The effects of steaming condition and wrapper type on the permanent setting of wool fabric

The effects of temperature, regain, and time on the level of permanent set imparted to wool fabric during steam setting were investigated. These effects were found to be non-linear and inter-dependent. Packages of interleaved wool fabric and wrapper were also studied and the level of set imparted to wool fabric was explained by the interactive heat and mass transfer between fabric and wrapper. When wool fabrics were steamed at low initial regains the level of set imparted was low and strongly dependent on the fibre type of the wrapper. Higher levels of set were obtained when wool fabrics were steamed with wrappers made of fibres with low moisture absorbency.