A Study on the Production of a Silk Saree mixed with Lyocell and Polyester

Abstract

Silk and lyocell textiles are categorized as protein and cellulose polymer products of natural fibers. They have their unique uses in the textile, apparel and garment fields. Polyester (PET) is one of the most important synthetic textiles with very good resistance towards chemical and microbial attacks. The presence of PET in mixed silk fabric provides added value. In this study, a saree is developed with silk as the warp and lyocell and PET as the weft. The product is compared with a 100% silk saree with respect to tensile strength, elongation, drapeability, stiffness and antimicrobial activity. The developed saree gives good results that are close to that of the 100% silk saree, and the cost of the developed saree is less than half of that of 100% silk.