Assessing water-related comfort performance of knitted fabrics made of rayon microfibers and lyocell fibers for intimate wear

Comfort properties of knitted fabrics used for intimate wear is an important matter to be dealt with. Hence, the comfort issue of the knitted fabrics made of micro-rayon and lyocell fibers were examined in the current study after they were separately treated with the antibacterial and wicking finishes. Moreover, the effect of spandex was investigated. The fabric samples were analyzed in terms of vertical wicking capacity, transfer wicking, water vapor permeability and drying rate. According to the results, spandex incorporation and process history were found to be influential on the vertical wicking capacity of the fabric samples whereas, spandex incorporation was found as the main affecting parameter for the transfer wicking. Moreover, fiber type and spandex incorporation were both found to have significant effects on the water vapor permeability of the fabric samples. The best fabric option from its alternatives for intimate wear was chosen by the hybrid AHP-TOPSIS approach.