WO2024070727A1

WO2024070727A1 - Woven/knitted article

Info

Publication number: WO2024070727A1
Application number: PCT/JP2023/033527
Authority: WO
Inventors: 健太郎小河; 慎也川原; 康二郎稲田; 正人増田; 知彦松浦
Original assignee: 東レ株式会社
Priority date: 2022-09-29
Filing date: 2023-09-14
Publication date: 2024-04-04

Abstract

The present invention addresses the problem of providing a woven/knitted article that has high droplet removability and is superior in motion comfort and texture.　The woven/knitted article according to the present invention comprises a commingled yarn including a fiber A having a polyfoil cross section with protrusions on an outer peripheral portion and a fiber B having a flat cross section, the woven/knitted article satisfying the following requirements. (1) The number of protrusions in the fiber A is from 6 to 30. (2) The flatness of the fiber B is from 1.1 to 5.0. (3) The fiber B is has a smaller fineness than that of the fiber A. (4) The woven/knitted article has crimps of the fiber B on the surface thereof. (5) Each of the fiber A and the fiber B is a crimped fiber having a bimetal structure containing two types of polymers. (6) The woven/knitted article has a water repellent agent on the surface thereof.

Description

Woven and knitted fabrics

The present invention relates to a woven or knitted fabric that has high water droplet removal properties, and also has excellent comfort when moving and texture.

　Traditionally, water-repellent woven and knitted fabrics have been used for a variety of purposes, including casual clothing, sportswear, and uniforms, all of which require high water repellency. Recently, in order to add value to these applications, there has been a demand for not only water repellency but also stretchability, which provides texture and comfortable movement when worn.

　In order to impart water repellency to woven and knitted fabrics, a water repellent treatment is widely used in which a water repellent agent containing a fluorine-based resin, silicone resin, or paraffin resin is applied to the surface of the fabric. In recent years, in consideration of the environment, woven and knitted fabrics using non-fluorine-based (PFOA-free) water repellents that do not use compounds that may have an adverse effect on living organisms (such as perfluorooctanoic acid and perfluorooctanesulfonic acid) have been proposed. On the other hand, woven and knitted fabrics obtained with non-fluorine formulations do not have sufficient water repellency for everyday use, and unless the appropriate formulation is used, the texture becomes stiff, greatly limiting their application to applications requiring both water repellency and texture, such as casual clothing and sportswear.

　Methods of improving water repellency other than attaching a water repellent to the fabric surface have been proposed, including controlling the surface morphology of woven or knitted fabrics to create atypical fiber cross-sections or composite yarns aimed at achieving the so-called lotus leaf effect (for example, Patent Document 1, Patent Document 2, and Patent Document 3).

JP 2005-350828 A JP 2015-098661 A International Publication No. 2021/215319

However, the woven and knitted fabrics described in Patent Documents 1 and 2 do not have the stretchability required to accommodate the vigorous movements made when worn, such as in casual or sportswear, and are insufficient in terms of comfort when moving around. The fabric described in Patent Document 3 has stretchability due to the inclusion of elastic fibers in the composite yarn, but the texture is insufficient because non-crimped fibers are recommended as the ultrafine fibers that form fine fiber loops along with the elastic fibers. For this reason, there is a demand for the development of woven and knitted fabrics that can be used for a variety of purposes, which not only have the ability to remove water droplets, but also provide comfort when moving around and have a good texture.

The present invention aims to solve the problems of the conventional technology described above and provide a woven or knitted fabric that has high water droplet removal properties, is comfortable to wear, and has an excellent texture.

The present invention has the following configuration to solve the above problems.

[1] A woven or knitted fabric comprising a mixed yarn having fiber A having a multi-lobal cross section with a convex portion on the outer periphery and fiber B having a flat cross section, and satisfying the following requirements:
(1) The number of protrusions of the fiber A is 6 to 30.
(2) The flatness of the fiber B is 1.1 to 5.0.
(3) Fiber B has a finer fiber size than fiber A.
(4) The woven or knitted fabric has crimps of the fiber B on the surface.
(5) Both the fiber A and the fiber B are crimped fibers having a bimetallic structure containing two types of polymers.
(6) The woven or knitted fabric has a surface with a water repellent.

[2] A woven or knitted fabric as described in [1] above, in which the water droplet sliding angle on the fabric surface is 1 to 45 degrees.

[3] The woven or knitted fabric described in [2] above, in which the water droplet sliding angle on the fabric surface after 20 repeated washings is 1 to 60 degrees.

[4] A woven or knitted fabric according to any one of [1] to [3] above, in which the stretch rate in the warp or weft direction is 10 to 100%.

[5] A woven or knitted fabric according to any one of [1] to [4], in which the fineness of the fiber A is 0.5 to 5.0 dtex, and the fineness ratio expressed as the fineness of the fiber A [dtex] / the fineness of the fiber B [dtex] is 2.0 or more.

[6] A woven or knitted fabric according to any one of [1] to [5] above, in which the ratio of the number of fibers B to the number of fibers A is 2 or more.

[7] A woven or knitted fabric according to any one of [1] to [6], in which the surface occupancy rate of the blended yarn per unit area is 20% or more.

The present invention makes it possible to provide a woven or knitted fabric that has high water droplet removal properties, as well as excellent comfort when worn and texture.

1 is a schematic diagram of the fiber cross-sectional structure of the sea-island composite fiber produced in Example 1. FIG. 1 is a schematic cross-sectional view of a composite spinneret for producing a sea-island composite fiber used in Example 1. 1 is a schematic diagram of the cross-sectional structure of a mixed yarn contained in the woven or knitted fabric of the present invention.

The following describes an embodiment of the present invention in detail.

The woven or knitted fabric of the present invention is a woven or knitted fabric having a water repellent on the surface thereof, and includes as its constituent yarns a mixed yarn having fiber A, which has a multi-lobed cross section with a convex portion on the outer periphery, and fiber B, which has a flat cross section and a finer fiber than fiber A, and both fiber A and fiber B are crimped fibers having a bimetal structure containing two types of polymers. With this structure, latent crimping is made apparent by heat treatment such as dyeing, and a difference in crimping occurs between fiber A and fiber B, which have a difference in fineness. Furthermore, the fine crimping of fiber B forms a lotus leaf-like uneven structure with a fine air layer on the surface of the woven or knitted fabric, thereby providing excellent water droplet removal properties. At the same time, due to the uneven effect of the bimetal crimping and the difference in crimping of fiber A and fiber B, which have a difference in fineness, the woven or knitted fabric also has excellent operating comfort and a spun-like texture. The effect of unevenness here refers to the effect of unevenness on the mixed fiber yarn itself, and refers to the uneven structure formed on the surface of the mixed fiber yarn itself as a result of the combination of large crimps of thick fibers and small crimps of thin fibers.

