MANUFACTURING AND INVESTIGATION OF THE SEERSUCKER WOVEN FABRICS
Dr. eng. Malgorzata MATUSIAK
Lodz University of Technology, Faculty of Material Technologies and Textile Design, Institute of Architecture of Textiles, Lodz, Poland
REZUMAT. În general, ţesăturile sunt considerate materiale textile plane (2D - bidimensionale). Aceasta se datorează faptului că a treia lor dimensiune - grosimea este neglijabil mai mica, în comparaţie cu celelalte două dimensiuni: lungimea și lăţimea. Cu toate acestea, există și produse, ţesute sau tricotate, care sunt considerate 3D (tridimensionale) sau 2D +. O definiţie comună de bază a ţesăturilor 3D este aceea că aceste tipuri de ţesături au o a treia dimensiune, respectiv grosimea. În acest grup putem include: tricoturi spaţiale, ţesături multistrat, ţesături plisate, ţesături plușate, catifele, ţesături creponate, etc.
Cuvinte cheie: ţesătură creponată, efect de cutare, proprietăţi mecanice, rezistenţă termică, permeabilitate la aer.
ABSTRACT. Generally, the woven fabrics are considered as flat (2D – two-dimensional) textile materials. It is due to the fact that their third dimension – thickness is negligibly small in comparison with their other two dimensions: length and width. However, there are also fabrics, woven or knitted, which are considered as 3D (three-dimensional) or 2D+. A basic common definition of the 3D fabrics is that these types of fabrics have a third dimension in the thickness layer. Into this group we can include: knitted spacer fabrics, multilayer fabrics, plisse or pleated fabrics, terry fabrics, velvet fabrics, seersucker fabrics, etc. The aim of presented work was to investigate the basic structural, mechanical and utility properties of the seersucker woven fabrics. A typical seersucker structure is characterized by an occurring the puckered strips in warp direction. Usually they are manufactured on loom by an application of two warps of different tension. In presented work the seersucker fabrics were made on the basis of the same set of warps: basic and puckering and different kinds of weft yarns. Investigation confirmed that an application of different weft yarns significantly influences the structure and properties of the seersucker woven fabrics.
Keywords: seersucker fabric, puckering effect, mechanical properties, thermal resistance, air permeability. 1. INTRODUCTION There are different ways of classifications of 3D woven fabrics. The basic ones are the following [2, Fabrics made from fibers and yarns are often 3]: regarded as two-dimensional materials [1]. • on the basis of geometrical structure, However, all textile materials are three dimensional • on the basis of manufacturing method. but usually their third dimension – thickness is very A basic common definition of the 3D fabrics is small in relation to their width and length. In some that these types of fabrics have a third dimension in cases the thickness of fabrics is bigger than the thickness layer. Into this group we can include: thickness of typical fabrics and it cannot be spacer fabrics, multilayer fabrics, plisse or pleated neglected. In such situation we should consider the fabrics, terry fabrics, velvet fabrics, seersucker fabrics as 2,5D or 3D (three-dimensional). Taking it fabrics, etc. In presented work the seersucker woven into consideration the woven fabrics are classified fabrics are the objects of the investigation. into three groups according to their dimensions [1]: The seersucker fabrics create a unique 3D woven • 2D fabrics in which the constituent yarns are structure. Such 3D structure is usually received on disposed in one plane, loom by an application of two warps of different tension [4, 5]. A typical seersucker structure is • 2.5D fabrics in which the constituent yarns are characterized by an occurring the puckered strips in disposed in two mutually perpendicular planes, warp direction. The word “seersucker” came into • 3D fabrics in which the constituent yarns are English from Persian, and originates from the words: disposed in a three mutually perpendicular planes. "Sheer" and "Shakar". They meaning is: "milk and
