Application of fungi resistance on cotton fabric using aloe vera active component

Purpose This paper aims to prevent cotton textiles from fungi damage using eco-friendly aloe vera leaf extract, which was applied at a minimum amount, and cost-effective material. Design/methodology/approach Batch extraction method using methanol solvent; phytochemical analysis was investigated and three-level factorial design of experiment and analysis of variance (ANOVA) was used for the optimization of 27 test runs. The finish was applied by pad-dry-cue at distinct concentrations, and the chemical property after treatment was studied. Colorfastness and coordinates are analyzed. Cotton fabrics were cultured with Fusarium oxysporum fungi and the anti-fungal property was examined and reported according to AATCC 30–2004 standard. Findings The maximum yield of extract was at an optimum volume of 200 ml, 65 °C for 120 min. The effective antifungal fabric was achieved with minimum concentrations. There was significant strength loss in warp and weft direction. The treatment results in yellow-colored cotton fabric with fastness grade 3. The antifungal effect is durable until fifteen washes as the tensile strength losses were less than 1%. Research limitations/implications The findings of this work were based on samples considered in the laboratory. However, it can be reproducible at the factory production scale the treatment has the potential of yielding yellow dyed cotton fabric with multifunctional finishing. Practical implications The treated fabric is against Fusarium oxysporum Fungi which is one of the vital antimicrobial properties of textile apparel products for various areas of application. Social implications The natural extract material applied to a textile material is eco-friendly effective against microbes of cotton seeds during cultivation and apparel end-uses. Originality/value The work application of fungi resistance on cotton fabric using aloe vera active component was original; this work provides extraction of the active agent from aloe vera leaf, which is optimized statically and successfully applied for anti-fungal activity on cotton fabric.

Development of flame retardant cotton and acrylic blend textile fabric finish with Enset pseudostem sap

Purpose The potential for burn injuries arises from contact with a hot surface, flame, hot liquid and steam hazards. The purpose of this study is to develop the flame retardant acrylic and cotton blend textile finished with Enset Ventricosum pseudostem sap (EPS). Design/methodology/approach The two fabric was produced from (30% acrylic with 70% cotton) and (35% acrylic with 65% cotton) blend. The extracted sap was made alkaline and applied on two mordanted blend fabrics. The effect of blend ratio, the concentration of EPS and treatment time on flammability, Flame retardant properties of both the control and the treated fabrics were analyzed in terms of vertical flammability based on the design of the experiment software using central composite design. The air permeability and tensile strength of treated and controlled fabric were measured. Findings The blended fabrics at different blended ratios were flame retardant with an optimized result of burning time 2.902 min and 2.775 min and char length 6.442 cm and 7.332 cm in the warp and weft direction, respectively, at a concentration of 520 ml and time 33.588 min. There was a slight significant change in mechanical strengths and air permeability. The thermal degradation and the pyrolysis of the fabric samples were studied using thermogravimetric analysis and the chemical composition by Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy abbreviated as Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy. The wash durability of the treated fabric at different blend ratios was carried out for the optimized sample and the test result shows that the flame retardancy property is durable up to 15 washes. Originality/value Development of flame retardant cotton and acrylic blend textile fabric finish with ESP was studied; this work provides application of EPS for flame resistance which is optimized statically and successfully applied for a flame retardant property on cotton-acrylic blend fabric.

Exploring online consumer reviews of wearable technology: The Owlet Smart Sock

Purpose The purpose of this research is to analyze consumers’ post-purchase reviews of the Owlet Smart Sock (OSS) and investigate the factors influencing continued use and product recommendation. Design/methodology/approach The unified theory of acceptance and use of technology 2 and the privacy calculus model were used to focus both on technology and privacy aspects of OSS – a wearable technology product for baby monitoring. A sample of 450 online consumer review data was collected from Owletcare.com and Amazon.com. The data analysis was done by using NVivo 11. Findings Findings show that effort expectancy, price value and performance expectancy played the most striking role during adoption, continued future use and recommendation to others, whereas perceived privacy risk had the least importance. Research limitations/implications Consumer empowerment through online reviews plays a crucial role in conveying their specific needs and desires to both manufacturers and other prospective consumers. The research is also expected to contribute research and development of technology-integrated products. Practical implications The research findings will provide valuable insights for manufacturers and retailers to understand consumers’ actual preferences and acceptance during the use of wearable technology. Originality/value This study extends research work on consumer use behavior by evaluating online reviews that provide them the opportunity to express their satisfaction and concerns. Insights from experience consumers’ reviews facilitate designers, developers and manufacturers to have a strategic focus during wearable technology development.

