Mechanistic investigation on moisture‐induced softening of poly(vinyl acetate)‐stiffened polyester fabrics

Abstract

Softening phenomenon of fabrics stiffened with eco‐friendly polymeric stiffening agents often occurs in service conditions, leading to a deteriorated stiffening style. It is highly desired to find the key factors that induce the softening of stiffened fabrics and to understand the softening mechanism. In this work, polyester fabrics and poly(vinyl acetate) (PVAc)‐based stiffening agent were chosen as the typical fabrics and polymeric stiffening agent, respectively. The stiffness value, a sensitive style index for the stiffening effect of fabrics, was selected to evaluate the variation of fabric stiffening effect during storage. A phenomenon of rapid softening was observed in the fabrics stiffened with various amounts of PVAc‐based stiffening agent. The stiffness value of stiffened fabrics decreased with the increase of hygroscopic amount. According to the hygroscopic kinetic data, the moisture‐induced plasticization effect of stiffening agent film, and the detachment of stiffening agent film from the fibers caused by the moisture‐induced weakening of interfacial interaction between the film and fiber, a possible softening mechanism of polymer‐stiffened fabrics was proposed. The hygroscopic‐drying cyclic experiments showed that the softening of stiffened fabrics was induced by the reversible plasticization effect and the irreversible interfacial damage between the film and fiber.

Facile Preparation of PET/PA6 Bicomponent Microfilament Fabrics with Tunable Porosity for Comfortable Medical Protective Clothing

“…Soft microfilament materials with high air permeability efficiently transport sweat vapor from the microenvironment between the skin and the fabrics, which is the fundamental reason for dry and touching comfort. , It is well established that the softness and air permeability of cloth are closely connected to its porosity. , The softness score is a vital metric that indicates the fabric’s softness; the greater the softness score, the softer the cloth. As indicated in Figure a, as the temperature was increased from 160 to 190 °C, the softness score of the samples declined progressively from 34.3 to 30.3 (by 11.7%).…”

“…40,41 It is well established that the softness and air permeability of cloth are closely connected to its porosity. 42,43 The softness score is a vital metric that indicates the fabric's softness; the greater the softness score, the softer the cloth. As indicated in Figure 6a, as the temperature was increased from 160 to 190 °C, the softness score of the samples declined progressively from 34.3 to 30.3 (by 11.7%).…”