Concurrent and real-time measurement of fabric liquid moisture management properties using a novel sweating simulator

Abstract

Evaluation of fabric liquid moisture management is an indispensable requirement while making new fabric or choosing the right kind of fabric for developing effective personal moisture management clothing. However, existing methods and instruments for measuring fabric liquid moisture management, though they have been effective in some ways, lack sufficient simulation of fabric-perspiring skin interaction, active body posture, and concurrent determination of dynamic liquid accumulation, evaporation, draining, and drying. This article explains a new instrument, the novel sweating simulator (NSS), for evaluating the fabric dynamic liquid moisture management properties in proximity to true wearing conditions. In addition to investigating the fabric wetting, wicking, and multidimensional liquid transport, thanks to its regional sweating zone and gravimetric measuring principle, the instrument accurately measured the dynamic liquid distribution by recording the real-time changes in mass of liquid supplied, evaporated, and dripped through the fabric. On the NSS, eight different kinds of moisture management knitted fabrics were tested to evaluate and distinguish their dynamic liquid moisture management properties. The findings showed that fabric construction and constituent fiber nature are the most important elements in controlling fabric weight and liquid dynamic distribution. In addition, the liquid distribution of fabric was found to be significantly affected by the effect of the adjustable supply rate and slope of the sweating plane. Owing to its comprehensive testing potential and versatility, it is anticipated that the NSS will be extremely useful in developing and evaluating the next-generation high-performance moisture management fabrics for various clothing and industrial applications.