THE EFFECT OF FIBER SHAPE AND FIBER-ASSEMBLY STRUCTURE ON FUKURAMI OF SILK CONTINUOUS FILAMENT FABRICS

In order to investigate the effect of fibre shape and fibre-assembly structure on FUKURAMI (fullness and softness) of a silk continuous-filament fabric, silk fibres were taken out of the fabric and characterized precisely. The fibre-assembly structure of these silk fibres is discussed in relation to the mechanical properties of the yarns and the fabrics. The following results were obtained. The cross-sections of the silk fibre varied in shape and size. The longitudinal small crimps and distorted ridgelines were randomly distributed. All of these factors contributed to the high bulk of the fibre assemblies. These variations and the randomness of the silk fibres influenced the lateral-compressional properties of the yarns and accounted for their relative softness. The same factors influenced the fabric tensile and compressional properties and explained their high FUKURAMI.