Clothing temperature changes of phase change material-treated warm-up in cold and warm environments

Abstract

The purpose of this study was to investigate the appropriate amounts of phase change materials to give objective and subjective wear sensations. Vapor-permeable water-repellent fabrics with (WR-PCM) and without (WR) octadecane containing microcapsules were obtained by wet-porous coating process. Then, calculating the area of the WR-PCM treated clothes, we estimated the total calories of the clothing by multiplying the heat of fusion and heat of crystallization of PCM to the calculated area. Wear tests were conducted in both warm environment (30°C, 65 % RH) and cold environment (5°C, 65 % RH) with sports warm up style experimental garments made with WR and WR-PCM fabrics. Rectal, skin, and clothing microclimate temperatures, saliva and subjective evaluation measurements were done during the wear test. There was no difference of rectal and mean skin temperatures between WR and WR-PCM, but the clothing microclimate temperature of WR-PCM under warm environment was slightly lower than that of WR. In cold environment, WR-PCM showed much higher temperature than in WR. Saliva change did not appear between clothes, but did between two environments. Although subjective sensation between WR and WR-PCM was not significantly different, WR-PCM was rated as cooler than WR in warm environment and as warmer than WR in cold environment. The results of this study indicated that octadecane containing microcapsules in water-repellent fabric provide cooling effect.