Research and Development is part and parcel of ‘Knowledge Creation’ which in turn creates prosperity and wealth. It is said that ‘an idea’ can change the world. On the same basis R&D brings profits and wealth to any enterprise. Thus, R&D is most important part for any industry as it provides new ideas, sharpens one’s imagination and provides unlimited opportunity in technology development and growth. This also helps in making new products & systems. Research and development is an essential part for textile industry. In Research Focus section of Textile Focus we will try to present a brief note on some innovative research work published at renowned research journals.
Textile Focus Research Team
A study of multi-quality processing parameter optimization for sueded fabric
Authors: Chung-Feng Jeffrey Kuo and Wen-Tsung Lin
Published at: Textile Research Journal 2017, Vol. 87(4), PP 389–398
Abstract: Sueded fabric quality control depends on the processing parameter settings. The quality characteristics considered in this study are surface softness and color difference. The Taguchi method was combined with gray relational analysis (GRA) to optimize the multi-quality sueding processing parameter combinations. First, an orthogonal array is designed by using the design of experiments of the Taguchi method for the major processing parameters of the sueding machine. The signal/noise ratio and analysis of variance are calculated from the measured fabric surface softness and color difference data, significant factors influencing the quality characteristics obtained, and GRA used to remedy the deficiency in the Taguchi method, which is only applicable to single-quality characteristics. The optimum processing parameters of multiple-quality characteristics are obtained from the response table and response diagram of GRA. The quality of suede fabric can be controlled effectively by using the optimum processing parameters to set the processing parameters, and the 95% confidence interval validates the reliability and reproducibility of the experiment.
Geometrical models for weft-knitted spacer fabrics
Author: Arif Kurbak
Published at: Textile Research Journal 2017, Vol. 87(4) 409–423
Abstract: Spacer fabrics are very attractive nowadays for use as technical fabrics. Our interest in this study is togive geometrical models for weft-knitted spacer fabrics which can be used in related engineering software. Models of two commonly used weft-knitted spacer fabrics are created here based on Kurbak’s 1998 plain knit model and are drawn to scale using the 3DS-MAX computer graphical program. It is observed that similar shapes to the real fabrics are obtained by the models.
Water and dye-free coloration of wool
Authors: Guangming Cai, Zhenglin Xu, Bin Tang, Xungai Wang
Published at: Fibers and Polymers, January 2017, Volume 18, Issue 1, PP 102-109
Abstract: A water and dye-free heat treatment method was used to color wool fibers. The heat effect changed wool fibers to different colors from white in a nitrogen atmosphere. The influences of heating temperature and time on the colors of wool were investigated and the mechanical property of colored wool fibers was evaluated. The color strength of wool fibers increased as heat treatment temperature and time increased. The tensile strength retention rate of wool fiber was relatively high (≥90 %) when the heat temperature was below 200 °C. The surface morphologies of wool fibers scarcely changed during the heat treatment. The carbon content of fibers was found to reduce by heat treatment, indicating oxidization of components in the wool fibers in the process of coloration. Heat treatment may provide a water and dye-free approach to color wool and other textile fibers, albeit within