Selection of Khadi fabrics for optimal comfort properties using multi-criteria decision-making technique

Purpose Khadi fabrics are known for their unique comfort properties which are attributed to their unique structural and functional properties. For getting optimal comfort from a collection of available Khadi fabrics, further exploration is needed. Ranking the Khadi fabrics from a competitive lot for optimal comfort is a challenging job, which has not been addressed so far by any researcher. The purpose of this study is to present one such selection problem using the multi-criteria decision-making (MCDM) technique, a popular branch of operations research, which can handle almost any decision problem involving a finite number of alternatives and multiple decision criteria. Design/methodology/approach Two widely popular methods/exponents of MCDM, namely, analytic hierarchy process (AHP) and multiplicative analytic hierarchy process (MAHP) have been deployed in this study for ranking a competitive lot of 15 Khadi fabrics and selecting the best alternative for optimal summer comfort based on three comfort attributes, namely, drape coefficient, thermal insulation value and air permeability. Findings Both the approaches yield a similar ranking pattern with Spearman’s rank correlation coefficient of 0.9857, Khadi fabric K1 achieving Rank 1 (best in terms of optimal comfort) and sample K6 acquiring Rank 15 (worst choice). Two-phase sensitivity analyses were performed subsequently to demonstrate the stability of the two approaches: sensitivity analysis by changing weightage levels of the criteria and sensitivity analysis in dynamic decision conditions by changing the elements of the initial decision matrix. During sensitivity analyses, no occurrence of rank reversal is observed for the best and worst alternatives in either of the two approaches. This corroborates the robustness of the two models. Practical implications Khadi fabrics are widely acclaimed for their intrinsic comfort properties for both summer and winter. Although the popularity of Khadi fabrics is increasing day by day, this domain is under-researched, and hence, needs to be explored further. The present approach demonstrates how the MCDM technique can serve as a useful tool for ranking the available Khadi fabrics in terms of optimal comfort in summer. The same approach can be extended to other domains of the textile industry, in general, as well. Originality/value This study is the first-ever theoretical approach/research on the selection of Khadi fabrics for optimal summer comfort using the MCDM tool. Another novelty of the present study is that the efficacy of AHP and MAHP approaches, in this study, has been validated through a two-phase sensitivity analysis. This validation part has been ignored in most of the hitherto published applications of AHP and MAHP in other domains.

Effects of weft count and weft density on the surface roughness of 3/1 (Z) twill woven fabric

Purpose The purpose of this study is to investigate the effects of weft yarn diameter and pick density on the properties of surface roughness (SMD) of 3/1 (Z) twill-woven fabrics in three measurement directions weft (0°), the warp (90°) and the diagonal (45°). Design/methodology/approach Nine 3/1 (Z) twill samples were prepared with two factors and three levels and their roughness values were measured in the weft (0°), warp (90°) and diagonal (45°) directions of 3/1 (Z) twill fabrics using the Kawabata-FB4 instrument. Analysis of variance (ANOVA) is used to determine the effect of weft yarn diameter and pick density on SMD properties and comparisons were done in the weft (0°), the warp (90°) and the diagonal (45°) directions. Findings From experimental analysis, weft yarn diameter and pick density affect SMD of 3/1 (Z) twill-woven fabrics in both diagonal (45°) and weft (0°) directions but slightly affect warp (90°) direction. Maximum SMD values were observed in diagonal (45°) directions and the minimum was in warp (90°) directions of fabrics. Weft yarn diameter and pick density are statistically significant on SMD values of 3/1 (Z) twill-woven fabrics for three directions at a 95% confidence interval. Parameter variation in weft directions of 3/1 (Z) twill-woven fabrics also varies SMD values in three directions measurements Originality/value The findings of this study can be usually used for textile technology, industries and laboratories to create a basic understanding for measuring roughness properties of 3/1 (Z) twill fabric. It is also possible to identify the surface characterizations in different directions of measurement for their usage in some specific areas of end application like consumer goods, home textiles, technical textiles, etc.

Forecasting the efficiency of weft knitting production: a decision tree method

Purpose This paper aims to develop a decision support system for predicting the knitting production’s efficiency based on the input parameters of an order. This tool supports the operations managers to make reliable decisions of estimated delivery time, which will result in reducing waste arising from late delivery, overtime and increased labor. Design/methodology/approach The decision tree method with a set of logical IF-THEN rules is used to determine the knitting production’s efficiency. Each path of the decision tree represents a rule of the following form: “IF <Condition> THEN <Efficiency label>.” Starting with identifying and categorizing input specifications, the model is then applied to the observed data to regenerate the results of efficiency into classification instances. Findings The production’s efficiency is the result of the interaction between input specifications such as yarn’s component, knitting fabric specifications and machine speed. The rule base is generated through a decision tree built to classify the efficiency into five levels, including very low, low, medium, high and very high. Based on this, production managers can determine the delivery time and schedule the manufacturing planning more accurately. In this research, the correct classification instances, which is simply a ratio of the correctly predicted observations to the total ones, reach 80.17%. Originality/Values This research proposes a new methodology for estimating the efficiency of weft knitting production based on a decision tree method with an application of real data. This model supports the decision-making process of the estimated delivery time.

