A Novel Testing Method of the Wet Wearing Comfortability of Fabrics

Abstract

It has long been a problem how to objectively evaluate the wet wearing comfortability of fabrics. In this paper a novel testing method was proposed, and an instrument was designed and made. During the testing process, the fabric specimen first got saturated by “sweat” and adhered on the “skin”, and then it was separated at due rate from the skin and the in time adhesion force-displacement curve was drawn simultaneously. When the fabric was totally separated from the skin, the maximum adhesion force and adhesion work were measured such as to objectively evaluate the adhesion properties of the fabric specimen. Six different kinds of fabrics were selected and tested. The results show that certain kind of fabric performs characteristic adhesion force-displacement curve, which should be explained through fabric materials and structures. Hence this method is effective in objectively reflecting the wet wearing comfortability of fabrics.