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Fabric hand forms a significant component of clothing comfort. It is defined by the quality, aesthetics and appeal of a material. A good fabric feel creates asatisfying interaction between the garment wearer and their external environment. One form of fabric hand assessment is the subjective rating of fabrics when people use their five sensory modalities. This method forms an important aspect of fabric quality assessment and relies mostly on the spontaneous preference of a person whilst he examines the fabric. Another form of assessment is the use of FOM [Fabric Objective Measurement] technology with instruments like the KES-FB [Kawabata Evaluation System for Fabrics] to objectively measure textile parameters. However, the relationship between subjective rating and objective measurement has not been studied widely with regard to the direct role of the human sensory system and its contribution towards fabric hand. An attempt has been made to use the bio-medical engineering imaging technique, the functional Magnetic Resonance Imaging Technique to study human perception towards fabric textures. The study was conducted to identify and create a sensory paradigm suitable for fMRI scanning of fabrics. The experiment attempted to verify the use of passive touch [no finger movement] for four different fabric hands. These fabric hands were classified as smooth-unpleasant, smooth-pleasant, rough-unpleasant and rough-pleasant. The perceptual response of eight, healthy, right-handed male volunteers was studied for the specified textures. The prime hypothesis was that the somatosensory area in the brain responds to different textures. The project aimed to create a relationship linking subjective descriptions, sensory perception and objective measurements of textile materials. The parietal lobe was activated for all textures especially in Sl areas BA1, BA2 and BA3. Maximum activation was seen while rubbing the fabric on the fingers, followed by placement of fabric on fingers. These two conditions were compared to the baseline condition when there was no placement of fabric on fingers. The perception of pleasant fabrics was felt in the temporai lobe and parietal lobe. The perception of unpleasant fabrics was felt more in the frontal lobe and parietal lobe. The KES-FB was used to measure the mechanical parameters like roughness, bending, shear, compression and friction to support the fabric hand using fMRI and subjective rating of the fabrics.

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This thesis aims to investigate the sustainability of bast fibres specifically flax fibres as the reinforcement for polymer matrix composites (referenced to glass fibres) by undertaking a quantitative Life Cycle Assessment using the eight environmental impact classification factors of global warming, acidification, eutrophication, human toxicity, aquatic toxicity, ozone depletion, photochemical oxidants creation and non-renewable/abiotic resource depletion. A data set was compiled from numerous literature sources to complete the Life Cycle Inventory for the production of flax fibres. Three scenarios were studied for the production of either flax sliver (pre-spun fibre) or yarn (post-spun fibre): low (no-till combined with warm water retting), average (conservation tillage with stand/dew retting) and high (conventional tillage with bio-retting) energy routes considering different agricultural and fibre preparation (retting) methods. The best agricultural practice for the flax fibre production is identified from this study as the no-till method combined with warm water retting. The environmental credentials for flax fibre can be further improved by using organic fertilisers and biological control of pests. Spinning is the most energy intensive fibre processing operation hence by eliminating this operation energy use and the associated environmental impacts could be reduced. Based on the energy analysis continuous glass fibre reinforcement appears to be superior to spun flax yarn but glass fibre mat and flax sliver are equivalent and embody similar quantities of energy per tonne. The environmental benefit arising from substitution of glass fibres by natural fibre is dependent on the chosen reinforcement format. The key consideration is to use sliver (pre-spun fibres) as reinforcement in polymer matrix composites instead of yarn.

Both gas chromatography/mass chromatography (GC/MS) and solid phase microextraction (SPME) methodologies have been developed for the extraction and analysis of compounds encountered in relation to unburned propellant powders from firearm ammunitions. These methods allowed the detection of 27 compounds that may be present in organic gunshot residues (OGSR). The developed methodologies were applied to the analysis of unburned propellant and OGSR from spent ammunition cartridges and fabrics subjected to firearm discharges. Throughout the study a total of 16 ammunition types where investigated. Work carried out on the suitability of various SPME fibre types showed that 65μm PDMS/DVB was the most appropriate type for extracting the compounds of interest. Extractions carried out on unburned propellant powders showed that all of the ammunitions analysed produced different chromatographic results. All of the ammunitions in the analysed population could be differentiated from one another; it was determined to be highly unlikely that false matches could occur. Extractions from spend cartridges showed that some of the compounds originating from the precursor propellants remained, with many compounds being lost during discharge. In some examples, however, all compounds in the unburned propellant were extracted from spent cartridges cases. The amount of variability of compound abundances between spent cases of the same ammunition types was shown to be much greater than the variability between unburned propellant samples. It was, therefore, concluded that firearms discharges are likely to be non-reproducible events, with varying amounts of non-combusted materials remaining in each case. These results were considered to have implications when carrying out ―time since discharge‖ back calculations on cases. The collection and extraction of shot fabric samples were carried out using Nylon evidence bags, traditionally used for the collection of fire/arson materials. Results from this work showed that for some ammunitions it was possible to link extracts from fabrics to spent cartridge cases and unburned propellant powders, by matching compounds present in the originator propellant to residue extracts. For other ammunition types it was shown to be possible to link fabric extracts to spent cases directly, by matching the compounds present in both.

