Producing yarn from natural fibers without creating irregularities in structure or having fibers protruding from the surface, remains the goal of spinners. This is a problem, as structural irregularities such as hairiness affect subsequent fabric manufacturing processes and the aesthetics of the final fabric. This work therefore focused on investigating the effects of varying the spindle speed of a ring spinning frame on the structure of yarn (i.e., its surface regularity and hairiness), its strength and the surface pilling of fabric made from such yarn with a view to optimizing the spindle speed. For this, yarns with counts of 20, 25, and 30 tex were produced at six different spindle speeds ranging from 11,000 to 21,000 rpm with an interval of 2,000 rpm. All other parameters were kept constant, including the draft for a particular count, the type and weight of the traveler, and the diameter of the ring. The results obtained revealed that as the spindle speed was increased to 17,000 rpm, the yarn structure became more regular and less hairy, thereby becoming stronger. Beyond 17,000 rpm, however, both the regularity and strength decreased, with the hairiness continuing to increase with increasing spindle speed. Consequently, the surface pilling of the fabric was found to be optimized when made from yarns produced at a spindle speed of 17,000 rpm.

The purpose of this study was to determine the relationship between attitude about outdoor activities, outdoor TV program preference, and outdoor fashion preference. This study analyzed the effects of watching TV programs on outdoor activities on the purchase of outdoor wear products and its daily wear. For research and data analysis, 201 male and female consumers aged 20- to 50-years-old, completed survey questionnaires. Factor analysis, correlation coefficients, and t-tests were assessed using SPSS 20.0. According to the results of the factor analysis, fashion lifestyle is classified into five groups: pursuit of fashion interest, pursuit of fashion show-off, pursuit of brand name, pursuit of functionality, and pursuit of price. Outdoor activity attitude is classified into three groups: outdoor interest, negative attitudes, and positive attitudes. Outdoor interest is related to all the factors in fashion lifestyle. The people who prefer TV programs concerning outdoor activities showed high scores in the pursuit of fashion interest and the pursuit of fashion show-off, and low scores in the pursuit of price and negative attitudes. As their preference for outdoor TV programs increases, their interest in outdoor wear and their purchases of outdoor wear increase, and they wear the outdoor wear as daily wear. In addition, they have positive images of outdoor activity and frequently participate in outdoor activities.

In this study, alginate was electrospun for transdermal drug delivery systems. The spinnability of alginate was improved by the reduction of intra-molecular hydrogen bonding using glycerol. The prepared alginate solutions were electrospun and coagulated in $CaCl_2$ aqueous solution for improved dimensional stability. To observe release ability, the electrospun alginate web was immersed in phosphate buffered saline (PBS) solution. Although 60% of dextran (drug model) was released from the prepared web within 30 minutes, the remaining drug was released continuously over 3 days. The results indicated that the prepared alginate web could be used as a transdermal drug delivery system.

Poly(ethylene oxide-b-acrylonitrile) (PEO-b-PAN) block copolymers were prepared as precursors to mesoporous carbons. Redox-initiated radical polymerization and controlled radical polymerization techniques, such as reversible addition-fragmentation chain transfer (RAFT) and activators regenerated by electron transfer atom-transfer radical polymerization (ARGET ATRP), were successfully applied to prepare PEO-b-PAN block copolymers with high PAN content. Radical polymerization of acrylonitrile (AN) using ceric ion as redox initiator gave block copolymers with PEO:PAN ratio of up to 1:38.4, but their high molecular weight and polydispersity index (PDI) indicated that the structure was not controlled. Therefore, in order to achieve better control on the structure of the PAN block, controlled radical polymerization techniques were used. Poly(ethylene oxide) with trithiocarbonate (PEO-CTA) and bromide (PEO-Br) end groups were synthesized as polymeric chain transfer agent for the RAFT process and as initiator for the ATRP process, respectively. The RAFT process of AN using PEO-CTA gave block copolymers with PAN block length 0.53-3.58 times that of the PEO block. Moreover, ARGET ATRP allowed to prepare block copolymers with a very high molecular weight of 72,000, while maintaining a PDI value as low as 1.20.