<Fiber A>
In the mixed yarn containing fiber A and fiber B, fiber A is a crimped fiber having a multi-lobal shape with a convex portion on the outer periphery of the cross section.

The polymer constituting the fiber A may be, for example, a melt-moldable polymer or copolymer thereof, such as polyethylene terephthalate, polyethylene naphthalate, polybutylene terephthalate, polytrimethylene terephthalate, polypropylene, polyolefin, polycarbonate, polyacrylate, polyamide, polylactic acid, thermoplastic polyurethane, or polyphenylene sulfide. In particular, it is preferable for the melting point of the polymer to be 165°C or higher, since this has good heat resistance. It is also preferable to use biopolymers or recycled polymers derived from plants, and the aforementioned polymers may be recycled polymers that have been recycled by any of the methods of chemical recycling, material recycling, or thermal recycling.

The fiber A is a crimped fiber in which these two types of polymers are combined in a bimetallic structure (including side-by-side and eccentric core-sheath types), and latent crimping becomes apparent through heat treatment such as dyeing. If the fiber A is not a bimetallic crimped fiber, it will lack stretchability and will not provide comfortable movement when made into clothing. In addition, by making fiber A into a bimetallic structure, the woven or knitted fabric will shrink, creating a difference in the crimp pitch with fiber B (described below), forming a more effective air layer and uneven structure on the surface of the woven or knitted fabric, further improving water droplet removal and spun-like texture.

If necessary, the fiber A may contain various additives in the polymer, such as inorganic substances such as titanium oxide, silica, barium oxide, etc., colorants such as carbon black, dyes, pigments, etc., flame retardants, fluorescent whitening agents, antioxidants, or ultraviolet absorbers.

The cross section of the fiber A is a multi-leaf shape having 6 to 30 convex parts on the outer periphery. The multi-leaf shape not only provides a spun-like texture, but also effectively reduces the contact area between water droplets and the fiber surface, even for the fiber A, which has a relatively large fineness, as described below, resulting in a woven or knitted fabric with excellent water droplet removal properties. The convex parts are preferably uniformly arranged radially on the outer periphery of the fiber surface to prevent bias in water droplet removal properties. If there are fewer than six convex parts, the spacing between the convex parts will be wide, and the spun-like texture will not be obtained. From the viewpoint of increasing the contact area with water droplets and obtaining sufficient water droplet removal properties, it is preferable that there are eight or more convex parts. On the other hand, if there are more than 30 convex parts, the convex parts will be easily cracked by physical effects such as friction when worn, causing fibrillation and resulting in a decrease in quality, and the spacing between the convex parts formed on the outer periphery of the fiber surface will be too fine, resulting in a shape that is close to a round cross section, reducing the effect on water droplet removal properties. It is more preferable that there are fewer than 15 convex parts. The number of convex parts can be measured by the method described in the Examples.

As described above, the fiber A has a relatively large fineness compared to the flat-shaped fiber B described later, and the fineness ratio of the fiber A to the fiber B represented by the following formula 1 is preferably 2.0 or more (more preferably 2.0 to 2000.0, particularly preferably 5.0 to 200.0). When the fineness ratio of the fiber A to the fiber B is 2.0 or more, a difference in shrinkage is easily generated between the fiber A and the fiber B, and fine irregularities and air layers are formed on the surface of the woven or knitted fabric, so that sufficient water droplet removal properties and a spun-like texture can be obtained. The fineness ratio is more preferably 5.0 or more. On the other hand, when the fineness ratio of the fiber A to the fiber B is 2000.0 or less, physical properties such as durability as a woven or knitted fabric can be sufficiently satisfied. More preferably, it is 200.0 or less.
Fineness ratio=fineness of fiber A [dtex]/fineness of fiber B [dtex] (Equation 1).

The fineness of the fiber A is preferably 0.5 to 5.0 dtex. When the fineness of the fiber A is 0.5 dtex or more, the single yarn fineness is not too thin, and physical properties such as tear resistance and durability can be fully satisfied. The fineness of the fiber A is more preferably 1.0 dtex or more. On the other hand, when the fineness of the fiber A is 5.0 dtex or less, it is easy to obtain a shrinkage difference with the fiber B that is effective for water droplet removal, and the contact surface with the water droplets is small, so that higher water droplet removal properties can be obtained. The fineness of the fiber A is more preferably 2.5 dtex or less. The fineness can be measured by the method described in the examples.

<Fiber B>
In the blended yarn containing fiber A and fiber B, fiber B is a crimped fiber having a flat cross section.

The polymer constituting fiber B may be, for example, a melt-moldable polymer or copolymer thereof, such as polyethylene terephthalate, polyethylene naphthalate, polybutylene terephthalate, polytrimethylene terephthalate, polypropylene, polyolefin, polycarbonate, polyacrylate, polyamide, polylactic acid, thermoplastic polyurethane, or polyphenylene sulfide. In particular, it is preferable for the melting point of the polymer to be 165°C or higher, since this provides good heat resistance. It is also preferable to use biopolymers or recycled polymers derived from plants, and the aforementioned polymers may be recycled polymers that have been recycled by any of the methods of chemical recycling, material recycling, or thermal recycling.

The fiber B is a crimped fiber in which these two types of polymers are combined in a bimetallic structure (including side-by-side and eccentric core-sheath types), and the latent crimping becomes apparent through heat treatment such as dyeing. If the fiber B is not a crimped fiber with a bimetallic structure, the fiber B will not crimp, and the spun-like texture described below will not be obtained. Furthermore, the bimetallic structure of the fiber B further improves water droplet removal properties.

If necessary, the fiber B may contain various additives in the polymer, such as inorganic substances such as titanium oxide, silica, barium oxide, etc., colorants such as carbon black, dyes, pigments, etc., flame retardants, fluorescent whitening agents, antioxidants, or ultraviolet absorbing agents.

