Effects of finishing on the air permeability of woven fabrics

The main aim of this paper is to estimate the influence of finishing to the permeability of woven fabrics made of multifilament threads. The property of the textile permeability is closely connected with the geometric structure of the given textile materials. A very small change in the structure of the fabric at a given location causes a change in the permeability at this location. Such a change in the structure may be due to the finishing of fabric. A demanded requirement in several applications areas of textiles is the homogeneity of their physical and mechanical properties. The laboratory measurement of the fabric permeability is very suitable for assessment of uniformity across the fabric area, because the test is very simple and non-destructive. In this research a set of polyamide and polyester multifilament woven fabrics was used. These fabrics were available both in the gray state and with the various types of applied finishes.