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In this paper, nanocomposites are synthesised with Tunisian natural clay which has the advantage of being inexpensive. In fact, it is simply a mixture of several sorts of clays (kaolinite, dolomite, calcite, illite, and quartz). This clay has been cleaned, purified, dried, and steered with polyacrylate resin which is actually used in the textile field for several types of other applications, such as comfort, elasticity or impermeability. The samples have been examined by x-ray diffraction (XRD) and scanning electron microscopy (SEM) in order to observe their compositions and ensure the formation of the nanocomposites .The mixture resin/clay is deposited onto 100% cotton fabric and tested by using a PASOD device that measures the necessary voltage to maintain the temperature difference between the inside and the outside of the fabric which is equal to 20°C. The enhancement of the fabric thermal insulation is noticed by calculating the difference in temperature between the inside and the outside of the fabric. The coating which is a nanocomposite PAC/clay has been modelled which proves that it is a Hamiltonian model as the clay percentages are superior to 4% when the clay dispersion and the free-volume are calculated.

The purpose of this paper is to predict the appearance of denim fabric after repetitive uses judging the denim cloth behavior and performance in viewpoint of bagging ability. Hence, it attempts to carry out the significant inputs and outputs that have an influence on the bagging behaviors using the Principal Component Analysis (PCA) technique. In this study, the Kawabata Evaluation System parameters such as the frictional characteristics, the bending, compression, tensile and shear parameters are investigated to propose a model highlighting and explaining their impacts on the different bagging properties. To improve the obtained results, the selected significant inputs are also analyzed within their bagging properties using Taguchi experimental design. The linear regressive models prove the effectiveness of the PCA method and the obtained findings.

To investigate the mechanical properties and their contributions on the bagging characteristics, some denim fabrics were collected and measured thanks to the Kawabata evaluation systems (KES-FB1, KES-FB2, KES-FB3 and KES-FB4). These bagging properties were further analyzed applying the method of PCA to acquire factor patterns that indicate the most important fabric properties for characterizing the bagging behaviors of different studied denim fabric samples. An experimental design type Taguchi was, hence, applied to improve the results. Regarding the obtained results, it may be concluded that the PCA method remained a powerful and flawless technique to select the main influential inputs and significant outputs, able to define objectively the bagging phenomenon and which should be considered from the next researches.

According to the results, there are good relationships between the Kawabata input parameters and the analyzed bagging properties of studied denim fabrics. Indeed, thanks to the PCA, it is probably easy to reduce the number of the influent parameters for three reasons. First, applying this technique of selection can help to select objectively the most influential inputs which affect enormously the bagged fabrics. Second, knowing these significant parameters, the prediction of denim fabric bagging seems fruitful and can undoubtedly help researchers explain widely this complex phenomenon. Third, regarding the findings mentioned, it seems that the prevention of this aesthetic phenomenon appearing in some specific zones of denim fabrics will be more and more accurate.

This study is interesting for denim consumers and industrial applications during long and repetitive uses. Undoubtedly, the denim garments remained the largely used and consumed, hence, this particularity proves the necessity to study it in order to evaluate the bagging phenomenon which occurs as function of number of uses. Although it is fashionable to have bagging, the denim fabric remains, in contrast with the worsted ones, the most popular fabric to produce garments. Moreover, regarding this characteristic, the large uses and the acceptable value of denim fabrics, their aesthetic appearance behavior due to bagging phenomenon can be analyzed accurately because compared to worsted fabrics, they have a high value and the repetitive tests to investigate widely bagged zones may fall the industrial. The paper has practical implications in the clothing appearance and other textile industry, especially in the weaving process when friction forms (yarn-to-yarn, yarn-to-metal frictions) and stresses are drastic. This can help understanding why residual bagging behavior remained after garment uses due to the internal stress and excessive extensions. Regarding the selected influential inputs and outputs relative to bagging behaviors, there are some practical implications that have an impact on the industrial and researchers to study objectively the occurrence of this aesthetic phenomenon. Indeed, this study discusses the significance of the overall inputs; their contributions on the denim fabric bagged zones aims to prevent their ability to appear after uses. Moreover, the results obtained regarding the fabric mechanical properties can be useful to fabric and garment producers, designers and consumers in specifying and categorizing denim fabric products, insuring more denim cloth use and controlling fabric value. For applications where the subjective view of the consumer is of primary importance, the KES-FB system yields data that can be used for evaluating fabric properties objectively and prejudge the consumer satisfaction in viewpoint of the bagging ability. Therefore, this study shows that by measuring shear, tensile and frictional parameters of KES-FB, it may be possible to evaluate bagging properties. However, it highlights the importance and the significance of some inputs considered influential or the contrast (non-significant) in other researches.