The cross section of the fiber B has a flat shape with a flatness of 1.1 to 5.0, which is different in length between the long axis direction and the short axis direction of the cross section. By crimping such a flat shape, not only can a spun-like texture that reproduces the twisted structure of cotton be obtained, but also the contact area between water droplets and the fiber surface can be effectively reduced, resulting in a woven or knitted fabric with excellent water droplet removability. Here, the "flatness" is a value obtained by calculating the average flatness of the fiber B contained in one of the mixed fiber yarns collected from the woven or knitted fabric of the present invention according to the following formula 2. If the flatness exceeds 5.0, the single yarn becomes too thin, the resilience when the mixed fiber yarn is bent decreases, and the spun-like texture cannot be obtained. In addition, the contact surface between the water droplets and the fiber surface becomes too sharp to support the water droplets and grip them, thereby suppressing a reduction in the effect on water droplet removal, so the flatness is preferably 4.0 or less. In addition, it is possible to suppress fibrillation caused by physical effects such as friction during wearing, which leads to a decrease in quality. On the other hand, if the degree of flatness is less than 1.1, the fiber B will have a shape that is very close to a round cross section, and the effect of removing water droplets and providing a spun-like texture will be lost.
Flatness=length of the cross section of fiber B in the major axis direction [μm]/length of the cross section of fiber B in the minor axis direction [μm] (Equation 2).

As described above, fiber B has a relatively finer fiber than fiber A, and it is preferable that the fineness ratio of fiber A to fiber B, as expressed by the above formula 1, is 2.0 or more in order to obtain a shrinkage difference with fiber A.

<Combined fiber yarn>
The woven or knitted fabric of the present invention includes a mixed yarn having the fiber A and the fiber B, and may include fibers other than the fibers A and B. When the fabric includes fibers other than the fiber A and the fiber B, the type and shape of the fibers are not particularly limited. As described above, the fiber A and the fiber B are both crimped fibers having a bimetal structure containing two types of polymers. It is preferable to use a bimetal yarn containing two types of polymers as the fiber other than the fiber A and the fiber B, because each fiber is likely to develop crimps when used in a woven or knitted fabric.

The blended yarn preferably has a total fineness in the range of 10 to 300 dtex (more preferably, 20 to 240 dtex, and particularly preferably, 30 to 150 dtex).

The blended yarn preferably has a ratio of the number of fibers A to the number of fibers B, represented by the following formula 3, of 2 or more. By having the ratio of the number of fibers A to the number of fibers B exposed on the surface of the woven or knitted fabric is increased, thereby obtaining a better spun-like texture. In addition, since a fine air layer and an uneven structure due to the difference in shrinkage with the fiber A, which is effective for water repellency, are easily formed, a higher water droplet removal ability is obtained. The ratio of the number of fibers is more preferably 5 or more. On the other hand, by making the ratio of the number of fibers 50 or less, a significant deterioration in quality, such as fibrillation and pilling, caused by the relatively thin fiber B exposed on the surface of the woven or knitted fabric can be suppressed. The ratio of the number of fibers is more preferably 15 or less.
Number ratio=number of fibers B/number of fibers A (Equation 3).

The mixed yarn is particularly preferably non-twisted, which can maximize the difference in crimp between the fiber A and the fiber B, but may be twisted to a twist coefficient of 35,000 or less, as expressed by the following formula 4, if necessary. In that case, the number of twists is preferably within a range of 100 to 2,000 T/M.
Twist coefficient = number of twists [T/M] × (fineness [de]) ^1/2 ... (Equation 4).
Here, the value is expressed as fineness [de] = fineness [dtex] x 0.9.

<Woven and knitted fabrics>
The woven or knitted fabric in the present invention is a woven or knitted fabric containing the mixed yarn, and has the crimp of the fiber B on the surface of the woven or knitted fabric. Here, the "crimp" means a three-dimensional twisted structure (including a coil shape) or a loop structure obtained by false twist processing, air processing (interlace processing or taslan processing), a fiber with a bimetal structure in which two types of polymers are bonded together, etc., and is not particularly limited. In addition, it is preferable to false twist a fiber with a bimetal structure in which two types of polymers are bonded together, because the crimp becomes finer. By heat treatment such as dyeing, the latent crimp of the fiber A and the fiber B with a bimetal structure becomes apparent, and the woven or knitted fabric shrinks, and a woven or knitted fabric with stretchability excellent in operating comfort can be obtained. At the same time, a crimp difference occurs between the fiber A and the fiber B, which have a difference in fineness, and the fiber A and the fiber B are separated, creating a space in the mixed yarn, and the fine crimp of the relatively thin fiber B forms a lotus leaf-like uneven structure with a fine air layer on the surface of the woven or knitted fabric, thereby obtaining excellent water droplet removal properties. In addition, the fine uneven structure caused by the difference in shrinkage between the fiber A and the fiber B gives the woven or knitted fabric a fine spun texture like that of extra-long staple cotton on its surface.

The higher the ratio of the mixed fiber yarn contained in the woven or knitted fabric, the more stretchability due to the bimetal structure can be obtained, and the more comfortable it is to move around when made into clothing. In particular, the higher the ratio of the mixed fiber yarn exposed on the surface of the woven or knitted fabric, the more fine air layers and uneven structures are formed on the surface, resulting in excellent water droplet removal properties and a spun-like texture. For this reason, in such woven or knitted fabrics, it is preferable that the surface occupancy rate of the mixed fiber yarn per unit area is 20% or more (particularly preferably 100%). Here, "surface occupancy rate" refers to the proportion of the mixed fiber yarn on the surface of the woven or knitted fabric. If the ratio is above this level, for example, even when the fabric is made into a woven fabric, it is possible to form an uneven structure of the mixed fiber yarn on the surface of the fabric that is effective for high water droplet removal properties and a better spun-like texture, and higher comfort can be obtained. As fibers to be combined with the blended yarn when making a woven or knitted fabric, fibers that have been false-twisted or air-processed (interlaced or taslan processed), fibers with a bimetal structure in which two types of polymers are bonded together, or fibers that combine these, are preferred because they are less likely to impair the stretchability, crimping, and spun-like touch of the blended yarn.

The structure of the woven or knitted fabric of the present invention is not particularly limited, but a woven fabric that can obtain excellent water droplet removal properties is preferable. When the woven or knitted fabric is a woven fabric, the weave structure is not particularly limited, and examples thereof include plain weave, twill weave, satin weave, variation plain weave, variation twill weave, variation satin weave, variegated weave, patterned weave, single overlap weave, double weave, multiple weave, warp pile weave, weft pile weave, and entwined weave. When the woven or knitted fabric is a knitted fabric, the knit structure is not particularly limited, and examples thereof include circular knit, weft knit, warp knit (including tricot knit and raschel knit), pile knit, plain knit, jersey knit, rib knit, smooth knit (double-sided knit), rubber knit, pearl knit, Denbigh weave, cord weave, atlas weave, chain weave, and insertion weave. Any structure may be used for both woven and knitted fabrics, but a structure that is more likely to produce unevenness such as a twill weave than a plain weave makes it easier for the mixed fiber yarn to shrink and makes it easier for a fine air layer and uneven structure to be formed on the surface. Also, when mixed with other raw yarns, a structure in which the mixed yarn appears mostly on the surface is desirable.

