In this study, an attempt has been made to predict the drape profile of woven fabrics using finite element analysis. The finite element method has been used in the prediction of structural instability and post buckling behaviour. The drape parameters like Drape coefficient, Drape distance ratio, Fold depth index, Amplitude to radius ratio and Number of nodes predicted by finite element analysis were correlated with those measured by Digital Image Processing method. The correlation between digital image processing method and finite element analysis proves to be very good. In all cases, R² value is found to be higher than 0.8. In particular maximum correlation (R²= 0.91) is found in case of drape coefficient, because it is based on the project area of draped fabric in both the methods.

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Structural models of yarn, plain weave fabrics, and plain weave fabric/resin composites were derived and theoretical formulas for the effective thermal conductivity were developed from these models. First the effective thermal conductivity of the transverse direction of the yarn was obtained by using the effective thermal conductivity of the fiber. Then the effective thermal conductivity in the direction of the thickness of both plain weave fabrics and composite materials was calculated from the yarn thermal conductivity. Also, we analyzed heat flow in plain weave fabrics using the finite element method. Heat flows not only in the direction transverse to the yarn, but also in the parallel direction, however heat flow in the direction of the thickness of the plain weave fabric became only twice that calculated by assuming that heat does not flow in the direction parallel to of the yarn at all. We confirmed that the heat conduction anisotropy of fibers must be considered when designing the effective thermal conductivity of plain weave fabrics and of plain weave fabric/resin composites.

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A sun visor has been used only for the purpose of interrupting direct sunshine. Investigation, therefore, has not been made to be on the feeling of touch of the sun visor. In this study, the feeling of touch of sun visor installed in the present automobile was investigated. To clarify the relation between the sense of touch and the mechanical and physical quantity of the sun visor, prototype products of the sun visor of the same shape were made. Surface characteristics and cold feel characteristic of materials were measured by the KES system. In addition, we investigated the relation between the surface property and the sense of touch of various materials. The correlation between favorability and WC, RC, SMD was high on the sun visor prototype. As a result, it was clarified that materials whose surfaces were very smooth and soft were favorable. Those materials consist of leather and moquette. Conversely, the material sensed hard was not favorable. The relation between the mechanical and the physical properties of various materials, and the favorability was able to be approximated by the equation (1).
Favorability=2.482+0.02791LC+0.293WC-0.264RC+0.0688MIU-0.0966MMD+0.0253SMD-0.0288qmax(1)

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Six kinds of subtropical plant fibers, Hibiscus, Pineapple, Okra, Plantain, Banana and Agave were treated with liquid ammonia (NH₃) and 11% sodium hydroxide (NaOH) solution. The water absorption and dyeing property were measured. Generally water absorption decreased by the liquid ammonia and sodium hydroxide treatments. From the microscopic observation of the fiber dyed with a C.I. Direct Blue 1, it is obvious that the dye penetrates extremely by the NaOH treatment for every fiber. Also it is clear that dye penetration brings about not only from the surface of the multicell fiber but also through the crack in the fiber. Dyeing rate and equilibrium dye uptake increased considerably by the NaOH treatment for all fibers. On the other hand, NH₃ treatment caused a decrease of the dyeing rate for Plantain and Banana, and other fibers increased the rate compared with the untreated ones. The effect of the NH₃ treatment for dyeing behavior is smaller than that of the NaOH treatment.

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