Most casual socks are produced from cotton and are usually combined with synthetic fibers. The suitability of viscose and lyocell fibers for knitting socks needs to be investigated further. Therefore, three series of plain socks were produced, composed in the largest content from single-spun viscose or lyocell yarns fully plated with texturized polyamide 6.6 multifilament yarn. The quality of three types of main yarns manufactured by ring, open-end rotor, and air-jet spinning processes and two types of polyamide plating yarns used in the production of socks were assessed together with the structural, usage, and comfort quality of the socks before and after simulating household laundering. In comparison with cotton socks produced from ring-spun yarns under the same conditions, the results showed that viscose and lyocell socks have better moisture absorption and breathability, comparable dimensional stability, and lower abrasion resistance; lyocell socks have lower thermal resistance; and viscose socks are less prone to surface pilling after wet pretreatment.
Keywords: lyocell; quality; socks; textile testing; viscose; yarn type.