EVALUATION OF SOFTNESS OF LINEN FABRICS

Abstract

By this time it is very important to find effective methods of softening textile materials (including linen fabrics) and methods for evaluating the results. The problem is that the softness (hardness) of textile materials combines both technological (physical) and aesthetic (psychophysiological) attributes of the material. It is obvious that it should be evalueted comprehensively, in two ways. In the field of textile technology and commodity (production of materials and the evaluation of their quality) it is necessary to use instrumental methods for the evaluation of softness (hardness) fabrics. There is a standard method of determining the hardness of textile materials, which allows to determine hardness of the material, depending on weight, linear dimensions of the sample and the value of its trough. The consumer evaluates fabric through touch (or carcass). Organoleptic methods have several drawbacks: subjectivity, low reproducibility; data in the form of qualitative judgments (soft - rigid, smooth – rough etc.). At the same time, these are the only methods that make it possible to take into account the views of consumers on the material (product) to improve the competitiveness of the material. Softness (carcass) of linen fabrics treated with various softeners and expert method is evaluated in this paper and sufficient correction of results obtained by experimental and expert methods is shown. Softness of treated fabrics as part of the carcass (single metric of aesthetic attributes) was assessed using expert method. Methodology of evaluation, that was used by Professor Sinai (India) [3–6] in evaluating mitigation on cotton fabrics, is used as a basis. Expert Group is formed by fifteen professionals. Samples oflLinen fabrics with chemical and mechanical softening, the formulation of which is described in detail in previous works of the author, are presented for evaluation.