Performance and durability of polysiloxane based moisture management finish on cotton fabrics

Abstract

The moisture management behaviour of 100% cotton knitted fabrics finished with a modified polysiloxane based softener was studied in the present work. Prior to the finishing, the fabrics were dyed with different concentrations (0.1% and 2.5%) of a vinylsulphone type reactive dye. The moisture management in the finished fabrics was characterized in terms of vertical and horizontal wicking behaviour and drying rates. According to the experimental results, although the wicking of moisture through the cotton fabrics improved considerably using the finish, it affects the drying rates. Moreover, the durability of this type of finish was influenced by the presence of reactive dye and the fabrics dyed with lower concentrations showed better durability to domestic washing.