Buletinul AGIR nr. 1/2018 ● ianuarie-martie 3 TEXTILE TEHNICE – PREZENT ŞI VIITOR sugar", probably from the similarity of smooth and The aim of work was to investigate the basic rough stripes along the fabric to the smooth texture structural, mechanical and utility properties of the of milk and the lumpy texture of sugar [6]. seersucker woven fabrics made on the basis of the To make the seersucker woven fabric, two loom same warp set and with different kinds and beams are needed: one beam carries warp yarns for configuration of weft yarns. the flat (basic) strips; the other carries warp yarns for the puckered strips. During weaving, adjustments are made to make the puckered stripe warp yarns feed 2. MATERIALS AND METHODS forward faster than the flat stripe warp yarns. This results in different tension of warp yarns and Three variants of the seersucker woven fabrics following it a localized buckling of the fabric in the were the objects of the investigations. They were: areas of the fast-feeding yarns [4, 7]. This makes the • typical cotton seersucker woven fabric – pucker in the wrinkled strips in warp direction. The Sample No. 1, seersucker structure is called a “slack-tension weave.” • the seersucker woven fabric with seersucker When the fabric is woven up, the differences in effect in both directions: warp and weft – Sample tension cause the finished fabric to wrinkle; giving a No. 2, traditional “puckered” look of fabrics [8]. • the seersucker woven fabric with seersucker effect Due to the use of two beams the typical seersucker in both directions: warp and weft and conductive woven fabrics cannot be manufactured on conventional silver-containing yarn in weft – Sample No. 3. looms with single warp beam. Maqsooda at al. [9] developed the seersucker woven fabrics produced on All fabrics were manufactured on the basis of the conventional looms using a single warp beam. For same warps made of 20 x 2 tex cotton yarn. The this purpose two types of weft yarn: 100% cotton typical seersucker structure of the Sample No. 1 was yarns and blended yarns of cotton and elastane achieved by an appropriate combination of warp (95.67% cotton and 4.33% Lycra) were used in yarns: basic and puckering of different tension while groups. The weft yarns were distributed in two stripes: weaving. The same yarn 20 x 2 tex CO was also one of cotton threads and other having both cotton applied in weft. and core spun yarns.
The elastane yarn was also applied in the 3D In second fabric – Sample No. 2 the same two woven fabrics by Matusiak et al. [10]. They designed warps of different tension have been applied as in the seersucker woven structure by an appropriate the Sample No. 1. Additionally, two kinds of yarns combination of two warp yarns of different tensions (typical two beam seersucker effect) and two weft of different elasticity have been used in weft. They yarns of different elasticity. In this case the puckering were: effect was visible in both directions warp and weft. • 20 x 2 tex CO as a basic weft, Ashraf at al. described the knitted technique of the • 37 tex PU 57/PES 33 as a puckering weft. seersucker fabric formation [11]. They manufactured the knitted seersucker fabric on single cylinder weft The weft yarns were introduced into the fabric knitting machine using plain jersey structure. In structure in the following order: 20 threads of the order to obtain the puckering effect two different 20 x 2 tex CO yarn and next 20 threads of the 37 tex kinds of yarn were applied: 100 % cotton yarn and PU57/PES 43 yarn. Such a combination of warp and core spun yarn with cotton fibers in the sheath and weft yarns gave the puckering effect in both elastane filament in the core. Prepared in such a way directions: warp and weft. the knitted fabric was characterized by the strips in course direction. Third fabric – Sample No. 3 was a modification of the Sample No. 2. In this fabric an additional yarn The wrinkled-striped structure of the seersucker was applied in weft. It was the conductive yarn fabrics causes that the fabrics are carefree; they not 235/34 x 2dtex PA6.6 94/Silver 6. The order of weft have to be pressed. It is an important advantage of yarns was the following: such kind of fabrics, especially for apparel ensuring • 20 threads of the 37 tex PU 57/PES 33 yarn as a a utility comfort. Some researchers consider that the puckering weft. seersucker fabrics have good comfort properties due • 20 threads in following order: 2 threads of the to the puckered structure. However, today the 20 x 2 tex CO yarn / 2 threads of the 235/34 x 2dtex seersucker fabrics are produced by a limited number PA6.6 94/Silver 6 yarn. of manufacturers because their manufacturing is a low-profit high-cost process due to slow weaving The structural characteristics of the manufactured speed. fabrics are presented in Table 1.
