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A novel structure that integrates an inlaid silicone tube in the connective layer of spacer fabric is developed to increase its compression resistance and impact force absorption. Two inlaying methods are proposed to evaluate the effect of the spacer yarns, presence of the inlay, and inlay density and pattern. The results show that a silicone inlay effectively increases the compression resistance and impact force absorption. The compression behavior of the fabric can be modified with different inlay patterns and stitch densities. An inlaid silicone tube reinforces the structure and provides spacer fabrics with a better performance as a cushioning material. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The tactile evaluation was performed on 16 cotton towel samples that had been washed different numbers of times. Twenty-seven female and 24 male university students (20-24 years old) participated in the assessment. The surface and compression properties of fabrics were measured with the KES system. The tactile feels of softness and of smoothness were related to the geometrical roughness (SMD) and compression linearity (LC). The tactile feel was worse for washed towels with higher SMD and LC values. For washed towel fabrics, we found no significant correlation between the tactile feel and compression energy (WC). The results were related to the changes that occurred in the pile loop geometry during washing and caused matting of the pile. The changes were characterized by the ratio of ground fabric area observed in microscope images. To evaluate the initial resistance of the matted pile, we measured the frictional force (Ff) during movement of a friction contactor on the pile. The slope of the peak (S-FfP) was a useful indicator for investigating the tactile change in towel fabrics after washing. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

An air layer enclosed at the interface was largely responsible for the insulation results of multilayer fabrics obtained from experiments. In this study, a three-dimensional finite element method model, in which the air layer enclosed at the interface of multilayer fabrics was ignored, was developed to calculate the fabric thermal resistance, and the result obtained from the fabric model was independent of the air. A Thermolab II Tester KES-F7 was also used to measure the thermal resistance of fabrics, and the experimental results were influenced by the air layer. By comparing the simulation and experimental result, the air layer thermal resistance was determined, and then an estimating equation, which can be used to estimate the fabric and air layer thermal resistance for multilayer fabrics, was proposed. The results suggested that the surface roughness of fabrics was strongly related to the air layer thermal resistance, with a linear relationship between them. Moreover, for multiple layers stacked by different fabrics, the air layer thermal resistance at the interface was mainly decided by the fabric with the rougher surface. An estimating equation was also developed to predict the thermal resistance of multilayer fabrics and good correlation between predicted and experimental values was observed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The high quality of cashmere contributes to the superior handle of luxury fabrics. However, there is little understanding of the subtle differences among cashmere samples that induce differentiation of the resulting soft luxury fabrics. In this study, we focused on developing an objective way to simulate the hand touch of an expert by applying low compression pressure and frictional force on a fabric. The softness of cashmere is characterized under low applied force, as are its compression and surface properties. The compression energy (WC) and displacement (Dmax) at a maximum pressure of 250 Pa can be used to differentiate among samples. Fibers with higher mean curvature have lower WC, indicating the effect of fiber slippage during compression. The mean coefficient of friction (MIU) shows a significant difference (p ≤ 0.05) among fine cashmere fibers. Softness as evaluated by the hand touch of an expert can be explained by both WC and MIU. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Physical stimuli from contacted objects are recorded by skin receptors and are transmitted to neural signals to the cerebrum to generate touch perceptions. Despite numerous studies having been conducted on the link between the physical properties of contacted objects and psychological sensations, factors besides the stimuli themselves have seldom been investigated. The contact method and acclimation to environmental factors, such as temperature and humidity, could affect the functions of responsible receptors, which, in consequence, might affect the touch perception. This study is designed around a series of experiments involving 226 human subjects adapted to the climate environments of six East-Asia cities. The results revealed that the contact method affected the responses of smoothness sensation but not the stimuli discriminations. This agrees with the hypothesis that both the slowly adapting type I (SA1) fiber and the Pacinian afferent (PC) fiber are responsible for smoothness sensation. SA1 fibers can function through passive touch because of a superficial location in the dermis, while PC fibers, which are located deeper in the dermis, are triggered during active touching. The effect of contact method on softness sensation is not significant because the responsible receptor is the SA1 fiber. The effects of acclimation to temperature and relative humidity were also investigated. Positive relationships were found with smoothness perception and negative relationships were found with warmth perception. This suggests that acclimation to temperature and relative humidity can affect the receptor thresholds and, in consequence, affect the touch sensation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]