Thermal Comfort Properties of Bi-Layer Knitted Fabrics

Transmission of sensible and insensible perspiration is an important factor for fabric comfort. Improvement in the thermal comfort properties of knitted fabrics results in the achievement o fabric comfort. In this research, the thermal comfort properties of six bi-layer knitted fabrics were studied. The bi-layer knitted fabrics were made with different combinations of yarn in the inner layer and outer layer: The yarn combinations selected were polyester staple yarn-polyester staple yarn, polyester staple yarn-cotton, cotton-cotton, polypropylene-cotton, micro denier polyester-cotton, and micro denier polyester- micro denier polyester for the inner and outer layers, respectively. To find the thermal comfort properties of the six bi-layer knitted fabrics, an objective fabric test was carried out. The results showed that the bi-layer fabrics made from micro denier polyester; both in the inner and outer layers, exhibit better thermal comfort properties, thereby providing a higher level of comfort; hence, they are preferred for active sportswear: The water vapour permeability, air permeability, thermal resistance and thermal conductivity of the bi-layer knitted fabric made up of micro denier polyester as the outer and inner layer were found to be higher when compared to the other bi-layer structures. The results were discussed together with one - way ANOVA test results at a 0.05 significance level.