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Table 1. Basic structural parameters of the investigated seersucker woven fabrics
Value Parameter Unit Sample 1 Sample 2 Sample 3 20 x 2 Warp I - 20 x 2 tex CO 20 x 2 tex CO tex CO 20 x 2 Warp II - 20 x 2 tex CO 20 x 2 tex CO tex CO 20 x 2 Weft - 20 x 2 tex CO 20 x 2 tex CO tex CO 37 tex 37 tex Weft II - - PU57/PES43 PU57/PES43 235/34 x 2 dtex Weft III - - - PA 6.6 94/Silver 6 Weave – Fig. 3. Sample 3 – seersucker woven fabric with seersucker - plain plain plain warp I effect in both directions and conductive yarn in weft Weave – - rep 2/2 rep 2/2 rep 2/2 warp II The fabrics were measured in the range of their Warp dm-1 278 341 342 structural, mechanical and utility properties. Measure- density ments were performed according to appropriate Weft density dm-1 221 269 240 standards. Breaking force and elongation at break were Figures 1 – 3 present the pictures of measured using the Instron tester according to manufactured seersucker woven fabrics. standard: PN-EN ISO 3934-1:2002. Bending stiffness of fabrics was measured using the cantilever stiffness tester [12] according to Polish Standard PN-33/P- 04631, Determination of stiffness of textiles. Thermal insulation properties of the investigated seersucker fabrics such as: thermal conductivity, thermal diffusivity, thermal absorptivity and thermal resistance were measured by means of the Alambeta device. The Alambeta by Sensora (Czech Republic) is a computer-controlled instrument for measuring the basic static and dynamic thermal characteristics of textiles [13 - 15]. By means of the Alambeta device, besides the classical stationary fabrics’ thermal properties such as thermal resistance and
thermal conductivity, we can also assess transient Fig. 1. Sample 1 – typical seersucker woven fabric thermal characteristics such as thermal diffusivity and thermal absorptivity. The instrument directly measures the stationary heat flow density (by measuring the electric power at the known area of the plates), the temperature difference between the upper and bottom fabric surface, and the fabric’s thickness. The device calculates the real thermal resistance for all fabric configurations [13 - 15]. Air permeability determines the resistance of fabrics (woven, knitted and nonwoven) to the passage of air [16, 17]. The air permeability of clothing directly influences gas exchange between a human being and surroundings and, in the same way, the physiological comfort of the clothing user.
Due to this fact air permeability is considered as one Fig. 2. Sample 2 – seersucker woven fabric of the crucial comfort–related properties of clothing with seersucker effect in both directions [14].
