Effect of Finishing on Woven Fabric Structure and Compressional and Cyclic Multiaxial Strain Properties

Twenty-three woolen, mixed and worsted woven fabrics made of wool, polyester/ wool, polyester/cellulosic and waste fibers underwent four different finishing treatments. The effect of the finishing on gray goods was studied by comparing the structural parameters and the results obtained by compressive and cyclic multiaxial strain testing. It was observed that finishing lead to a more fully, dimensionally stable and more relaxed fabric structure. By comparing the results obtained from finished fabrics it was possible to distinguish between the different groups of finished fabrics: Pure wool fabrics, non-pure wool fabrics, woolen fabrics made of warp worsted yarns (mixed fabrics) and pure worsted fabrics. The measured structural parameters were fabric density, thickness and mass per square meter, Eurotex and image analysis cover factors, air permeability and sonic velocity. The results given by compressional testing were compressibility, the Onions compressive index and Kawabata's linearity of compression. The results of the cyclic multiaxial strain testing were initial deformation, relaxation and creep indexes and bagginess after five deformation cycles.