Attaining Optimum Strength of Cotton-Spandex Woven Fabric by Apposite Heat-Setting Temperature

The purpose of this research established in this paper was to optimize the strength of cotton spandex woven fabric through heat setting with the facilitates of a stenter machine with some adjusted industrial setting. Heat setting was carried out at sufficiently high temperatures with precise time and speed, so that the spandex yarn in the fabric would get set at a desired stretched dimension. Heat setting parameters were preferred to attain the optimized strength properties of cotton spandex fabric within moderately rigid limits. Heat setting reduced the spandex recovery forces to further compression or extension. Heat setting of cotton spandex fixed the spandex inside. Heat setting also condensed the spandex inside. Due to temperature application, spandex portion gripped the cotton fibers which gave stability in the internal structure of yarn. Trials were conducted in textile mills at various temperatures those were accomplished by heating the fabric at an agreed temperature. Three different nomenclature of cotton spandex fabrics having various composition were used in this experiment to find out the strength parameters. Different temperature varied from 165 °C to 195 °C with the adjusted machine speed from 21 to 25 m per minute (m/min) were applied in this experiment to the get optimum strength. Heat setting was preferably carried out at early stages of the processing zone rather than at the end to avoid yellowing effect while drying. Improper heat seating could discolor the cotton spandex with its companion fibers. Overheat could spoil the elasticity and strength of cotton spandex, therefore it was very important to adjust the temperature and speed accordingly. This experiment proved that, temperature application had an impact over the strength of cotton spandex and also it created a suitable way for the researcher to further experiment in spandex production.