The fabric preferably has a warp-to-warp total cover factor (CF) of 1000 to 3500, as expressed by the following formula 5. When the total cover factor (CF) is 1000 or more, the number of voids formed at the weaving points is reduced, and water droplets do not fall into these voids, making it possible to obtain excellent water droplet removal properties. The total cover factor (CF) is more preferably 1500 or more. On the other hand, when the total cover factor (CF) is 3500 or less, the fine air layers and uneven structure of the mixed yarn described above are not lost due to excessive restraint force at the weaving points, making it possible to obtain excellent water droplet removal properties, operating comfort, and spun texture. The total cover factor (CF) is more preferably 2800 or less.
CF = (total warp fineness [de]) ^1/2 × warp weave density [pieces/2.54 cm] + total weft fineness [de]) ^1/2 × weft weave density [pieces/2.54 cm] ... (Equation 5).
However, the total warp fineness [de] is a value expressed by the formula: total warp fineness [dtex] x 0.9, and the total weft fineness [de] is a value expressed by the formula: total warp fineness [dtex] x 0.9.

The woven or knitted fabric of the present invention has a water repellent on its surface. Here, having a water repellent on its surface means that the woven or knitted fabric has substantial water repellency, and examples of such include a water droplet slide angle on the fabric surface of the woven or knitted fabric being less than 90 degrees. A water repellent yarn may be used, or the water repellent may be added to the woven or knitted fabric during dyeing. There are no particular limitations on the type of water repellent that gives the woven or knitted fabric water droplet removal properties, but it is environmentally preferable to use a water repellent having a perfluorooctanoic acid (PFOA) concentration of 5 ng/g or less (particularly preferably less than 1 ng/g) as measured using a high performance liquid chromatography-mass spectrometer (LC-MS). Examples of such water repellents include C6 water repellents (also called C6-based water repellents, but referred to as C6 water repellents in the present invention) and non-fluorine-based water repellents, and non-fluorine-based water repellents are particularly preferable from the viewpoint of recyclability.

C6 water repellent is a fluorine-based water repellent made of a fluorine compound having a perfluoroalkyl group, and the number of carbon atoms in the perfluoroalkyl group is 6 or less. A perfluoroalkyl group is a group in which two or more hydrogen atoms of an alkyl group are replaced with fluorine atoms.

Furthermore, a non-fluorine-based water repellent is a water repellent that does not contain a fluorine compound and is mainly composed of a perfluoroalkyl group. Examples of non-fluorine-based water repellents include silicone-based water repellents and paraffin-based water repellents, and these water repellents may be mainly composed of silicone-based compounds or paraffin-based compounds.

The concentration of the water repellent applied is preferably 0.1 to 1% by mass (more preferably 0.2 to 0.8% by mass, and particularly preferably 0.3 to 0.5% by mass), which does not impair the spun-like texture of the blended yarn and provides excellent water droplet removal properties.

The woven or knitted fabric thus obtained contains the blended yarn, and the fine crimp of fiber B forms an uneven structure with fine air layers on the surface of the woven or knitted fabric. This not only provides excellent water droplet removal properties like the lotus leaf effect when water droplets fall on the surface of the woven or knitted fabric, and a spun-like texture, but also excellent operating comfort due to the bimetal structure of fiber A and fiber B.

The water droplet sliding angle of the fabric surface of a woven or knitted fabric is preferably 1 to 45 degrees. If the water droplet sliding angle is 45 degrees or less, when used in clothing, for example, water droplets are less likely to remain on the woven or knitted fabric when worn, and excellent water droplet removal properties can be obtained without causing discomfort such as a wet feeling. In particular, if the water droplet sliding angle is 15 degrees or less, extremely high water droplet removal properties can be obtained, with almost no water droplets remaining on the woven or knitted fabric when worn. Here, the "water droplet sliding angle" refers to the angle at which water droplets begin to slide down when water droplets are gently dropped onto the surface of a woven or knitted fabric attached in a flat manner to a horizontal plate and the plate is gently tilted at a uniform speed, and the smaller the water droplet sliding angle, the better the water droplet removal properties. The water droplet sliding angle is measured by dropping a 20 μL water droplet onto the surface of the woven or knitted fabric using a fully automatic contact angle meter (DM-SA, manufactured by Kyowa Interface Science Co., Ltd.), gently tilting the fabric from 0 degrees at a constant speed in 1 degree increments, and measuring the angle at which the water droplet completely slides off the woven or knitted fabric surface.

Furthermore, the water droplet sliding angle of the woven or knitted fabric of the present invention on the fabric surface after repeated washing is preferably 1 to 60 degrees, and more preferably 1 to 45 degrees. By setting the water droplet sliding angle after washing and drying to the above value, it is possible to obtain excellent water droplet removal properties over the long term without causing discomfort such as a wet feeling. Note that repeated washing here refers to washing according to the JIS L1930:2014-C4M method and drying according to Method A (line drying) repeated 20 times.

In the woven/knitted fabric of the present invention, when it is made into clothing, it is preferable that the woven/knitted fabric follows various movements while being worn, so that the pressure from the woven/knitted fabric, such as a feeling of pressure or tension, which is called clothing pressure, is not felt, and the fabric exhibits excellent stretchability with excellent movement comfort. The woven/knitted fabric of the present invention contains the mixed fiber yarn, and the mixed fiber yarn has fiber A and fiber B in which crimping due to a bimetal structure is expressed, so that the woven/knitted fabric also has excellent stretchability with excellent movement comfort. As for such stretchability, the elongation rate in the warp or weft direction of the woven/knitted fabric is preferably 10 to 100%. The stretchability referred to here means the elongation rate in the warp or weft direction of the woven/knitted fabric measured by JIS L1096:2010 8.16.1 Method B or Method D, and the higher the elongation rate, the better the movement comfort. By having an elongation rate of 10% or more, the clothing pressure from the woven/knitted fabric is not strongly felt, and movement while being worn is less hindered. In particular, if the elongation rate is 20% or more, the clothing pressure from the woven/knitted fabric is hardly felt, and more excellent movement comfort can be obtained. On the other hand, by having an elongation rate of 100% or less, a significant decrease in elongation recovery can be prevented. In particular, if the elongation rate is 40% or less, it is possible to prevent phenomena such as sagging at the knees, which is seen in clothing applications such as pants.