This work presents the first study analyzing the bagged denim fabric applying the PCA technique to remove the all input parameters which are not significant. Besides, it deals with the relationship developed between the mechanical fabric properties (tensile, shear and frictional stresses) and the bagging properties behavior. To improve these obtained relationships, for the first time, the regression technique and experimental design type Taguchi analysis were both applied. Moreover, it is notable to mention that the originality of this study is to let researchers and industrials investigate the most influential inputs only which have a bearing on the bagging phenomenon.

The purpose of this paper is to predict the bagging recovery velocity of bagged denim fabric samples. Hence, the authors attempt to carry out a model highlighting and explaining the impact of some considered frictional parameters such as yarn-to-yarn friction expressed as weft yarn rigidity parameter and metal-to-fabric friction expressed by mean frictional coefficient parameter.

The statistical analysis steps were implemented using experimental design type Taguchi and thanks to Minitab 14 software. The modeling methodology analyzed in this paper deals with the linear regression method application and analysis. The predictive power of the obtained model is evaluated by comparing the estimated recovery velocity (theoretical) with the actual values. These comparative values are measured after the bagging test and during the relaxation time of the denim fabric samples. The regression coefficient (R2) values as well as the statistical tests (p-values, analysis of variance results) were investigated, discussed and analyzed to improve the findings.

According to the statistical results given by Taguchi analysis findings, the regression model is very significant (p-regression=0.04 and R2=97 percent) which explains widely the possibility of bagging behavior prediction in the studied experimental field of interest. Indeed the variation (the increase or the decrease) of the frictional input parameters values caused, as a result, the variation of the whole appearance and the shape of the bagged zone expressed by the residual bagging height variations. In spite of their similar compositions and characteristics, the woven bagged fabrics presented differently behaviors in terms of the bagging recovery and kinetic velocity values. After relaxation times which are not the same and relative to different fabric samples, it may be concluded that bagging behavior remained function of the internal frictional stresses, especially yarn-to-yarn and metal-to-fabric ones.

This study is interesting for denim consumers and industrial applications during long and repetitive uses. The paper has practical implications in the clothing appearance and other textile industry, especially in the weaving process when friction forms (yarn-to-yarn, yarn-to-metal frictions) and stresses are drastic. In fact, in terms of the importance to the industrial producers of the materials it helps to provide a first step in an attempt for a better understanding of the stresses involved in bagging of woven fabrics in general and denim fabrics particularly due to important frictional input contributions. They provide the basis for the development of fabrics that can withstand bagging problems. This research may also put forward improved methods of measuring bagginess as function of frictional parameters in order to optimize (minimize) their effects on the bagging behaviors before and after repetitive uses. These experimental, statistical and theoretical findings may be used to predict bagginess of fabrics based on their properties and prevent industrial from the most significant and influential inputs which should be adjusted accurately. This work allows industrial, also, to make more attention, in case of a high-quality level to ensure, to optimize and review yarn behaviors used to produce fabrics against drastic solicitations and minimize frictions forms during experimental spinning and weaving processes.

Until now, there is no sufficient information to evaluate and predict the effect of the yarn-to-yarn friction as well as metal-to-yarn one on the residual bagging behavior. Besides, there is no work that deals with the kinetic recovery evolution as function of frictional inputs to explain accurately the bagging behavior evolution during relaxation time. Therefore, this present work is to investigate and model the residual bagging recovery velocity after bagging test as function of the frictional input parameters of both denim yarn and fabric samples (expressed by the friction caused due to contact from conformator to fabric).

This paper aims to numerically analyze the effect of non-gray gas radiation on mixed convection in a horizontal circular duct with isothermal partial heating from the sidewall. The influence of heater location on heat transfer, fluid flow and entropy generation is given and discussed in this study.

The numerical computation of heat transfer and fluid flow has been developed by the commercial finite element software COMSOL Multiphysics. Radiation code is developed based on the T₁₀ Ray-Tracing method, and the radiative properties of the medium are computed based on the statistical narrow band correlated-k model.

The obtained results depicted that the radiation considerably contributes to the temperature homogenization of the gas. The findings highlight the impact of the heater location on swirling flow. It is also shown that the laterally heating process provides better energy efficiency than heating from the top of the enclosure.

This study is performed to improve heat transfer and to minimize entropy generation. Therefore, it is conceivable to improve the model design of industrial applications.