This study reacts to the segregation of knowledge and practice surrounding weft-knitted textiles, their design and applications. This study challenges current disciplinary practices that divide knit into scientific, design and art areas by describing a designer-maker methodology, which is used to produce auxetic, weft-knitted textiles. By using a designer-maker’s practice-led perspective to create functional fabrics, it seeks to challenge the perception that technical and functional research in textiles is or should be the domain of scientific methodologies and engineering practice. This study does not apply external methodologies to the research design, but extracts its methods and values from an existing knit design practice, built from experiential knowledge, that becomes the basis for the methodology. Qualitative and quantitative measures of success are both vital to the methodology used in this study and both subjective and objective perspectives are embraced. The practical work uses designer-maker practice to lead the development of 30 auxetic fabric samples. These fabrics are appraised using a variety of methods including personal reflection, numerical measurement and feedback from focus groups of other practitioners. The information developed on auxetic materials is presented in various ways such as using percentages, diagrams, photographs and videos to encourage dissemination and knowledge transfer between different disciplinary groups. Auxetic effect is conveyed in photographic, diagrammatic, video, graphical, percentage and Poisson’s ratio data to increase understanding to wide audiences and to satisfy traditional, scientific auxetic researchers as well as a new area of design-based practitioners. This study presents the case that there is a valuable, transferrable knowledge in knit design practice that represents existing methodologies used by knit practitioners as well as providing a new methodology for consideration by science and engineering practitioners. This is demonstrated through the production of auxetic, knitted fabrics using a design approach that incorporates qualitative, quantitative, practical, aesthetic, functional and theoretical skills.

Functional, smart fibres and fibres with different morphologies have been produced from different materials using different spinning methods. The effect of processing parameters on different nano fibre morphologies was studied by SEM. The spinning solution properties such as viscosity, surface tension, conductivity, UV-visible spectra were studied. The fibres were characterised by DSC, FTIR, XRD, strength test. Antibacterial, hygroscopic, humectant Manuka honey (MH) functional nanofibres have been produced successfully by single needle electrospinning (SNE) using polyethylene oxide (PEO) as matrix. Electrospinning parameters such as higher feed rate, higher proportion of MH, lower applied voltage, lower needle to collector distance produced merged, thicker, flat 15% (wt/wt) MHPEO nanofibres and vice versa. 15%MHPEO fibres of diameters from 0.198μm to 0.924μm were produced using different parameters. The 50% and 65% (wt) MHPEO mats showed antibacterial property. DSC result showed reduction in melting temperature as the MH proportion increased. FTIR results showed respective peaks for MH and PEO. MHPEO nanofibres can be used for medical end use such as wound healing. Ethyl cellulose (EC) nanofibres have been successfully electrospun using different combination of toluene and ethanol (0:100, 40:60, 50:50, 60:40,100:0) as solvent by SNE. Round and elongated bead on string to smooth bead-less 15% (wt/wt)EC fibres produced as proportion of toluene increased in the solvent mixture. Thin, bead-less fibres were obtained by 60:40 (toluene: ethanol) with average fibre diameters ranging from 0.483μm to 0.631μm. EC nanofibres have been also produced by high output bubble electrospinning (BE) method. EC fibres of diameters from 0.188μm to 0.41μm were produced by BE. Comparison between effect of electorspinning parameters on fibre revealed that the fibre morphologies followed different trends in SNE and BE. The beaded structure can be used for loading drugs in advanced medical textiles and smooth bead-less fibrous mat can be used for application such as filtration. In order to develop thermochromic (smart) nanofibres by meltelectrospinning, thermochromic polypropylene fibres have been developed by meltspinning. The pure polypropylene and thermochromic. DSC and FTIR results showed separate peaks for the thermochromic effect and for the polypropylene. SEM images verified the presence of thermochromic pigments. Thermochromic filaments can be used in garment fashion, or as sensors in yarn or fabric form.

This research is aimed at fashion designers and fashion design translators who want to avoid a distortion or loss of design character during the process of transferring their two-dimensional creative sketch into a three-dimensional garment. It has developed a fashion design methodology described as ‘sculptural form giving’, to reliably translate innovative two-dimensional ideas via a structural design sculpture into an intermediate model to represent a design concept. Using the method as an intermediate step in creation is a novel approach to establishing an initial sample and to educating students in fashion design representation. The research has utilised mixed methods to investigate three distinct parts: developing the sculptural form giving method, testing it in a workshop and analyzing the data to refine the model. The method applies the idea of conceptual sculpture onto the fashion design process, akin to those used in architecture and toy design with which fashion shares some processes for realising design ideas. This research investigates and formalises the processes that utilise the measurable space between the garment and the body, to help transfer garment variation and scale. The method solves the problems of distortion and lack of design character in the transfer from two-dimensions to three-dimensions by standardising and systematising the design procedure mathematically. By developing the size and space measurement tools and the concept of side views, it offers high accuracy of measurements in establishing the 3D model. Workshop students, the pre-testers, the author and the clothing experts confirmed the high degree reliability, capability and efficiency of the method. In summation, this research focuses on helping fashion designers and fashion design translators to produce a creative method that helps to transfer their imaginative concepts through intermediate modelling. It also demonstrated that fashion design students adopted this method better than fashion technology students, suggesting it might be interesting to fashion practitioners with a creative focus.