Abstract
Dimensional stability of ramie jersey knit fabric was compared to that of cotton and rayon jersey fabric. Three experimental laundering procedures were employed: hand washing with flat drying, machine washing with flat drying, and machine washing with tumble drying. Experimental fabrics knit from ramie, cotton, viscose rayon, and high wet modulus rayon and from 50/50 mixtures for each fiber were laundered five times using each of the three laundering procedures. Major findings were that ramie and ramie-cellulosic knits have better dimensional stability than knits containing only cotton and rayon. Ramie knits also exhibit little progressive shrinkage and growth. Both cotton and rayon knits exhibited progressive shrinkage in the wale direction and progressive growth in the course direction. In general, method of drying was found to be a greater factor in maintaining dimensional stability than was method of washing. Tumble drying after washing was found to result in less course-wise growth than flat drying.
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