<Method of manufacturing woven/knitted fabric>
Next, an example of a preferred method for producing the woven or knitted fabric of the present invention will be described.

First, a blended yarn is prepared by the following method, which has fiber A, whose cross section has a multi-lobed shape with convex portions on the outer periphery, and fiber B, whose cross section has a flat shape.

The method for producing the blended yarn is not particularly limited. For example, a sea-island composite fiber having fiber A and fiber B as island components may be blended by dissolving the sea component through an alkali weight reduction treatment during dyeing, or fiber A and fiber B may be aligned and air-blended through air processing (interlace processing or taslan processing). A method using a sea-island composite fiber that can blend fiber A and fiber B without bias in the arrangement in the yarn bundle is particularly preferred, and is also favorable from the viewpoint of productivity since it does not require yarn processing such as air processing.

The method for weaving and knitting the woven or knitted fabric containing the blended fiber yarn of the present invention is not particularly limited, and the fabric can be woven or knitted by a conventional method. When the woven or knitted fabric is a woven fabric, examples of the method include a water jet loom, an air jet loom, a rapier loom, and a jacquard loom. When the woven or knitted fabric is a knitted fabric, examples of the method include a circular knitting machine and a warp knitting machine.

The woven or knitted fabric obtained by this weaving and knitting method can then be refined and dyed in the usual manner, and the heat treatment in these processes makes the latent crimp of fiber A and fiber B, which have a difference in fineness, apparent, and a fine air layer and an uneven structure of fiber B due to the difference in crimp are formed on the surface of the woven or knitted fabric. When the sea component is dissolved from the sea-island composite fiber to produce the mixed fiber yarn, it is preferable to weave or knit the sea-island composite fiber as it is, and then dissolve the sea component by an alkali reduction treatment or the like after the scouring treatment to produce a woven or knitted fabric containing the mixed fiber yarn.

The woven or knitted fabric is treated with a water-repellent finish, but if necessary, flame retardant, moisture absorbent, antistatic, antibacterial, soft finish, and other known post-treatments (including resin coating, film lamination, and other treatments that impart functions) can be used in combination, and the washing durability of functional finishes such as flame retardant, moisture absorbent, antistatic, antibacterial, and soft finish agents can also be improved. The water-repellent treatment process is not particularly limited to padding, spraying, coating, and the like, but the padding method is preferred in terms of penetrating the agent into the woven or knitted fabric. On the other hand, if the woven or knitted fabric does not use yarn with water-repellent properties and is not treated with a water-repellent finish, water droplets easily penetrate into the fine air layer on the surface made of the mixed yarn, and water droplet removal cannot be achieved.

The following examples are provided to specifically explain the woven or knitted fabric of the present invention. Note that the present invention is not limited to these examples.

The following measurements and evaluations were carried out for the examples and comparative examples.

A. Fineness A-1 Raw yarn Approximately 1 m of raw yarn to be used was taken, and the mass per unit length was measured in an environment of 20°C temperature and 65% RH, and the mass equivalent to 10,000 m was calculated from the measured value. This measurement was repeated 10 times, and the simple average value was rounded off to the first decimal place to determine the fineness of each yarn.

A-2 Fibers A and B constituting woven and knitted fabrics
Fibers to be measured were taken from the woven or knitted fabric so that the total length was about 1 m, and the mass per unit length was measured in an environment of 20°C and 65% RH, and the mass equivalent to 10,000 m was calculated from the measured value. This measurement was repeated 10 times, and the simple average value was rounded off to one decimal place to obtain the fineness of each fiber.

B. Fineness Ratio The fineness ratio was calculated from the fineness of fiber A and the fineness of fiber B measured in A above, using the following formula.
Fineness ratio=fineness of fiber A [dtex]/fineness of fiber B [dtex].

C. Ratio of the number of fibers A and B One mixed yarn was taken from the obtained woven or knitted fabric and cut perpendicular to the fiber axis direction (longitudinal direction). The cross section was photographed with a scanning electron microscope (SEM, Hitachi High-Technologies Corporation) (magnification: 500x), and the numbers of fibers A and B were counted on the photograph. The ratio of the number of fibers A and B was calculated using the following formula from the counted numbers of fibers A and B.
Number ratio=number of fibers B/number of fibers A.

D. Number of protrusions of fiber A One mixed yarn was taken from the obtained woven or knitted fabric and cut perpendicularly to the fiber axis direction (longitudinal direction). Fiber A in the cross section was photographed with a scanning electron microscope (SEM, Hitachi High-Technologies Corporation) (magnification 3000 times), and the number of protrusions on the photograph was counted.

E. Flatness of Fiber B One mixed yarn was taken from the obtained woven or knitted fabric and cut perpendicular to the fiber axis direction (longitudinal direction). All fibers B in the cross section were photographed with a scanning electron microscope (SEM, Hitachi High-Technologies Corporation) (magnification 3000 times), and the maximum length of the fiber B cross section in the photograph was measured using image processing software (ImageJ) as the length in the major axis direction, and the direction perpendicular to the major axis direction was measured as the length in the minor axis direction, and the simple average value of each was calculated. These values were calculated to the second decimal place and rounded off to the nearest tenth. The flatness was calculated from the calculated lengths in the major axis direction and minor axis direction using the following formula.
Flatness=length in the major axis direction of the cross section of fiber B [μm]/length in the minor axis direction of the cross section of fiber B [μm].

F. Presence or absence of crimp of fiber B on the surface of the woven or knitted fabric The surface of the obtained woven or knitted fabric was photographed (magnification 50 times) with a scanning electron microscope (SEM, manufactured by Hitachi High-Technologies Corporation), and the photograph was checked for three-dimensional twisted structure or loop structure on the surface of the woven or knitted fabric of fiber B. If even one such twisted structure or loop structure was found on the photograph, it was counted as 1. This was repeated for 10 places, and if the count number exceeded half, it was determined that crimp was present.

G. Surface occupancy rate of mixed fiber yarn per unit area The surface of the obtained woven or knitted fabric was photographed (magnification 100x) with a scanning electron microscope (SEM, Hitachi High-Technologies Corporation) so that the surface of the woven or knitted fabric was displayed over the entire field of view, and the area of the entire photograph and the area occupied by areas other than the mixed fiber yarn were extracted using image processing software (ImageJ), and the area ratio of the mixed fiber yarn was calculated using the following formula. This measurement was repeated at 10 locations, and the simple average value was rounded off to the nearest whole number to obtain the surface occupancy rate of the mixed fiber yarn.
Surface occupation rate [%]=(total area of photograph [mm ² ]−area other than blended yarn [mm ² ])/total area of photograph [mm ² ]×100.

