INTRODUCTION Buldan which is a town of Denizli in Turkey is the weaving center for unique Buldan fabric. The wea- ving history of Buldan is very old. Today, textile sec- tor has become a way of life in Buldan with wor- kshops and factories as the small industries have developed [1]. Traditional Buldan weavings are known as special fabrics in terms of providing com- fortable clothes which are known to be natural and healthy. Buldan fabric is generally known to be pro- duced from natural fibers such as cotton, wool, linen and silk in the historical sources. And it is also known with its traditional name as “Buldan twisted clothes” owing to fabric structure with high twisted yarns. Buldan fabric is a plain weave which is the basic and most durable weave type. Although high twisted yarns are generally preferred as weft yarns, high twisted warp yarns may be also preferred in the fabric construction. The fabric gains its high wrinkle feature with the hot soap washing process. Since the wrin- kled fabric width decreases with respect to high yarn twist level, those fabrics do not contact the human body which results with thermal insulation owing to air gaps. At the same time, since the Buldan fabrics are woven with high twisted yarns, they provide ease of movement owing to their flexibility as well as cooling effect owing to the air gaps in the curly surfa- ce. High sweat absorption of Buldan fabrics made of cotton is also another attractive advantage for the consumers demanding for healthy products [2–6]. It has been also observed that Buldan fabrics have been utilized for apparel sectors where they have been preferred for woman’s blouses especially [3, 6]. As the Buldan fabrics have been produced in a tradi- tional way, the productions with semi and full auto- matic weaving machines have been in progress with the developing technology [7]. It was mentioned in the literature that today’s Buldan weavings have lower yarn twists when compared to older Buldan fabrics. Also it is supported that early Buldan fabric structures were much crimped and had higher fine- ness comparing to todays’ Buldan fabrics sold in the market. Today most of the Buldan fabrics have been woven in the industrial factories blending with syn- thetic yarns. When the warp yarns are selected with low yarn twist level and the weft yarns are selected 302 industria textila 2020, vol. 71, no. 4 ˘ Investigation of the comfort properties of traditional woven fabrics with different structural parameters DOI: 10.35530/IT.071.04.1701 MINE AKGUN AYÇA GÜRARDA GIZEM KARAKAN GUNAYDIN ERHAN KENAN ÇEVEN ABSTRACT – REZUMAT Investigation of the comfort properties of traditional woven fabrics with different structural parameters Turkish traditional Buldan weavings are known as special fabrics in terms of providing comfortable clothes which are known to be natural and healthy in Denizli, Turkey. The research presented in this paper assesses the effects of different fabric structural parameters of Buldan fabrics on comfort properties such as thermal resistance, thermal absorptivity, water vapour permeability and air permeability. Five different Buldan fabrics woven with different fabric structural parameters were produced. According to test results, cotton/Tencel Buldan fabrics indicated similar comfort properties with the 100% cotton Buldan fabric properties. Additionally, the lowest thermal absorptivity was observed from 100% cotton Buldan fabrics which give the warmth feeling among the evaluated samples. Keywords: Buldan woven fabric, fabric structural parameters, thermal resistance, water vapour permeability, air permeability. Investigarea proprietăților de confort ale țesăturilor tradiționale cu diferiți parametri structurali Țesăturile tradiționale turcești Buldan sunt cunoscute ca țesături speciale din punctul de vedere al confortului îmbrăcămintei și al originii naturale în Denizli, Turcia. Cercetările prezentate în această lucrare evaluează influența diferiților parametri structurali ai țesăturilor Buldan asupra proprietăților de confort, precum rezistența termică, absorbția termică, permeabilitatea la vapori de apă și permeabilitatea la aer. Au fost produse cinci țesături Buldan cu diferiți parametri structurali. Conform rezultatelor testelor, țesăturile Buldan din bumbac/Tencel au indicat proprietăți de confort similare cu cele ale țesăturilor Buldan din 100% bumbac. În plus, cea mai mică absorbție termică a fost observată la țesăturile Buldan din 100% bumbac, care dau senzația de căldură. Cuvinte-cheie: țesătură Buldan, parametri structurali ai țesăturii, rezistență termică, permeabilitate la vapori de apă, permeabilitate la aer