Research: Cotton and Different Types Essay

Submitted By savaluv
Words: 675
Pages: 3

What is the Drying Time for: Man-Made and Natural Fabrics?

THEORY:
The theory behind this project is to determine which types of fabrics dry the quickest man-made or natural fabrics. Like Polyester, Rayon, Nylon, Wool, Cotton and Silk. This experiment has been done before because consumers and manufactures want to know how quickly different types of fabrics dry. When consumers go places they want to know what type of fabric is durable for different types of weather. Like if it is cold they might want wool or polyester to keep you warm. Also if you go to a wet location you would want something made from nylon because it is a light weight. You wouldn’t have to worry about if you get wet or not because your piece of clothing would dry quickly. METHOD:
The different methods I found were that the scientists took a variety of fabrics varying in fiber content and in fabric structure. I found that most researchers took different types of fabrics and soaked them in some form of liquid (i.e.: tap water, tap water with detergent and/or fabric softener). They allowed each piece of fabric to soak in some form of liquid for various amounts of time. Some used a machine and others used manual submission into buckets for the soaking process. Then they wrung out the excess liquid from the fabrics. Some drying methods used were a dryer, a clothes line inside a controlled environment, an outside clothes line in direct sun, and “simulated on skin method.”

HISTORY:
Studies found that fabric thickness effects the amount of water absorbed by the fabric. Drying times varied based on the amount each type of fabric initially absorbed. Fiber content also determined how long it took certain fabrics to dry. Other studies found that air temperature and relative humidity played roles in the time it takes different fabrics to dry. Drying times varied by the selected drying method used. Drying fabrics in a dryer dried faster than drying them inside in a controlled environment or outside in direct sunlight. Some studies were preformed by weighing the fabrics individually before soaking them. Next they would weigh the fabrics individually after they soaked for a predetermined amount of time. Then they would weigh the fabrics individually in set amount of time frames and would continue to do so until the fabric weighed the same as it did before soaking. Some of the fabrics that were tested by the scientists had the following drying times: Cotton 5 hours, Polyester 2.5 hours, Wool 5 hours, Acrylic 3.5 hours, Nylon 1.1 hours, Cotton/Polyester 8.75 hours, Polypropylene 4.5 hours, Nylon/Tricot 2 hours, and Dermoflex 1 hour.

SIGNIFICANCE:
The