Mechanical Properties of Cashmere Single Jersey Knitted Fabrics Blended with High and Low Crimp Superfine Merino Wool

Abstract

In this replicated experiment, we investigated the impact of cashmere in blends with superfine wools on the mechanical properties of single jersey knitted fabrics. We also investigated the relative performance of soft, low crimp/low fiber curvature superfine wool when compared with cashmere and also when compared with traditional high crimp/high fiber curvature superfine wool in pure and blended knitted fabrics. The results indicate both the cashmere blend ratio and fiber curvature/crimp of wool affected fabric properties. Pure cashmere fabrics were softer than pure wool fabrics. Adding cashmere to wool increased knitted fabric softness, smoothness, flexibility, and suppleness. The physical properties of pure low crimp wool fabrics were closer to the properties of pure cashmere fabrics than were knitted fabrics made from pure standard wool.

Keywords

cashmere low crimp wool high crimp wool fiber curvature cashmere/wool blends single jersey knitted fabrics fabric mechanical properties thermal insulation

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