Investigation of abrasion and color fastness properties of flat knitted fabrics from microfiber

This research presents a comparative study of the color, color fastness and abrasion properties of the plain knitted fabrics made from 100% modal viscose fibers in different fiber finenesses such as microfiber and conventional fiber, their 50/50 blends with cotton fiber and 100% cotton fiber. Abrasion properties of the fabrics are evaluated by determining weight loss difference and color changes occurred after the four levels of abrasion cycles (5000, 10000, 15000 and 20000). The all obtained results are compared by considering the fiber fineness and the proportion of modal viscose-cotton blend in the fabrics. Therefore, firstly, the color, color fastness and abrasion properties of the plain knitted fabrics made from modal viscose fibers containing microfibers in three different stitch lengths are compared with the similar fabrics made from conventional modal viscose fibers. Then, the similar properties of the plain knitted fabrics made from modal viscose fibers containing microfiber and conventional fiber in two different stitch lengths are evaluated in comparison with the similar fabrics made from 50/50 blends of modal viscose fibers with cotton fibers and made from 100% cotton fibersThe modal fabrics with 100% microfibers reveal lower K/S and C* values, but higher L* values than the fabrics with 100% conventional modal fibers before abrasion. These resultsviindicate that the colors of fabrics with microfiber are lighter and duller than those of the fabrics with conventional fiber and these fabrics have lower dye uptake than the fabrics with conventional fiber. With the increase of cotton amount, the K/S values of fabrics decrease, but L* values of the fabrics increases. The C* values of the cotton blended and cotton fabrics are found to higher than those of the modal fabrics without cotton fiber. These results indicate that the modal fabrics have darker and duller colors and have better dye uptake than cotton blended and cotton fabrics.The weight loss values of the fabrics with 100% microfibers exhibit different behaviors according to the stitch length. In the shortest stitch length value, the modal fabrics with microfibers reveal the highest weight loss tendency, but in the medium and the longest stitch length values, these fabrics reveal the lowest weight loss tendency. The comparison of the weight loss values of the fabrics with regard to cotton amount show that especially in 15000 and 20000 abrasion cycles, as the cotton proportion increases, the weight loss values decrease. This means that the abrasion resistance increase with the increase of the cotton proportion.Regarding to the color properties after abrasion, the 100% modal fabrics with microfibers show the lowest K/S values, but the highest L* values as in the case of those obtained before abrasion. The color difference values (?E*) of the 100% modal fabrics with microfibers are lower than those of the 100% modal fabrics with the conventional fibers, especially at the end of 15000 and 20000 abrasion cycles. When the color difference values (?E*) are considered with regard to the cotton amount, it is observed that ?E* values do not seem to change according to cotton amount. However, the %100 modal fabrics with conventional fibers and 100% cotton fabrics reveal higher color difference values (?E*) than the other fabrics.Finally, the 100% modal fabrics with microfibers show slightly worse rubbing, wash, perspiration and light fastness properties than 100% modal fabrics with conventional fibers. The fastness properties of the 100% modal fabrics without cotton fibers are found to be better than those of the cotton blended and cotton fabrics.