Optimization of Knitted Fabrics for better Thermo-Physiological Comfort by using Taguchi-based Principal Component Analysis

The water, air permeability and thermal resistance of fabrics are important attributes that have a significant impact on the thermal comfort properties of sportswear fabrics in different environmental conditions. In this work, terry and fleece fabrics were developed by varying the fibre content and mass per unit area of fabrics. Moreover, the thermo-physical properties of the developed fabrics, including air permeability, water vapor permeability and thermal resistance, were analysed before and after washing. The multi-response optimization of the thermal comfort properties of knitted fabrics was performed using principal component analysis (PCA) and the Taguchi signal-to-noise ratio (PCA-S/N ratio) to achieve optimal properties. It was determined that the selected parameters (fabric type, finishing, fibre content and fabric mass per unit area) had a significant effect on the thermal comfort properties of knitted fabrics. The PCA analysis showed that 100% cotton terry fabric before washing with an aerial weight of 220 g/m2 had higher air and water vapor permeability value, but a lower thermal resistance value.