Moisture Vapor Permeability and Thermal Wear Comfort of Ecofriendly Fiber-Embedded Woven Fabrics for High-Performance Clothing.

Hyun-Ah Kim

doi:10.3390/ma14206205

Abstract

This study examined the moisture vapor permeability and thermal wear comfort of ecofriendly fiber-embedded woven fabrics in terms of the yarn structure and the constituent fiber characteristics according to two measuring methods. The moisture vapor permeability measured using the upright cup (CaCl2) method (JIS L 1099A-1) was primarily dependent on the hygroscopicity of the ecofriendly constituent fibers in the yarns and partly influenced by the pore size in the fabric because of the yarn structure. On the other hand, the moisture vapor resistance measured using the sweating guarded hot plate method (ISO 11092) was governed mainly by the fabric pore size and partly by the hygroscopicity of the constituent ecofriendly fibers. The difference between the two measuring methods was attributed to the different mechanisms in the measuring method. The thermal conductivity as a measure of the thermal wear comfort of the composite yarn fabrics was governed primarily by the pore size in the fabric and partly by the thermal characteristics of the constituent fibers in the yarns. Lastly, considering market applications, the Coolmax®/Tencel sheath/core fabric appears useful for winter warm feeling clothing because of its the good breathability with low thermal conductivity. The bamboo and Coolmax®/bamboo fabrics are suitable for summer clothing with a cool feel because of their high thermal conductivity with good breathability. Overall, ecofriendly fibers (bamboo and Tencel) are of practical use for marketing environmentallyfriendly high-performance clothing.

Highlights

The environmental impact of human beings has taken various forms, some familiar and others not generally recognized
The calculated porosity does not apply because the fabric specimens prepared in this study were made from the same yarn count and fabric sett, which means that the calculated porosity may not be available to examine the difference in the moisture vapor permeability (MVP) among the fabric specimens prepared using the same yarn count and fabric sett
Summarizing the water vapor transmittance rate (WVTR) measured by the upright cup method according to the yarn structures in the warp and weft directions, the WVTR of the fabric specimens divided into groups A, B, and C was dependent on the pore diameter of the fabric, i.e., the WVTR of group A fabrics (specimens (1) to (5)) was higher than that of group B (specimens (6) to (10)) and C (specimens (11) to (15)) fabrics, which was attributed to the larger pore diameter of the group A fabrics

Summary

Introduction

The environmental impact of human beings has taken various forms, some familiar and others not generally recognized. The former includes energy consumption and pollution, together with global warming, melting icecaps, rising sea levels, and increasing frequency of adverse weather conditions [1] Bamboo fibers made from bamboo pulp have a noncircular cross-section and impart good wear comfort with superior absorption and breathability while wearing clothing. It has 100% biodegradable characteristics (decaying after 3 or 4 months in the soil) and does not cause environmental pollution [2]

Methods

Results

Conclusion