Fashion-conscious consumers have changed their purchasing behaviour. Today, it is not only the look that matters but also comfort is important. The softness of the textile is an important parameter for comfortable clothing. In fact, softness is a basic pre-requisite for comfortable clothing. The softness has to be perceived by the wearer to trigger the decision to purchase the garment.
Austria-based Lenzing AG, whose main business is making textile and nonwovens, cellulose fibers and some polymer plastics, is presently demonstrating its innovative expertise and presenting a new method to measure softness of clothing along with German instrument manufacturers Emtec Electronic.
How people perceive softness is, something that differs from person-to-person and is determined by how the textile and the skin interact. To explain the complex process of softness in textiles and at the same time exclude personal preferences, physical measurement methods were developed to make softness ‘visible’. These methods are well known in the scientific world. However, they are highly complex.
A group, specially formed at Lenzing Research, devotes its research to physiological properties, searched for easier methods to measure softness. In the search for existing measuring methods to test softness, the team examined related industries and found an interesting instrument that appeared suitable to measure the softness of textiles.
The device is well-known in the paper towel industry and measures the softness of different products in this field. More than 100 fabrics were used for the test on Lenzing fibres to see whether this device can be used for textiles and following an intensive test phase, the team approached Emtec Electronic to share their results and arrange co-operation on further tests. Using the softness measuring device from Emtec Electronic and the well-known ring method, it is possible to show that the higher the amount of Lenzing Modal® used in the textile, the softer it becomes. The test result itself shows that MicroModal® is the softest fibre of all the fibres tested. The test method should quickly depict the degree of softness of fabrics with Lenzing Modal to help customers communicate softness at the time of sale.
