Investigation of wetting, wicking and thermal properties of the woven fabric structures which have different average float lengths

Woven fabrics can be classified as textile surfaces, which are composed of two sets of yarns called warp and weft yarns that are perpendicular to each other and can be intersected each other with different variations. Different variety of woven fabrics can be obtained by combination of different patterns as well as combining different intersections of warp and weft yarns. The variation of different weave patterns not only affects the aesthetical appearance but also affects the physical and mechanical properties of the woven fabrics. In this thesis, wetting, wicking and thermal properties of the fabrics that contain various average float lengths and different weft densities were examined. In this context weave patterns that have different float lengths in ascending order were chosen systematically, and weaved in two different weft densities. Afterwards chemical treatments were applied to the fabrics in order to make them hydrophilic. Then, air permeability, vertical wicking, and drop tests were done. Moreover, thermal properties of the fabrics were analyzed by means of Alambeta device. Finally the data, which was collected via these tests aforementioned, was evaluated by SPSS statistical analyze program. After several experiments, increase in the average float length has led increase in wicking, air permeability and thermal resistance properties of the fabrics. Besides, the fabrics with cellular structures had considerably higher wicking, permeability and thermal resistance results than that of fabrics with normal structures.