Fibrid is a material with complex, fibrous, film-like, and intermediate forms. The diameters of the particles vary from $20-50{\mu}m$ and $100-10,000{\mu}m$. The optimal form and size of the particles depend on the area of application. The form of fibrid is the result of two processes, a wave process and diffusion. The life span and break-up pattern of the polymer depend on the interphase surface tension, viscosity of the polymer, and speed ratio of the polymer to the medium. In this study, fibrids were produced using a fibridator with high-speed shearing force. Several kinds of fibrids were obtained by changing the processing conditions, including solvent content (20, 30, and 40 wt%) in the coagulating solution, viscosity of the m-aramid dope solution (8, 10, and 12 wt%), and rotor speed of the fibridator (2000, 4000, and 6000 rpm). With low solvent content, m-aramid dope was rapidly transformed into the floc form because the coagulation rate was fast. However, as the solvent in the coagulation bath increased, the coagulation rate slowed, and the fibrids stuck together. Lower m-aramid dope viscosity and faster rotor speed were effective in obtaining proper fibrid morphology because of weakened interaction between the polymer chains.

Polyketone fiber, a newly developed super fiber, has a tenacity and modulus similar to the p-aramid fiber, and can be used for reinforcing mechanical rubber goods (MRG), such as tires, hoses, and protective gloves. However, the typical interfacial interaction between the polyketone fiber and the polymer matrix is relatively weak, such that the inclusion of polyketone fibers could create defects in the composites, which can easily result in failure. Therefore, it is necessary to modify fiber surfaces to improve wettability for optimization of the fiber-matrix interfacial bonding. In this study, the interfacial adhesion between polyketone fibers and a silicone rubber matrix was enhanced by surface treatments using coupling agents to modify the surface morphological and chemical properties of the polyketone fibers. The effects of coupling agent treatments on the surface of the fiber and interfacial adhesion of the Polyketone/Silicone rubber composites were characterized using dynamic contact angle analysis and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS). Morphological changes were observed, by varying the coupling agent content, using a scanning electron microscope (SEM).

In order to investigate the relationship between physical properties and tactile sensation/sensibility factors of felt, in this study we evaluated the physical properties (including structural fiber characteristics, heat transfer features, and mechanical parameters) of different felts, together with the corresponding tactile sensation/sensibility factors. A total of 11 felt specimens were prepared from a variety of natural animal fibers such as Angora goats hair, Mongolian young lambs wool, Australian Merino wool, and Australian Corriedale wool, and by selecting some commercial fashion felts containing polyester fibers. Following tactile subjective evaluation using magnitude line scales, Rough, Puff, and Hard were extracted as tactile sensation factors, whereas Elegant and Wild were identified as tactile sensibility factors. Angora goats hair and Merino wool felts were rated as the most negative for Rough and as the most positive for Puff and Elegant among all felts. They were also classified as the most negative felts for Hard, together with Corriedale wool felt. As to tactile sensibility factors, Wild was the most strongly perceived in touching Mongolian young lamb felt. The study revealed that all tactile sensation and sensibility factors of felts are affected by their physical properties. In particular, Rough, Puff, and Wild, which are strongly related to one another, were mainly influenced by structural fiber characteristics such as fiber diameter and heat transfer features, while Hard and Elegant were mostly affected by the mechanical properties.

Biodegradable block copolymer of poly(L-lactic acid-block-${\gamma}$-aminobutyric acid) were synthesized for the controlled release of ${\gamma}$-aminobutyric acid (GABA), a neurotransmitter. Poly(L-lactic acid-block-${\gamma}$-aminobutyric acid) was prepared by the self-initiative polymerization of 2-pyrrolidone at the activated end group of poly(L-lactic acid), which was substituted with dehydrated 2-pyrrolidone. The molecular structure of the block copolymer was analyzed by FT-IR spectroscopy, 1H NMR spectroscopy, and XRD. The surface energies and biodegradabilities of the block copolymers were tested. The release behavior of GABA from the block copolymer matrices was investigated. The relative quantity of the blocks had an accommodative amplitude in the release of GABA.

The objective of this study was to investigate whether color variables, such as CIE values and hue/tone categories, and mechanical properties influence the visual texture of fabric, and to establish prediction models for the visual texture based on both mechanical properties and color variables. A digital textile printing system was used to color six different silk and cotton fabrics. The chromatic shade value for each color was identified using a $3{\times}3$ matrix of hue (red, yellow, and green) or tone (pale, vivid, and grayish), with gray as the neutral value. Mechanical properties of the fabric samples were measured using a Kawabata Evaluation System. Subjective perception of visual texture by human evaluators was obtained using modified magnitude estimation. The mechanical properties of the fabric samples were found to be the primary influence on variations in sensory descriptors of the visual texture. Furthermore, results showed that, while the visual texture was strongly dependent on the tones, chromatic shade, and gray, it was hardly affected by hue. Finally, these results were used to develop prediction models for visual texture based on both mechanical properties and color variables.