H. Water Droplet Sliding Angle Using a fully automatic contact angle meter (DM-SA, manufactured by Kyowa Interface Science Co., Ltd.), a 20 μL water droplet was dropped onto the surface of a woven or knitted fabric attached flat on a horizontal plate, and the plate was gently tilted from 0 degrees at a constant speed (approximately 1 degree/second) in 1 degree increments, and the angle at which the water droplet completely slid off the woven or knitted fabric surface was measured. The smaller the water droplet sliding angle, the better the water droplet removal ability was judged to be. In addition, if the water droplet did not slide off even at 90 degrees, it was deemed "no sliding off."

The degree of water droplet sliding after repeated washing was measured using the method described above on a woven or knitted fabric sample that had been washed 20 times using the JIS L1930:2014-C4M method and dried 20 times using the A method (line drying).

I. Elongation The elongation of the obtained woven fabric was measured according to JIS L1096:2010 8.16.1 Method B. The elongation of the obtained knitted fabric was measured according to JIS L1096:2010 8.16.1 Method D.

J. Spun-like texture The spun-like texture of the woven or knitted fabrics obtained was judged as follows, and the most common judgment among the evaluations by 10 randomly selected people was recorded as the result. When there were multiple most common judgments, the intermediate evaluation was recorded.
◯: A fine spun-like texture like extra-long staple cotton is felt very much. Δ: A fine spun-like texture like extra-long staple cotton is felt to some extent. ×: A fine spun-like texture like extra-long staple cotton is not felt at all.

K. Water Drop Removal Ability When Worn The obtained woven and knitted fabric was used to create an outer jacket for mountain climbing. The outer jacket was worn in a laboratory simulating a rainy environment (200 ml/10 min), and the following judgments were made after rainfall. The most common judgment among the evaluations by 10 randomly selected people was taken as the result. If there were multiple most common judgments, the intermediate evaluation was taken as the result. The size of the outer jacket to be worn was set to a size (S, M, L) that suited each body type based on JIS L4004:2001 9.
◯: Almost no water droplets on the surface, and water droplet removal is good. Δ: The surface is not wet, but some water droplets remain. ×: The surface is wet to some extent, and water droplet removal is poor.

L. Comfort in movement Wearing the outer jacket of size K, the following judgments were made, and the most common judgment among the evaluations by 10 randomly selected people was recorded as the result. If there were multiple most common judgments, the intermediate evaluation was recorded. The size of the outer jacket worn by each person was the same as that of size K.
◯: Almost no pressure or tightness from the fabric is felt, and movement comfort is good. △: Some pressure or tightness from the fabric is felt, but movement comfort cannot be said to be bad. ×: There is a strong pressure or tightness from the fabric, and movement comfort is bad.

[Example 1]
As polymer A, polyethylene terephthalate copolymerized with 8 mol % of 5-sodium sulfoisophthalic acid based on the total dicarboxylic acid components and 9 wt % of polyethylene glycol based on the total mass (SSIA-PEG copolymerized PET, melt viscosity: 100 Pa·s [measurement conditions: temperature 290°C, shear rate 1216 s ^-1 ], melting point: 233°C), as polymer B, polyethylene terephthalate copolymerized with 7 mol % of isophthalic acid (IPA copolymerized PET, melt viscosity: 140 Pa·s [measurement conditions: temperature 290°C, shear rate 1216 s ^-1 ], melting point: 232°C), and as polymer C, polyethylene terephthalate (PET, melt viscosity: 130 Pa·s [measurement conditions: temperature 290°C, shear rate 1216 s ^-1 ], melting point: 254°C) were prepared.

These polymers were melted separately at 290°C, and then weighed out to a mass ratio of polymer A/polymer B/polymer C of 10/45/45. The polymers were fed into a spin pack incorporating the composite spinneret shown in Figure 2, and the inflowing polymers were discharged from the discharge holes. When the inflowing polymers were discharged, polymer B and polymer C, which are difficult-to-dissolve components, were joined side-by-side, and island component b1 (1 piece) with an eight-lobe cross-sectional structure having eight uniformly arranged radial convex portions and island component b2 (8 pieces) with a flat cross-sectional structure were joined by sea component a made of polymer A consisting of an easily soluble component. Figure 2 is a cross-sectional conceptual diagram of the composite spinneret, and polymers A to C measured by the metering plate 1 are each controlled by the distribution plate 2 to have a composite cross section and its cross-sectional shape in the cross section of a single fiber, and the composite polymer flow formed by the distribution plate 2 is compressed and discharged by the discharge plate 3. By this discharge method, a sea-island composite fiber with a circular cross-sectional shape as shown in Figure 1 was obtained.

The discharged composite polymer flow was cooled and solidified, after which an oil agent was added, and the flow was wound up at a spinning speed of 1500 m/min. The flow was then stretched between rollers heated to 90°C and 130°C to obtain a sea-island composite fiber of 84 dtex-24 filaments. Note that after the sea component a is dissolved, the island part b1 corresponds to fiber A, and the island part b2 corresponds to fiber B.

The resulting sea-island composite fibers were used as warp and weft in an air jet loom to produce a 2/1 twill fabric. The resulting fabric was continuously scoured, heated to 90°C using a 1% by mass aqueous solution of sodium hydroxide in a jet dyeing machine to remove the sea component (weight loss of 10%), relaxed in the jet dyeing machine at 130°C for 30 minutes, and then subjected to an intermediate set at 180°C for 1 minute with a tenter extension ratio of 5%, before being subjected to a normal dyeing process. Next, the fabric was immersed in a treatment solution containing 4% by weight of "Neoseed" (registered trademark) NR-158 (Nicca Chemical Co., Ltd., non-fluorine-based (paraffin-based) water repellent, solid content 30%), 0.2% by weight of "Beckamin" (registered trademark) M-3 (DIC Corporation), 0.15% by weight of Catalyst ACX (DIC Corporation), 1% by weight of isopropyl alcohol, and 94.65% by weight of water, and then squeezed to a squeezing rate of 60% using a mangle. The fabric was then dried at 130°C for 2 minutes using a pin tenter, and cured at 170°C for 1 minute to perform a water repellent treatment. As shown in Figure 3, a 2/1 twill fabric was obtained, which has a warp density of 172 threads/2.54 cm, a weft density of 143 threads/2.54 cm, and a cover factor (CF) of 2598, and is made of a mixed yarn in which fiber A4 and fiber B5 are separated. The evaluation results of the obtained fabric are shown in Table 2.