Examines the fifthteenth published year of the ITCRR. Runs the whole gamut of textile innovation, research and testing, some of which investigates hitherto untouched aspects. Subjects discussed include cotton fabric processing, asbestos substitutes, textile adjuncts to cardiovascular surgery, wet textile processes, hand evaluation, nanotechnology, thermoplastic composites, robotic ironing, protective clothing (agricultural and industrial), ecological aspects of fibre properties – to name but a few! There would appear to be no limit to the future potential for textile applications.

This work highlights the optimization of the consumed amount of sewing thread required to make up a pair of jeans using three different metaheuristic methods; particular swarm optimization (PSO), ant colony optimization (ACO) and genetic algorithm (GA) techniques. Indeed, using metaheuristic optimization techniques enable industrialists to reach the lowest sewing thread quantities in terms of bobbins per garments. Besides, the compared results of this research can obviously prove the impact of each input parameter on the optimization of the sewing thread consumption per pair of jeans.

To assess objectively the sewing thread consumption, the optimized sewing conditions such as thread composition, needle size and fabric composition are investigated and discussed. Hence, a Taguchi design was elaborated to evaluate and optimize objectively the linear model consumption. Thanks to its principal characteristics and popularity, denim fabric is selected to analyze objectively the effects of studied input parameters. In addition, having workers with same skills and qualifications to repeat each time the same sewing process will involve having the same sewing thread consumption values. This can occur in some levels such as end of sewing, the number of machine failures, the kind of failure and its complexity, the competency of the mechanic and his way to repair failure, the loss of thread caused by threading and its frequency. Seam repetition due to operator lack of skill will obviously affect clothing appearance and hence quality decision. Interesting findings and significant relationship between input parameters and the amount of sewing thread consumption are established.

According to the comparative results obtained using metaheuristic methods, the PSO and ACO technique gives the lowest values of the consumption within the best combination of input parameters. The results show the accuracy of the applied metaheuristic methods to optimize the consumed amount needed to sew a pair of jeans with a notable superiority of both PSO and ACO methods compared to experimental ones. However, compared to GA method, ACO and PSO algorithms remained the most accurate techniques allowing industrials to minimize the consumed thread used to sew jeans. They can also widely optimize and predict the consumed thread in the investigated experimental design of interest. Consequently, compared to experimental results and regarding the low error values obtained, it may be concluded that the metaheuristic methods can optimize and evaluate both studied input and output parameters accurately.

This study is most useful for denim industrial applications, which makes it possible to anticipate, calculate and minimize the high consumption of sewing threads. This paper has not only practical implications for clothing appearance and quality but also for reduction in thread wastage occurring during shop floor conditions like machine running, thread breakage, repairs, etc. (Kawabata and Niwa, 1991). Unless the used sewing machine is equipped within a thread trimmer improvement in garment seam appearance cannot be achieved. By comparing and analyzing the operating activities of the regular lock stitch 301 machine with and without a thread trimmer, a difference in time processing can be grasped (Magazine JUKI Corporation, 2008). Time consumed in trimming by a lockstitch machine without a thread trimmer equals 3.1 s compared to 2.6 s by a thread trimming one. Hence, the reduction rate in the time processing equals 16.30%. This paper aimed to implement the optimal consumption (thread waste outstanding number of trials). Unless highly skilled workers are selected and well-motivated, the previous recommended changes will not be applied. The saved cost of the sewing thread reduction can be used to buy a better quality of fabric and/or thread. However, these factors are not always the same as they can vary according to customer's requirements because thread consumption is never a standard for sewn product categories such as trousers, shirts and footwear (Khedher and Jaouachi, 2015).

Until now, there is no work dealing with the investigation of the metaheuristic optimization of the consumed thread per pair of jeans to minimize accurately the amount of sewing thread as well as the sewing thread wastage. Even though these techniques of optimization are currently in full development due to some advantages such as generality and possible application to a large class of combinatorial and constrained assignment problems, efficiency for many problems in providing good quality approximate solutions for a large number of classical optimization problems and large-scale real applications, etc., are not applied yet to decrease sewing thread consumption. Some recent published works used statistical techniques (Taguchi, factorial, etc.), to evaluate approximate consumptions; conversely, other geometrical and mathematical approaches, considering some assumptions, used stitch geometry and remained insufficient to give the industrialists an implemented application generating the exact value of the consumed amount of sewing thread. Generally, in the clothing field 10–15% of sewing thread wastage should be added to the experimental approximate consumption value. Moreover, all investigations are focused on the approximative evaluations and theoretical modeling of sewing thread consumption as function of some input parameters. Practically, the obtained results are successfully applied and the ACO method gives the most accurate results. On the other hand, in the point of view of industrialists the applied metaheuristic methods (based on algorithms) used to decrease the amount of consumed thread remained an easy and fruitful solution that can allow them to control the number of sewing thread bobbin per garments.

