Study on the Properties of Plain Cotton Fabric Strength in a Natural Environment for Upcycling Textiles

The research primarily aimed to observe the fibre structure of cotton stock fabric through a scanning electron microscope (SEM). Then, textile durability, appearance, and comfort were tested in line with the international standards organization’s (ISO) guidelines. For this, the storage time and a series of performance indicators including breaking strength, tensile strength, colour fastness to soap washing, colour fastness to dry rubbing as well as wet rubbing were evaluated, tested and analysed. Finally, through statistically analysing the data obtained, the limit value of the physical performance index and storage time of the fabrics were acquired, and further forming of the upcycling standards of cotton stock fabric. In this study, two cotton fabrics were selected, namely, natural-coloured cotton fabric (width 162 cm, weight 120.8 g/dm2, density 281 / 10 cm × 252 / 10 cm) and black-coloured cotton fabric (width 157 cm, weight 136.1 g/dm2, density 482 / 10 cm × 210 / 10 cm). The research experiments showed that when cotton stock fabrics were stored in a natural environment (temperature 20℃, humidity 65%), as the storage time increased, the surface yarns gradually began to loosen, with some loose yarns appearing on the surface. After 90 days the loosening intensified, and after 270 days the yarn looseness was obvious. After 330 days, a break in the fibrous structure on the surface of the natural-coloured cotton stock fabric could be observed. When natural-coloured cotton stock fabric was stored in a natural environment for 360 days, it lost 4.4% of its warp-breaking strength and 12.56% of its weft-breaking strength. For black cotton stock fabric, the figures were 5.66% and 20.54% for the warp-breaking and weft-breaking strength, respectively.