[Example 2]
A 2/1 twill fabric with a warp density of 104 yarns/2.54 cm, a weft density of 87 yarns/2.54 cm and a cover factor (CF) of 2590 was obtained in the same manner as in Example 1, except that the method of discharging the sea-island composite fiber was changed to obtain a sea-island composite fiber of 227 dtex-24 filaments so that the fineness ratio of fiber A to fiber B in the mixed yarn obtained in Example 1 was 1.5. The evaluation results of the obtained fabric are shown in Table 2.

[Example 3]
A 2/1 twill fabric with a warp density of 102 yarns/2.54 cm, a weft density of 85 yarns/2.54 cm and a cover factor (CF) of 2596 was obtained in the same manner as in Example 1, except that the numbers of island components b1 and b2 in the sea-island composite fiber having an elliptical cross section of Example 1 were changed to five each to obtain a sea-island composite fiber of 238 dtex-24 filaments. The evaluation results of the obtained fabric are shown in Table 2.

[Example 4]
The same method as in Example 1 was used to weave the fabric described in Example 1, except that polyethylene terephthalate multifilaments (76 dtex-24 filaments) having a round cross section were used as the warp yarns and the sea-island composite fibers of Example 1 were used as the weft yarns, thereby obtaining a 4/1 twill fabric with a warp density of 172 yarns/2.54 cm, a weft density of 143 yarns/2.54 cm and a cover factor (CF) of 2602. The evaluation results of the obtained fabric are shown in Table 2.

[Example 5]
The same method as in Example 4 was used to weave the fabric described in Example 4, except that the weave structure was changed to an 8-ply, 5-leaf skip satin weave, to obtain an 8-ply, 5-leaf skip satin weave with a warp density of 172 threads/2.54 cm, a weft density of 142 threads/2.54 cm, and a cover factor (CF) of 2594. The evaluation results of the obtained fabric are shown in Table 2.

[Example 6]
A mixed yarn (222 dtex-72 filaments) was obtained by taslan processing using the sea-island composite fiber obtained in Example 1 as a sheath yarn and a multifilament (138 dtex-48 filaments) having a round cross section made of an elastic fiber in which polyethylene terephthalate and polytrimethylene terephthalate were composited into a side-by-side bimetal structure as a core yarn. A 2/1 twill fabric with a warp density of 103 yarns/2.54 cm, a weft density of 85 yarns/2.54 cm and a cover factor (CF) of 2607 was obtained in the same manner as in Example 1, except for using this mixed yarn. The evaluation results of the obtained fabric are shown in Table 2.

[Example 7]
A sea-island composite fiber was produced in the same manner as in Example 1, and the fiber was used to produce a knitted fabric with a smooth structure on a 28G circular knitting machine. The knitted fabric was continuously scoured, heated to 90°C using a 1% by mass aqueous sodium hydroxide solution in a jet dyeing machine to remove the sea component (weight reduction rate: 10%), and subjected to a relax process at 130°C for 30 minutes in the jet dyeing machine, and then subjected to an intermediate set condition at 180°C for 1 minute with a tentering rate of 5%, followed by a normal dyeing process. Next, the knitted fabric was immersed in a treatment solution containing 4% by mass of "NEOSEED" (registered trademark) NR-158 (manufactured by NICCA Chemical Co., Ltd., non-fluorinated (paraffin-based) water repellent, solid content 30%), 0.2% by mass of "BECKAMINE" (registered trademark) M-3 (manufactured by DIC Corporation, solid content 80%), 0.15% by mass of Catalyst ACX (manufactured by DIC Corporation), 1% by mass of isopropyl alcohol, and 94.65% by mass of water, and then squeezed out at a squeezing rate of 60% using a mangle, dried at 130°C x 2 minutes using a pin tenter, and cured at 170°C x 1 minute to obtain a smooth knitted fabric. The evaluation results of the obtained knitted fabric are shown in Table 2.

[Example 8]
A 2/1 twill fabric with a warp density of 172 threads/2.54 cm, a weft density of 143 threads/2.54 cm and a cover factor (CF) of 2535 was obtained in the same manner as in Example 1, except that the sea-island composite fiber obtained in Example 1 was false twisted at a ratio of 1.05 to form a false twist textured yarn of 80 dtex-24 filaments. The evaluation results of the obtained fabric are shown in Table 2.

[Comparative Example 1]
A 2/1 twill fabric with a warp density of 102 yarns/2.54 cm, a weft density of 85 yarns/2.54 cm and a cover factor (CF) of 2596 was obtained in the same manner as in Example 1, except that the extrusion method was changed so that the island components b1 and b2 of the sea-island composite fiber obtained in Example 1 had the same fineness, to obtain a sea-island composite fiber of 238 dtex-24 filaments. The evaluation results of the obtained fabric are shown in Table 2.

[Comparative Example 2]
A 2/1 twill fabric was obtained in the same manner as in Example 1, and then a 2/1 twill fabric with a warp density of 172 threads/2.54 cm, a weft density of 143 threads/2.54 cm, and a cover factor (CF) of 2598 was obtained in the same manner as in Example 1, except that the water-repellent treatment after dyeing was not performed. The evaluation results of the obtained fabric are shown in Table 2.

[Comparative Example 3]
A 2/1 twill fabric having a warp density of 172 yarns/2.54 cm, a weft density of 143 yarns/2.54 cm and a cover factor (CF) of 2598 was obtained in the same manner as in Example 1, except that the sea-island composite fibers in Example 1, whose cross section was elliptical, were changed to island component b1 having a circular cross section having no convex portions. The evaluation results of the obtained fabric are shown in Table 2.

[Comparative Example 4]
A 2/1 twill fabric was obtained in the same manner as in Example 1, with a warp density of 171 yarns/2.54 cm, a weft density of 143 yarns/2.54 cm and a cover factor (CF) of 2590, except that the island component b1 was changed to a trilobal cross section having three uniformly arranged convex portions from the sea-island composite fiber of Example 1 having an elliptical cross section. The evaluation results of the obtained fabric are shown in Table 2.

[Comparative Example 5]
A 2/1 twill fabric with a warp density of 172 yarns/2.54 cm, a weft density of 143 yarns/2.54 cm and a cover factor (CF) of 2598 was obtained in the same manner as in Example 1, except that the sea-island composite fiber in Example 1, which had an elliptical cross section, was changed to a perfect circle by reducing the flatness of island component b2 so that the flatness of fiber B after leaching would be 1.0. The evaluation results of the obtained fabric are shown in Table 2.

