Biomimetics of branching structure in warp knitted fabrics to improve water transport properties for comfort

Biomimetics of a plant branching structure in textiles can enhance the water transport property, being beneficial to wear comfort. In this work, a unique two-layered structure was developed, on a double-needle bed warp knitting machine. In this structure, two yarns are combined together in the inner layer to form loops and are separated into individual yarns to form two loops in the outer layer. Using different combinations of methods of transferring the yarns from the inner layer to the outer, four types of branching-structured fabrics were developed and the water transport properties of these structures were compared against those of the standard interchanging fabrics. The systematic measurements of various water transport properties, in terms of wicking rate and wetting area, demonstrated that warp knitted fabrics with branching structure absorbed water faster than the corresponding interchanged plain knitted fabrics. The plant-structured knitted fabrics also have lower values of air resistance, which is beneficial to summer wear. It is believed that the new developed fabrics have advantages for sportswear and summer casual wear. © 2011, SAGE Publications. All rights reserved.