Analysis of some comfort and structural properties of cotton/spandex plain and 1×1 rib knitted fabrics

Spandex is increasingly used in either every course or alternating courses of knitted fabrics to impart a greater level of stretch and form stability than that can be achieved with cotton alone. The incorporation of spandex to the fabric structure effects many of the fabric properties. In this study, 100% cotton, half-plated and full-plated, plain and rib fabrics which are very commonly used in underwear and outerwear clothing are investigated for physical, dimensional, geometrical, and some comfort properties and compared to each other. Several conclusions could be obtained such as the wicking heights of the plain fabrics were higher than those of the 1×1 rib fabrics. Transfer wicking ratios of the half-plated fabrics were the highest, whereas the transfer wicking ratios of the full-plated fabrics were the lowest. Extension under constant load and residual deformation ratios decreased with the addition of spandex and the increase in spandex content. Plain fabrics generally performed better than 1×1 rib fabrics in terms of residual deformation ratios.