Buletinul AGIR nr. 1/2018 ● ianuarie-martie 5 TEXTILE TEHNICE – PREZENT ŞI VIITOR 3. RESULTS AND DISCUSSION bending stiffness of the sample No. 1 and samples No. 2 and 3 were stated in warp direction in The basic physical and mechanical properties of comparison with weft direction. The total bending the investigated seersucker woven fabrics are stiffness results from the bending stiffness in warp presented in Table 2. and weft direction according to the following equation: Table 2. Basic physical and mechanical properties of the investigated seersucker woven fabrics Btotal Bwarp Bweft (1)
Value where: Bwarp – bending stiffness in warp direction Parameter Unit Sample Sample 2 Sample 3 [Nm], Bweft – bending stiffness in weft direction, 1(7) (6) (1) [Nm]. Mass per square 363 365 gm-2 241 meter Thus the total bending stiffness of the sample No. Warp I take up % 5.12 6.55 8.31 1 is significantly lower than the total bending Warp II take up % 70.6 91.2 72.7 stiffness of the samples No. 2 and 3. Weft I take up % 13.7 38.2 42.2 Weft II take up % - 92.4 91.1 Weft III take up % - - 43.2 Thickness mm 1.64 1.90 1.89 Breaking force - 484.1 503.0 N 425.0 warp Breaking force - 327.0 574.0 N 663.0 weft Elongation at 12.60 13.98 % 12.40 break - warp Elongation at 40.05 66.1 % 21.23 break - weft Fig. 4. Bending stiffness of the investigated seersucker fabrics Stiffness – warp 0.277 0.207 mNm 0.041 direction Table 3 presents the comfort-related properties of Stiffness – weft mNm 0.072 0.074 0.046 direction the investigated fabrics. The highest thermal Stiffness - total mNm 0.043 0.141 0.124 conductivity was stated for fabric No. 3. It results from the fact that the fabric is characterized by tight
structure and the highest mass per square meter. It is On the basis of the obtained results it was stated that the fabrics differ between each other in the known that the heat conduction in textiles takes range of their mass per square meter. The samples place mostly in fibrous phase. Additionally, the No. 2 and 3 are characterized by significantly higher presence of the conductive yarn containing silver mass per square meter than the sample No. 1. It is caused increase of thermal conductivity of the obvious, because in fabrics No. 2 and 3 the sample No. 3. The highest thermal resistance was elastomeric yarn was applied in weft direction. It stated for fabric No. 2. It is caused by the highest caused a tightening the fabric structure and in the thickness of the fabric. Thickness of the fabric No. 3 same way their higher areal mass. is on similar level as thickness of fabric No. 2. In all samples the take up of the warp II However, the presence of silver in the fabric No. 3 (puckering) is several times higher than the take up caused its lower thermal resistance in comparison of the warp I (basic). It is typical relation for the with the fabric No. 2. seersucker woven fabrics. The relation between the take up of puckering and basic warp can be one of The highest air permeability was stated for fabric the measures of the seersucker effect. No. 3. It is difficult to explain it. Probably the The seersucker fabrics differ between each other diameters of applied weft yarns are different and it in the range of their bending stiffness (Fig. 4). In the caused different porosity of the investigated fabrics. case of the sample No. 1 its bending stiffness in However, it is very difficult to determine the warp and weft directions is at the similar level. It is porosity of such complicated woven structures. This much lower than bending stiffness of the fabrics No. problem will be the object of further investigations 2 and 3. Much bigger differences between the in the frame of the ongoing project.
6 Buletinul AGIR nr. 1/2018 ● ianuarie-martie MANUFACTURING AND INVESTIGATION OF THE SEERSUCKER WOVEN FABRICS Table 3. Thermal insulation properties of the investigated REFERENCES seersucker woven fabrics
