Comparative analysis of the thermal insulation properties of fabrics made of natural and man-made cellulose fibres

Yarn made of natural and man-made cellulose fibres is nowadays commonly applied in textiles. It is already apparent that the type of raw material and fabric structure influences the properties of the finished goods. The main aim of this paper was to present a comparative analysis of thermal insulation properties (such as thermal conductivity, absorption and thermal resistance) of fabrics made of cotton and Tencel. 6 samples of cotton fabrics and 9 samples of fabrics from Tencel yarns were produced for the purpose of these tests. All fabrics had warp and weft yarns of nominal linear density of 20 tex. Three kinds of weaves were applied: plain, combined and twill nominal warp and weft densities of 320/dm. The measurements were carried out on finished fabrics with the use of the ALAMBETA device. The results are presented graphically and discussed. The finished fabrics made of Tencel yarn showed lower values of thermal conductivity and thermal absorption than fabrics made of cotton yarns, and higher values of thermal diffusion and resistance. The influence of the type of weave on thermal properties was observed for all fabrics made of cotton and Tencel.