Abstract:

The paper explores the impact of finishing on heat and water vapour transfer through knitted materials made from cotton, viscose, modal and lyocel. Tests were performed on raw samples, samples finished in accordance with a commercial recipe and samples additionally finished with a silicone-based agent. The results indicated that changes in the water vapour resistance of the fabric are significantly higher for the samples made from natural fibers than those produced from natural polymers. The above leads to the conclusion that the processes of finishing according to the recipes defined are more suitable for the samples made from natural fibers. Such finished fabrics will reduce water vapour resistance in warm environmental conditions, in which it is necessary to allow the transfer of large amounts of sweat from he skin to the environment, and finally to positively affect an individual’s perception of comfort.