Value [1] Behera B. K., Hari P. K., Woven textile structure, Theory Parameter Unit Sample Sample Sample and applications, Woodhead Publishing Series in Textiles: 1 2 3 Number 115, 2010. Thermal W m-1K-1 [2] Chen X., CAD/CAM of 3D woven fabrics for conventional 40.55 43.03 45.22 conductivity 10-3 loom; The first world conference on 3D fabrics and their Thermal m2s-1 application; 2008, pp. 10 – 11. 0.22 0.18 0.20 diffusivity 10-6 [3] Behera B. K., Mishra R., 3-Dimensional weaving, Indian Thermal Wm-2 s1/2 Journal of Fiber & Textile Research, Vol. 33. 2008, pp.274 86.59 103.23 102.17 absorptivity K-1 – 287. Thermal W-1 Km2 [4] Gandhi K., Woven Textiles Principles, Technologies and 45.34 50.81 47.99 resistance 10-3 Applications, 1st ed., Woodhead Publishing, New Delhi, Thickness mm 1.84 2.19 2.17 2012, pp. 142 – 158. [5] Matusiak M., Frącczak Ł., Investigation of Waviness of 3D Air permeability mm s-1 117.7 115.9 176.7 Woven Fabrics, chapter in: Innovations in Clothing Design, Materials, Technology and Measurement Methods, edited by Frydrych I., Bartkowiak G., Pawłowa M., Lodz University of Technology, 2015, pp. 166 – 182. [6] ***, The American Heritage Dictionary of the English Language: Fifth Edition. 2015, available from: < https://ahdictionary.com > 02.03.2016. [7] Kyame G.J., Lofton J.T., Cool and Carefree Cotton Seersucker,
K.,Umaira M., Development of seersucker fabrics using Fig. 5. Air permeability of the investigated seersucker single warp beam and modelling of their stretch-recovery woven fabrics behavior, The Journal of The Textile Institute, DOI 10.1081/00405000.2014.977542, 2014. [10] Matusiak M., Sikorski K., Wilk E., New Applications of 5. CONCLUSIONS Cotton Fibers, Fiber Society Spring Conference, St Gallen 2012. On the basis of the performed investigations it [11] Ashraf W., Nawab Y., Maqsood M., Khan H., Awais H., was stated that the structure and properties of the Ahmad S., Ashraf M., Ahmad S., Development of Seersucker Knitted Fabric for Better Comfort Properties seersucker woven fabrics depend significantly on a and Aesthetic Appearance, Fibers and Polymers, Vol.16, kind of weft yarn. By an application of the No.3, 2015, 699 – 701. elastomeric yarn in weft direction the structure of [12] Özçelik G., Kayseri1, Özdil n., MengüçG.S., Sensorial the seersucker fabric was significantly tightened. It Comfort of Textile Materials, chapter in: Woven Fabrics caused the changes in mass per square meter and edited by Han-Yong Jeon, published by InTech, Rijeka thermal conductivity of the investigated fabrics. Croatia 2012. [13] Hes L., Doleżal I., Hanzl J., Neue Methode und Einrichtung Tightening the structure of fabric by an application zur objektiven Bewertung der Thermokontakten of the elastomeric yarn in weft direction caused also Eigenschaften textiler Flaschengebilde, Melliand a significant increase of bending stiffness in warp Textilberichte, 9/1990, pp. 679 – 81. direction of the fabric. An application of the [14] Matusiak M., Investigation the Thermal Insulation conductive yarn containing silver resulted in higher Properties of Multilayer Textiles, Fibers & Textiles in thermal conductivity of fabric in comparison with Eastern Europe January Vol. 14, No. 5 (59) 2006, pp. 98 – 102. the thermal conductivity of the seersucker fabrics [15] Matusiak M., Fracczak L., Comfort-related properties of without silver yarn. seersucker fabrics in dry and wet state, International Journal of Clothing Science and Technology, Vol. 29 Issue: 3, pp. Acknowledgment 366 – 379. [16] Xiao X., Xuesen Zeng X., Bandara P., Long A., This work is financed by National Science Experimental Study of Dynamic Air Permeability for Woven Centre, Poland in the frame of the project titled Fabrics, Textile Research Journal, 82(9) 2012, pp. 920 – 930. „Geometrical mechanical and biomechanical [17] Tokarska M., Neural Model of the Permeability of Woven parameterization of the three-dimensional woven Fabrics, Textile Research Journal 74 (12), 2004, pp. 1045 – structures”, project No. 2016/23/B/ST8/02041. 1048.
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About the author
Małgorzata MATUSIAK Ph.D., D.Sc. Lodz University of Technology, Faculty of Material Technologies and Textile Design, Institute of Architecture of Textiles, Lodz, Poland
Graduate of Lodz University of Technology, Faculty of Textiles, specialization "Spinning" in 1983, doctoral degree in 2002, habilitation in 2013, adjunct at the Faculty of Material Technologies and Textile Design since 2012. Domains of competence: cotton quality, cotton processing, spinning, weaving, textile metrology, textile material engineering, clothing technology, comfort and well-being.
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