Abstract:

Natural and man-made fibres of natural origin are more and more widely used, while consideration of sustainability is constantly increasing. The properties and processing behaviour of newly introduced fibres of natural origin are usually compared and often predicted on the basis of widely investigated fibres; however, this prediction sometimes does not have any confirmed basis. Structural parameters and the majority of mechanical and physical properties of knitted fabrics depend on technical characteristics of the knitting machine, on the properties of yarns as well as on the origin of the raw material. This study attempts to develop knits from new natural peat fibres and their combination with widely used woollen, cotton and elastomeric Lycra yarns and to investigate the influence of peat fibre’s nature on structural parameters such as loop length, wale and course spacing, area density, the tightness factor and on main physical properties such as dimensional stability, air permeability and water adsorption.