Assessing color differences of cotton fabrics made from different yarns after abrasion

It is expected from a fabric applied with durable softener agent, not only a smooth, slippery and soft touch but also durable color even after several cycles of use and care. From this point of view, at this study weft knitted fabrics were manufactured using Siro, ring and open-end cotton yarns, bleached and dyed, followed by softening treatment with silicone, cationic and nonionic softeners at 1 and 3% softener concentration levels. Color strength and lightness values of the treated fabrics were evaluated by considering color changes after abrasion. Since the loss of fibers from a fabric surface during abrasion cycles causes prominent changes in the fabric's color, differentiation in the color that occur after a certain number of abrasion cycles (2500, 5000, 7500, 10000) were also measured for evaluation of the abrasion resistance of a fabric. Considering the yarn type and number of abrasion cycles, interaction effects of those with softener type and softener concentration on color strength and lightness were presented and discussed separately. From the results, it was observed that the color values of fabrics after abrasion cycles are closely related to yarn type, softener type, and concentration. The most significant changes in both L∗ and K/S values were obtained after fabric were abraded 2500 cycles. Softener type, as well as concentration, should be decided according to the target color shade before coloration.