[Comparative Example 6]
A 2/1 twill fabric with a warp density of 172 yarns/2.54 cm, a weft density of 143 yarns/2.54 cm and a cover factor (CF) of 2598 was obtained in the same manner as in Example 1, except that the sea-island composite fiber of Example 1 having an elliptical cross section was changed to a flatter cross section with an increased flatness of island component b2 so that the flatness of fiber B after leaching would be 7.0. The evaluation results of the obtained fabric are shown in Table 2.

[Comparative Example 7]
A 2/1 twill fabric having a warp density of 172 yarns/2.54 cm, a weft density of 144 yarns/2.54 cm and a cover factor (CF) of 2607 was obtained in the same manner as in Example 1, except that the extrusion method was changed so that the island component b1 of the sea-island composite fiber obtained in Example 1 was composed only of polymer B. The evaluation results of the obtained fabric are shown in Table 2.

[Comparative Example 8]
A 2/1 twill fabric having a warp density of 172 yarns/2.54 cm, a weft density of 143 yarns/2.54 cm and a cover factor (CF) of 2598 was obtained in the same manner as in Example 1, except that the extrusion method was changed so that the island component b2 of the sea-island composite fiber obtained in Example 1 was composed only of polymer B. The evaluation results of the obtained fabric are shown in Table 2.

[Comparative Example 9]
The woven fabric described in Example 1 was continuously scoured, then heat-set at 200°C for 1 minute with a tentering ratio of 2%, and heated to 90°C using a 1% by mass aqueous sodium hydroxide solution in a jet dyeing machine to remove the sea component (weight loss rate: 10%), and a 2/1 twill fabric with a warp density of 171 threads/2.54 cm, a weft density of 143 threads/2.54 cm, and a cover factor (CF) of 2590 was obtained in the same manner as in Example 1, except that the relaxation processing was not performed. The evaluation results of the obtained woven fabric are shown in Table 2.

As shown in Tables 1 and 2, the woven fabrics of Examples 1 to 6 and 8, and the knitted fabric of Example 7, are excellent in spun-like texture, water repellency, and operating comfort. In particular, the woven fabrics of Examples 1 and 6 and the knitted fabric of Example 7 are water-repellent woven and knitted fabrics made only from blended yarns containing bimetallic fiber A and fiber B with different fineness and number, by controlling the number of convex parts of fiber A in the cross-sectional shape and the flatness of fiber B within a preferred range, and an uneven structure with fine air layers formed by the crimp of fiber B on the surface is formed very effectively, resulting in a highly practical woven and knitted fabric that is excellent in all of the spun-like texture, water droplet removal, and operating comfort. In addition, the woven fabric of Example 8 is further excellent in all of the spun-like texture, water droplet removal, and operating comfort, thanks to the effect of fine crimping caused by false twisting. On the other hand, the woven fabric of Comparative Example 1 was inferior in texture and water droplet removal properties because there was no difference in fineness between fiber A and fiber B and no uneven structure due to shrinkage difference was formed. The woven fabric of Comparative Example 2 was a woven fabric with no water droplet removal properties because it absorbed water droplets due to the lack of water repellency treatment. The woven fabrics of Comparative Examples 3 and 4 were woven fabrics with poor texture and water droplet removal properties because the number of convex parts of fiber A was 0 and 3, respectively. The woven fabric of Comparative Example 5 was a woven fabric with poor texture and water droplet removal properties because fiber B had a flatness of 1.0 and a perfect circle shape. The woven fabric of Comparative Example 6 was a woven fabric with poor texture because fiber B had a large flatness of 7.0 and fiber B was too thin. The woven fabric of Comparative Example 7 was a woven fabric with poor texture because fiber A did not have a bimetal structure containing two types of polymers, and therefore had an elongation rate of 5%, which was not at a level that would provide a comfortable fit when used in clothing, and was inferior in operating comfort. The fabric of Comparative Example 8 was inferior in texture, water droplet removal, and operating comfort because fiber B did not have a bimetal structure containing two types of polymers and therefore did not have any crimp of fiber B. The fabric of Comparative Example 9 was inferior in texture, water droplet removal, and operating comfort because the potential crimp of fiber A and fiber B of the blended yarn could not be expressed by heat setting at high temperature after continuous scouring, and therefore did not have an uneven structure due to the difference in crimp or crimp of fiber B on the fabric surface.

The water-repellent woven/knitted fabric of the present invention has high water repellency due to the inclusion of the blended yarn having the above-mentioned characteristics, and also has excellent stretchability and spun-like texture that is comfortable to wear, so that the use of this water-repellent woven/knitted fabric can be used to produce clothing and textile products with excellent functionality and texture. Such clothing and textile products can be extremely suitably applied to a wide range of fields, from general casual clothing such as down jackets, jackets, skirts, pants, T-shirts, and sweaters, to various sports clothing for mountain climbing, skiing, golf, running, etc., work outerwear and dustproof clothing for civil engineering work, uniform clothing such as medical gowns, interior products such as sofas and curtains, and vehicle interior products such as car seats.

a: Sea component b1: Island component b2: Island component 1: Metering plate 2: Distribution plate 3: Discharge plate 4: Fiber A
5: Fiber B

Claims

A woven or knitted fabric comprising a mixed yarn having fiber A having a multi-lobal cross section with a convex portion on the outer periphery and fiber B having a flat cross section, and satisfying the following requirements.
(1) The number of protrusions of the fiber A is 6 to 30.
(2) The flatness of the fiber B is 1.1 to 5.0.
(3) Fiber B has a finer fiber size than fiber A.
(4) The woven or knitted fabric has crimps of the fiber B on the surface.
(5) Both the fiber A and the fiber B are crimped fibers having a bimetallic structure containing two types of polymers.
(6) The woven or knitted fabric has a surface with a water repellent.
The woven or knitted fabric according to claim 1, in which the water droplet sliding angle on the fabric surface is 1 to 45 degrees.
The woven or knitted fabric according to claim 2, in which the water droplet sliding angle on the fabric surface after 20 repeated washings is 1 to 60 degrees.
A woven or knitted fabric according to any one of claims 1 to 3, in which the stretch rate in the warp or weft direction is 10 to 100%.
A woven or knitted fabric according to any one of claims 1 to 4, in which the fineness of fiber A is 0.5 to 5.0 dtex, and the fineness ratio expressed as the fineness of fiber A [dtex] / the fineness of fiber B [dtex] is 2.0 or more.
A woven or knitted fabric according to any one of claims 1 to 5, in which the ratio of the number of fibers B to the number of fibers A is 2 or more.
A woven or knitted fabric according to any one of claims 1 to 6, in which the surface occupancy rate of the mixed fiber yarn per unit area is 20% or more.