Factors Affecting Moisture Transmission in Denim Fabrics

Denim trousers are very popular worldwide because of its eye-catching appearance. Although denims are generally stiffer than most twill structured textiles used for pants, jeans are still one of the most chosen apparels. They are recognised by the indigo shade of colour on the right side and the undyed cotton colour on the back side. Many research has been done on how different choices of constructional parameters, structural parameters, washes, finishes and other processes, affect the physical, mechanical properties and appearance of denims. Few investigations have been carried out on the comfort properties of denims in general. However, this study focuses on one of the main comfort properties which is the moisture transmission through denim fabrics. Moisture transmission occurs when a person perspires in either water vapour or in liquid form and it impacts greatly on the thermophysiological comfort of the human body. When perspiration is transferred to the atmosphere, it carries heat with it cooling down the human body. When the thermal balance of the body is maintained, a greater sense of comfort is experienced. With that in mind, optimal comfort is achieved when perspiration can get transferred to the atmosphere, through the clothing worn. The permetest was used to measure the evaporative resistance (Ret) of a total of samples categorized in such a way so as to be able to figure out how each factors affect the moisture transfer. 100% cotton denims and cotton/polyester/elastane blends were compared to each other since they are the most common types of denims manufactured. Results showed that 100% cotton has the worse comfort in general. The Ret of raw denims with different parameters were compared to their respective washed versions and it was found that there was a decline in comfort after washing. Moreover, the Ret of washed samples using different types of wash was analysed to figure out which type of washing gave the highest and lowest changes. The washing process affected the structural parameters of the fabrics which directly impacted on the ability for moisture to travel through. Additionally, the effect of coating as an end finish proved to have a negative impact on the ease of moisture transmission of denims. The overall purpose of this research aims at selecting the best combination of materials, parameters and processes based on what was available which will lead to easier transmission of moisture resulting in better comfort for the wearer while still being able to choose denims for their good looks.