Effect of yarn linear density on moisture management characteristics of cotton/polypropylene double layer knitted fabrics

An ideal sportswear which requires extensive moisture management characteristics can be a composite having such properties. In this investigation nine different linear density combinations of double layer knitted fabrics have been taken into consideration for the study of moisture management behavior. The effect of yarn linear density on moisture management characteristics of double layer knitted fabric was analyzed with nine different double layer cotton/polypropylene knitted fabrics. The double layer fabric having coarser polypropylene layer in the inner face of the layered fabric and finer cotton fabric in the outer layer show higher longitudinal wicking than the other selected combinations. As the polypropylene yarn fineness increases, the water absorption time increases. Regarding transverse wicking, polypropylene layer has least area of moisture spread and it immediately transfer the moisture to the next layer: As soon as moisture comes in contact with cotton inner layer it disperses in all direction on the surface of the cotton layer. That's why inner diffusion takes place and the inner layer has more area of moisture spread than outer layer. Finer polypropylene with coarser cotton yarn fabric shows longer time to reach the saturation point and coarser polypropylene with finer cotton yarn layer fabric has higher spreading area than that of all other selected specimens. Coarser polypropylene inner layer and finer cotton outer layer fabric has better moisture management characteristic than other selected fabric samples.