Linear regression analysis of properties related to moisture management using cotton–polyester knitted fabrics

The complex evaluation of thermo-physiological comfort for a particular garment is still challenging, as it depends on the different structural parameters and individual properties of textiles. Measurement of relevant fabric characteristics requires very specific laboratory equipment, such as an M 290 moisture management tester (SDL ATLAS) or similar. For this reason, it is obvious that there is a great demand to predict the overall moisture management capability ( OMMC) based on the individual properties that are responsible for clothing comfort and testing according to different standards rather than OMMC-specific calculation using the M 290 tester. Therefore, in this research, linear regression analysis was performed using MATLAB software to predict the OMMC for cotton–polyester fabrics knitted in two patterns, namely 1 × 1 rib and half-Milano rib, using four percentages of fibers. Water vapor permeability, water vapor resistance, water absorption capacity, water absorption time, and air permeability were used as input variables for linear regression analysis to predict the OMMC of fabrics. The performed analysis has shown that the OMMC is directly dependent on the relative water vapor permeability and air permeability, and the linear regression equation suggested in this research can predict the suitability of a textile for a particular garment concerning its moisture management behavior.