This paper aims to develop at sewing thread during the seam formation may lead to the compression of fabric under seam. In the present study, the model has been proposed to predict the seam compression and calculation of seam boldness, as well as thread consumption by considering seam compression.

The effect of sewing parameters on the fabric compression at the seam (Cf) for fabrics of varying bulk density was studied by the Taguchi method and also the multilinear regression equation is obtained to predict seam compression by considering these parameters. The framework has been set as per the single view metrology approach to measuring structural seam boldness (Bs). One of the basic geometrical models (Ghosh and Chavhan, 2014) for the prediction of thread consumption at lock stitch has been modified by considering fabric compression at the seam (Cf).

The multilinear regression model has been proposed which can predict the compression under seam using easily measurable fabric parameters and stitch density. The seam boldness is successfully calculated quantitatively using the proposed formula with a good correlation with the seam boldness rated subjectively. The thread consumption estimation from the proposed approach was found to be more accurate.

The compression under seam is found out using easily measurable parameters; fabric thickness, fabric weight and stitch density from the proposed model. The attempt has been made to calculate seam boldness quantitatively and the new approach to find out thread consumption by considering the seam compression has been proposed.

In this study, TiO2 is used to enhance the mechanical properties of the composite material containing agave Americana fiber and polyester resin.

Agave Americana fiber was first treated with 5% of NaOH, and the composition of treated and untreated fiber was kept constant, whereas the particulate and resin were alternatively used. The handlay method is used to fabricate the composite plates. The morphology of the composites was studied using scanning electron microscopy (SEM).

The composite was composed of 30% treated agave Americana, 10% of TiO₂ particulates and 60% of a polyester resin for better and enhanced mechanical properties.

The composite can be used for aero-structural components, automobile components and other areas where light-weight components are required.

A new type of agave Americana fiber with TiO₂ and polyester resin composite was fabricated and investigated.

This paper aims to investigate the feasibility of developing an eco-friendly dyeing process for a regenerated polyester fiber (polytrimethylene terephthalate) using a natural dye (Lac) and bio-mordant.

The effects of temperature, time, initial pH of dye bath, material to liquor ratio and mordant concentration on color strength of polytrimethylene terephthalate fiber dyed with Lac were examined. The results were compared using three bio-mordant (catechu, myrobalan and pomegranate) and three inorganic mordant (alum, ferrous sulfate and stannous chloride). Single replicate of 25-design methodology was used to identify three significant factors affecting color strength, and optimization was done using response surface methodology based on 2³-central composite rotatable design.

Color strength achieved using catechu as a bio-mordant was close to that with ferrous sulfate and higher than with stannous chloride. Temperature, initial pH and mordant concentration were identified as significant factors affecting color strength of dyed fiber with catechu. Optimization revealed temperature of 133OC, initial pH of 6 and bio-mordant (Catechu) concentration of 10 per cent to be the optimal conditions for dyeing, with K/S value of 4.55.

The study revealed the possibility of satisfactory dyeing of regenerated polyester fibers with natural dyes, replacing disperse dyes. The comparison of color strength achieved indicated the possibility of replacing inorganic mordant with bio-mordant in such dyeing process. The dyeing process could thus be made more eco-friendly by removal of toxic chemicals from effluents.

Expert systems are computer-based systems that mimic the logical processes of human experts or organizations to give advice in a specific domain of knowledge. Fuzzy expert systems use fuzzy logic to handle uncertainties generated by imprecise, incomplete and/or vague information. The purpose of this paper is to present a comprehensive review of the methods and applications in fuzzy expert systems.

The authors have carefully reviewed 281 journal publications and 149 conference proceedings published over the past 37 years since 1982. The authors grouped the journal publications and conference proceedings separately accordingly to the methods, application domains, tools and inference systems.

The authors have synthesized the findings and proposed useful suggestions for future research directions. The authors show that the most common use of fuzzy expert systems is in the medical field.

Fuzzy logic can be used to manage uncertainty in expert systems and solve problems that cannot be solved effectively with conventional methods. In this study, the authors present a comprehensive review of the methods and applications in fuzzy expert systems which could be useful for practicing managers developing expert systems under uncertainty.