ABSTRACT

Although cotton has many natural advantages, its use for military uniform fabrics has declined, largely because high strength requirements cause the cotton fabrics to be excessively heavy. Many cotton fabrics treated with modern flame-resistant and easy-care finishes cannot meet the high performance standards required by the military, and are being replaced by fabrics made from synthetic fibers, or blends of cotton with synthetic fibers. The objective of this study was to evaluate the effect of cotton fiber properties on the strength and durability of an Army battledress uniform fabric woven with a unique rip-stop design. Cottons differing by as much as 60% in fiber strength were evaluated. Fabrics produced from these cottons were treated with flame-resistant and easy-care finishes. As would be expected, the stronger cottons produced proportionately stronger yarns and greige-state fabrics. However, differences in fabric strength were still preserved after the fabrics were treated with the special finishes.