This paper reports a comparative case study on the use of different softening products for bed linen fabrics, specifically regarding the sewability of the fabrics. The market offers a wide variety of commercial formulations of softeners for this purpose, but the composition and price varies considerably. This work was aimed to assess the relationship between the cost and effectiveness of different softener formulations in home textiles finishing. Objectively, the effect of different softeners and their concentrations on sewability of the fabrics was studied. Non-ionic polyethylene dispersions and a cationic silicone softener micro-emulsion in different concentrations and combinations were considered in this investigation. It was found that a combination of silicone and polyethylene based softeners presents the most interesting cost/performance behavior.
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