Reconfigure the apparel retail stores with interactive technologies

Purpose The omni-channel strategy provides a holistic experience during shopping by integrating online and offline channel services. In this digitalized realm, customers are more dependent on online elements for shopping. However, physical stores are still their first choice for apparel shopping. The introduction of interactive technology is one of the key elements to provide an online experience in the physical store. The purpose of this paper is to identify the impact of interactive technologies on purchase intention and its role. Design/methodology/approach This study has been conducted in Delhi using 573 customers who are using interactive technologies for shopping. A self-developed questionnaire was used to collect the data. Data was analysed using structural equation modelling through smart partial least square 3. Findings The results show that 46% change in purchase intention was due to mobile point of sale/digital wallet, tablet/i-pad/digital signage, smartphone and click and collect/ship from store technology. However, there was no impact of the smart mirror and in-store Wi-Fi technology on purchase intention. Originality/value This study focuses on various technologies which provide online experience at physical stores. This study offers new insights for the theoretical and business framework of omni-channel brands. These technologies could be used as key performance indicators of omni-channel retailing in future.

Assessment of the mechanical properties of different textile materials used for outer shell of bulletproof vest: woven fabrics for military applications

Purpose This paper aims to investigate the performance of four different textile materials used as an outer shell of the bulletproof vest. Design/methodology/approach In this paper, four different textile materials were used, polyurethane treatment was applied as a surface coating for the woven samples. Mechanical properties were conducted for all samples; scanning electron microscope and X-ray energy disperse spectroscopy were executed to show the surface morphology of samples and the chemical composition of the coating material. Findings One-way ANOVA was used to statistically analyse the results, which proved that all variables were highly significantly affected by using different textile materials, despite the stiffness variable being not significantly affected by textile materials. An overall evaluation was done using radar chart, demonstrated that Cordura material accomplished the best functional performance, using two types of calibres 7.62 × 54 mild steel core and 7.62 × 54 armour piercing incendiary; the common mechanism was localized burn because of the incendiary effect of the projectile in addition to tearing mechanism starting from inside because of penetration effect of the steel core. Originality/value This work was addressed to analyse the impact of using four different materials on its performance as the outer shell of bulletproof vest to achieve the desired degree of protection.

Role of mall attractiveness in shaping fashion shopping orientation of apparel shoppers: a segmentation approach

Purpose The purpose of this study is to identify distinct segments of apparel shoppers based on their fashion shopping orientation. The difference among the segments based on mall attractive dimension is also examined. Design/methodology/approach The data were collected through mall intercept survey from the mall shoppers. Samples of 375 respondents are used for data analysis purpose. Exploratory factor analysis is used to extract the factors of fashion shopping orientation and mall attractive dimensions while K-means cluster analysis is applied to identify the segments. Findings This study resulted in three factors of fashion orientation of apparel shoppers, i.e. fashion involvement, variety seeking and economic value, and four factors of mall attractive dimensions: convenience, entertainment, atmosphere and architecture design. Based on these factors, this study came out with three distinct segments of fashion shoppers: pragmatic shoppers, variety seeking shoppers and highly fashioned shoppers. These three segments are attracted towards the mall dimension differently. Originality/value This paper presents the three distinct profiles of fashion shoppers based on their fashion shopping orientation and mall attractive dimensions. The findings of this study may help retailers and mall developers to target mall visitors appropriately.

Removal of methylene blue using balanites aegyptiaca bark powder as low-cost and eco-friendly biosorbent

Purpose This paper aims to investigate the potential application of Balanites aegyptiaca bark powder (BABP) for removing a basic textile dye, methylene blue (MB), from aqueous solutions. Design/methodology/approach The biosorbent (BABP) was characterized using Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR) and point of zero charge (pHPZC). Batch mode was selected to study the biosorption of MB onto BABP surface at different experimental conditions (shaking speed, contact time, initial solution pH, ionic strength, solution temperature, biosorbent dosage and initial dye concentration). Besides, the reusability of BABP for MB biosorption was also examined. Findings The biosorption results revealed that approximately 96% of MB was removed successfully at the optimized operational conditions. Pseudo-second-order and Langmuir models, respectively, better described the adsorption kinetics and isotherms. The monolayer biosorption capacity (qmax) for MB was about 97.09 mg/g. According to thermodynamics findings, the MB biosorption onto BABP is an exothermic and spontaneous process. The results demonstrate that BABP can be considered as potential eco-friendly, readily available and low-cost biosorbent for hazardous textile dyes removal from water bodies and also provides a promising method for minimization of agricultural solid wastes (e.g. plant barks). Originality/value The utilization of Balanites aegyptiaca bark powder (BABP), solid waste material, as low-cost and eco-friendly biosorbent for the removal of hazardous basic textile dye (methylene blue) from the aquatic environment.