MICROSTRUCTURE OF FABRICS CHEMICALLY FINISHED FOR THERMAL ADAPTABILITY

A new “comfort” property, a warming and cooling effect, has been designed into textile fabrics by finishing them with polyethylene glycol solutions. High polymer add ons result, changing the physical nature of the fabrics. Finished and unfinished cotton, cotton / polyester, and wool fabrics were compared using optical and electron micros copy techniques to determine changes brought about by the finish. Finish polymer was deposited heavily within yarns, forming a fiber-polymer matrix. Polymer was also distributed throughout the cotton fibers. The results of various finishing procedures were compared, and the effects of laundering through 50 cycles was studied. © 1990, Sage Publications. All rights reserved.