**1. Introduction**

30 Will-be-set-by-IN-TECH

234 Woven Fabrics

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textiles (Chapter 14), pp. 255 – 272.

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*Journal* 77(2): 105 – 110.

Sensorial evaluation plays an important role for identification of materials in addition to technical specification. Textiles differs from each other with their technical structures in that it must have sufficient strength, performance characteristics and at the same time it has to be flexible, elastic, easy to pleat and shape, comfortable in aesthetic and sensorial aspects.

In order to find a method for the sensational evaluation of textiles, the concept of "fabric hand" is commonly used (Mäkinen et al., 2005). Understanding and measuring consumer preferences have opened up an important field of interest in recent researches in textile industry known as "handle" or in a broader sense "skin sensational wear comfort" or "tactile comfort" (Bensaid et al., 2006; Das & Ishtiaque, 2004) which refers to the total sensations experienced when a fabric is touched or manipulated in the fingers. Since fabric handle is based on people's subjective preferences, obviously it can mean different things to different people and consumers having different backgrounds. The preferences for certain fabric types are diverse and, in extreme cases, even opposite (Pan et al., 1988). Hand influences consumers' preferences and their perception of the usefulness of the product, and consequently retailer's saleability of the apparel. This fabric property is critical to manufacturers, garment designers, and merchandisers in developing and selecting textile materials, especially the textiles intended for use in apparel (Kim & Slaten, 1999; as cited in Pan & Yen, 1992; as cited in Pan et al., 1993).

In the literature, handle is defined in several ways as given in the following:


Sensorial Comfort of Textile Materials 237

 Method and type of dyeing and finishing processes (heat treatment, brushing, calendaring, softening, etc.) (Dillon et al., 2001; Behery, 2005; Shanmugasundaram, 2008).

The fiber type (natural/man made, staple/filament) is the first criterion for obtaining

Linen is a fiber that gives fabrics comparatively higher toughness. 100% linen fabrics offer the highest tensile resilience, bending rigidity and bending hysteresis, whereas the lowest values are obtained in terms of the shear rigidity and shear hysteresis values. Cotton, viscose and cotton/linen, viscose/linen blended fabrics give comparatively lower surface friction, surface roughness and bending rigidity compared to 100% linen fabrics. (Behera, 2007). The surface properties of the yarns and fabrics are affected by the morphological properties of the animal fibers (Supuren, 2010). As the fiber diameter increase, the prickliness of the fabrics increases for this type of fabrics (Behera, 2007). Linen is a fiber that gives the fabrics comparatively higher toughness; the toughness is reduced by blending the fiber with viscose. 100% linen fabrics offer the highest tensile resilience, bending rigidity and bending hysteresis, whereas the lowest values are obtained in terms of the shear rigidity and shear hysteresis values. Cotton, viscose and cotton/linen, viscose/linen blended fabrics give comparatively lower surface friction, surface roughness and bending rigidity compared to 100% linen fabrics (Behera, 2007). The surface properties of the yarns and fabrics are affected by the morphological properties of the animal fibers (Supuren, 2010). As the fiber diameter

increase, the prickliness of the fabrics increases for this type of fabrics (Behera, 2007).

properties compared to the normal denier filament fabrics (Behera et al., 1998).

The finer the fibers are, the smoother and more flexible the yarn is and the fabric drape gets better. Longer fibers and smaller variation in the fiber length distribution result in smoother yarn and fabric surfaces. Micro denier filament fabrics give a better drape and handle

The cross-sectional shape of the fiber affects the smoothness and bending of the yarn (Shanmugasundaram, 2008; Behery, 2005). It also determines how light interacts with the fiber. For example, a round fiber will appear more lustrous than a trilobal fiber made of the

Another property that is important for fabric handle is the fiber friction. The fiber–fiber friction influences the way that the fibers interact with each other. The friction properties affect the flexibility of the yarns. As the fiber–fiber friction increases, the ability of the fibers to slide from each other during yarn and fabric deformation decreases (Behery, 2005).

Besides the typical mechanical methods to alter the handle of fabrics/fibers, handle can be improved by by chemical treatments. In treating the fiber surface, chemicals called 'softeners' are usually used. Softeners work by lubricating the surface of the fiber. This reduces the fiber–fiber friction, which makes the fabric move and flow more easily. Another method of changing fiber hand is to alter the chemical nature of the fibers themselves. A very common method is the mercerization of cellulose. As cellulose is mercerized, the overall shape of the fiber becomes more circular and more uniform than its irregular form thus becoming stronger and smoother to touch. With its round shape, mercerized cellulose

various fabrics having diffferent sensorial comfort characteristics.

**2.1 Effect of fibers** 

same polymer (Behery, 2005).

becomes more lustrous (Behery, 2005).

It is no doubtful that the hand judgement of fabrics is one of the important fabric tests and has been used widely by many people that can be classified as experts in textile factories and general consumers. The experts in factories especially in finishing departments carry out this judgement to control the property of their products every day. On the other hand each of the consumers also examines the property of the fabric by his "hand" to select a good clothing material according to his feeling and experience during purchasing (Kawabata, 1980). In both cases, fabric hand is examined mainly by the sense of touch and the sensory signals sent to the brain are formulated and clustered as subjective perception of sensations as follows:


Fabric handle is a complex parameter and is related to the several fabric properties such as flexibility, compressibility, elasticity, resilience, density, roughness, smoothness, surface friction and thermal characteristics (Ozcelik et al., 2007, 2008). Fabric properties mostly influencing fabric handle are generally listed as fabric smoothness (28%), softness (22%), stiffness (8%), roughness (7%), thickness (5%) and weight (5%). Such fabric properties like warmth, hardness, elasticity, creasing propensity, drape and other properties less influencing the textile hand enter the residual part of 25% (Bishop, 1996; Grinevičiūtė et al., 2005).

This chapter presents one of the most challenging properties of the textile materials, "the sensorial comfort" in detail. The first part deals with the factors influencing the fabric handle, such as fiber, yarn and fabric properties and finishing treatments. The second part of the chapter summarizes the mechanical properties related with the sensorial properties such as bending, shear, tensile, thickness and compression, drape, friction and roughness as well as other fabric sensory properties related to the assessment of fabric handle and quality such as fabric thermal properties, surface appearance, prickle, noise and odour. In the third part, subjective evaluation methods, systems and devices for the objective measurement of fabric handle are examined. Finally, the relationship between the subjective evaluation and objective measurement of fabric handle is given.
