Hindawi Publishing Corporation Journal of Textiles Volume 2013, Article ID 579129, 6 pages http://dx.doi.org/10.1155/2013/579129 Research Article Ultraviolet Protection by Fabric Engineering Mukesh Kumar Singh 1 and Annika Singh 2 1 Uttar Pradesh Textile Technology Institute (Formerly Known as GCTI), Kanpur 208001, India 2 Institute of Biosciences and Biotechnology, CSJMU, Kanpur, India Correspondence should be addressed to Mukesh Kumar Singh; mukesh70ster@gmail.com Received 12 November 2012; Revised 15 March 2013; Accepted 16 March 2013 Academic Editor: Anindya Ghosh Copyright © 2013 M. K. Singh and A. Singh. Tis is an open access article distributed under the Creative Commons Attribution License, which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited. Background. Te increasing emission of greenhouse gases has evoked the human being to save the ozone layer and minimize the risk of ultraviolet radiation (UVR). Various fabric structures have been explored to achieve desired ultraviolet protection factor (UPF) in various situations. Objective. In this study, the efect of various flament confgurations like twisted, fat, intermingled, and textured in multiflament yarns on fabric in diferent combinations is assessed in order to engineer a fabric of better ultraviolet protection factor (UPF). Methods. In order to engineer a fabric having optimum UV protection with sufcient comfort level in multiflament woven fabrics, four diferent yarn confgurations, intermingled, textured, twisted, and fat, were used to develop twelve diferent fabric samples. Te most UV absorbing and most demanding fbre polyethylene terephthalate (PET) was considered in diferent flament confguration. Results. Te combinations of intermingled warp with fat, intermingled, and textured wef provided excellent UVR protection comparatively at about 22.5 mg/cm 2 fabric areal density. Te presence of twisted yarn reduced the UV protection due to enhanced openness in fabric structure. Conclusion. Te appropriate combination of warp and wef threads of diferent confguration should be selected judiciously in order to extract maximum UV protection and wear comfort attributes in multiflament woven PET fabrics. 1. Introduction Prolong and frequent exposure of human being against sun causes diferent dermatological problems [1]. Te short-term exposure to ultraviolet radiation (UVR) causes sunburn and in medical science it is erythema [2, 3]. Prolong sunburn leads to photoageing of skin and results in terms of both nonmelanoma and melanoma skin cancer [4]. Te specifc band of UV radiation (100–400 nm) can be classifed into three groups on the basis of wavelength. Te UVA region of light belongs to span of wavelength 315–400 nm while the UVB radiation comes in the range of 280–315 nm [5]. Te region 100–280 nm is extremely dangerous and belongs to UVC radiation. Divinely, nature has stratospheric ozone layer in atmosphere to absorb UVB and UVC and to block it to reach on earth surface [6]. Te intensity of UVR is the highest in Australia and some part of eastern and southern Europe, so protection of adolescents and children (skin thickness is very less) than adults and outdoor workers is very essential [7]. When UVR strikes on textile surfaces, part of it can be transmitted, absorbed, and refected by the textiles as shown in Figure 1. Diferent textile fbres have the tendency to absorb a part of UVR and convert it into a diferent energy form. Another part of radiation is refected or scattered by the fbr itself and this may be a part of transmitted radiation, because another part of UVR transmits directly through the fabric via interstices between fbres and yarns in the fabrics [8, 9]. Growing evidence of unusual depletion of stratospheric ozone has encouraged the diferent research group globally to take new research programme to focus on diferent aspects of UVR. Te Australian radiation laboratory (ARL) is credited to track back the research of UVR protection in 1980s [10]. It is evident that the clothing provides UV protection up to some extent. Clothing is associated with several factors which governs the efectiveness of UVR protection. In addition to the fbrousmaterial, the fabric properties like fabric sett, fbre blend composition, tightness of weave, thickness, and areal density also afects the UPF of resultant fabrics [11– 15]. Wet processing of textiles (bleaching, usage of UV