EFFECT OF PICKS PER INCH ON ELONGATION, TENSILE AND TEARING STRENGTHS OF <i>ASO-OKE </i>  PRODUCED ON NEO-TRADITIONAL AND MODIFIED FLOOR LOOMS

Abstract

Aso-Oke is the most famous indigenous woven fabric in Southwest Nigeria. This study evaluated the effect of picks per inch on elongation, tensile and tearing strengths of Aso-Oke produced on neo-traditional floor loom (TFL) and modified floor loom (MFL). This study adopted an experimental design. Ten samples of 2/2 matt woven fabrics were produced using 91 ends per inch (EPI), varied (2, 3, 5, 7, and 8) numbers of filling yarns (NFY), and 100% textured polyester yarn on TFL (TFL1-TFL5) and MFL (MFL1-MFL5). Fabric tensile, elongation, and tearing strength were tested. Data were analyzed using frequency counts, percentages, mean, standard deviation, independent t-test, and Principal Component Analysis (PCA). Results showed that Fabric MFL2 had the highest warp way tensile strength (50.04kgf), TFL3 (54.86kgf) in weft, and MFL3 (44.46kgf) showed significantly high breaking elongation in warp and weft ways corresponding to 64 picks per inch. Tearing strength was highest in fabrics TFL5 (46.51kgf) and TFL4 (53.34kgf) in warp and weft ways respectively. MFL3 tearing resistance was higher in both the warp and weft ways. T-test results revealed a significant (p<0.05) difference in Tearing Strength in weft way between MFL (29.34±8.56) and TFL (31.5±18.73; p =0.01) The correlation matrix showed moderately positive relationships (r =0.50), in Tensile 0.791 in weft way and Tearing Strength 0.962 in warp way; The study concluded that the Aso-Oke produced on TFL and MFL have excellent tensile, elongation, and tearing strength influenced by yarn type, density, thickness, and weave structure.