Electrospun nanofiber/cotton composite yarn with enhanced moisture management ability

Wet comfort is a critical performance for fabrics, especially when human bodies release sweat in daily life. Despite excellent moisture absorption performance, cotton yarns are still limited in the moisture release/transfer ability. Here, based on a novel electrospinning technology, polyacrylonitrile and polystyrene (PS) electrospun nanofiber/cotton composite yarns were produced, respectively. Under fluorescence microscopic observation, electrospun fibers within the composite yarns showed a uniform distribution. As a result, these composite yarn-based knitted fabrics obtained a good water transport ability and a fast water evaporation rate. According to the moisture management test, PS electrospun nanofiber composite yarn-based fabrics exhibited a relatively high one-way transport index R (400%), claiming an enhanced moisture management performance. Finally, specific surface area tests and finite element analyses were used to analyze the water transport mechanism inside the yarns. The results proved that a small number of electrospun fibers played a predominant role in enhancing the moisture management ability of the composite yarns.