship between the pre-treatment process effect on the bending length, smoothness and crease recovery angle.
scite is a Brooklyn-based organization that helps researchers better discover and understand research articles through Smart Citations–citations that display the context of the citation and describe whether the article provides supporting or contrasting evidence. scite is used by students and researchers from around the world and is funded in part by the National Science Foundation and the National Institute on Drug Abuse of the National Institutes of Health.