Abstract:
The research aims to study the property of three wasted fibers, namely, wasted cotton from carding machine; silk cocoon which is the waste from spinning process; and wasted wool from carpeting process. Each fiber was packed in an individual cotton bag like a small padding in order to test for its air permeability and thermal conductivity properties.
Using microscope, the cross sectional and longitudinal appearance including the diameter of the three fibers were observed. Then, the fiber length of wasted cotton and wasted wool were measured. Test specimens were prepared by sewing a cotton bag having the dimensions of 10 x 10 square centimeters. Nine parallel stitch lines having one centimeter apart were sewn to divide the bag into ten slots. The sample fiber was filled in the slots of the bag so that the fibers were held in place. The test specimen was weighted and trimmed at the sides to check the distribution of the fibers in the specimen. The test specimen of each fiber was tested for their air permeability and thermal conductivity properties.
It was found that wool fiber has a circular cross sectional shape, cotton has a kidney shape and lumen inside, silk has a triangular shape. The average fiber length of wool and cotton are 0.5 and 1.6 centimeters, respectively. Fiber diameter of wool is larger than cotton. Silk is the finest fiber. The fiber distribution in the test specimen is randomly. The space between fibers in test specimens having wool and cotton is tiny compare to the space between silk cocoons in the silk specimen. The test specimen having low packing density gives good air permeability. The higher the packing density will result on worst air permeability. Test specimen having silk cocoon gives the highest air permeability because of the larger pore inside the test specimen. Test specimen having silk cocoon fiber presents the highest thermal conductivity, following with the test specimen having cotton fibers and wool fibers.
The thermal conductivity was, then, conversed into thermal resistance. The thermal resistance of the test specimens having wool fibers presents the highest thermal resistance, following with the test specimen having cotton fibers and silk cocoon fibers.