Effects of hip protective clothing on thermal wear comfort of clothing ensembles

Purpose This paper aims to examine the influence of hip protective clothing on ensemble performance attributes related to thermal comfort. It also explores the effect on protective pads of various materials and the arrangements of material. The thermal comfort characteristics are thermal insulation and moisture vapour resistance. Design/methodology/approach For this research, four ensembles of clothing were used: one ensemble without hip protective clothing and three ensembles with hip protective clothing. A thermal manikin was used to test the thermal insulation and moisture vapour resistance of the ensembles. Findings The findings revealed that incorporating hip protective clothing into the clothing ensembles influenced the thermal resistance and moisture vapour resistance of the ensemble. In the “all zones group,” the influence of the hip protective clothing depended on clothing style, with hipster-style clothing producing insignificant changes. In the “hip zones group” and “stomach and hip zones group,” hip protective clothing strongly influenced the thermal comfort attributes of ensembles. Pad material and volume play important roles in these changes in thermal comfort attributes. Originality/value These outcomes are useful for the design and engineering of hip protective clothing, where maximizing protection while minimizing thermal and moisture vapour resistance is critical for wear comfort and adherence in warm or hot conditions. The designer should consider that material, volume and thickness of protective pad affect the overall thermal comfort attributes of the hip protective clothing.

Utilizing Alginate to Improve Elasticity and Moisture Balance of Polyvinyl Alcohol/Chitosan Hydrogel Wound Dressing

Uncontrolled hemorrhage is the leading cause of death. The efficient hemostatic dressings are needed to promote coagulation and hold ongoing hemorrhage. Hydrogels are hydrophilic polymers with three-dimensional network structures with high swelling capacity to prevent accumulation of exudates. Hydrogels prepared from polyvinyl alcohol (PVA) grafted with chitosan have attracted considerable attentions due to their biocompatibility, high moisture balance property, and transparency. In this study, alginate was utilized to improve elasticity and thermal stability, also enhance hydrophilicity and increase swelling ability. The hydrogels composed of PVA (7.5 % w/v), chitosan (0.05 % w/v), and alginate (0.2, 0.4, and 0.6 % w/v) were synthesized by gamma irradiation technique at total dose of 15 kGy. The results showed that the increasing of alginate concentration in the total reactant mixture can improve elasticity, swelling capacity and the equilibrium degree of swelling (EDS), and decrease water vapour transmitted rate/moisture vapour transmitted rate (MVTR). The hydrogel wound dressing with 0.6 % of alginate concentration was the best product in this study with 79.49 % gel content, 608.65 % swelling ratio, 628.32 % EDS in 22 hours, elasticity 62.58 KPa, evaporation rate (MVTR) 105g/m2 h, degraded at temperature of 298.89oC, and the weight loss was reached 88.84 % (w/w).

Effect of yarn type on moisture transfer characteristics of double-face knitted fabrics for active sportswear

The properties of any clothing is decided by the constituent of its fibres, yarn and fabric structure. As clothing it should satisfy the wearer both in functional and aesthetic aspects. Thermal comfort is related to the temperature of the body and micro-environment between the fabric layer and the skin. The heat generated by the human body during strenuous activity must be dissipated to the external environment through the clothing. So the clothing worn next to skin should have the property of transferring the perspiration from the skin and to transfer the moisture to the atmosphere thus making the wearer to feel comfortable. Moisture transfer refers to the transfer of both moisture vapour and perspiration away from the body. The effect of yarn type on moisture transfer properties of double-face knitted fabrics has been studied with cotton, polypropylene, polyester, acrylic and nylon yarns. Four different double-face fabrics were produced using high-speed double circular knitting machine with inner layers as polypropylene, polyester, acrylic and nylon yarn and outer layer as cotton yarn. With respect to yarn type, 120 denier cotton and 120 denier polypropylene double-face knitted fabrics show better results for the moisture transfer characteristics as polypropylene has the ability to wick and transfer the moisture to the next layer of cotton in a faster way than the other three fabrics.

Development and trial of athletic T-shirt using spacer blocks to enhance ventilation

Purpose In previous studies, enlarging the air gap between fabric and the skin through the placement of spacer blocks has been proven to improve air ventilation, particularly when the pumping effect is activated during movement. These studies evaluated only the total thermal insulation (Rt) and moisture vapour resistance (Ret) by using a fabric thermal manikin. The purpose of this paper is to report the experience, perceived comfort level, and ventilation effect of two designed T-shirts in a wearer trial. Design/methodology/approach An athletic T-shirt (Vented Design) was designed by attaching spacer blocks to the underside of the fabric to enlarge the air gap. Eight subjects participated in the wearer trial, which comprised 30 min treadmill running, followed by 10 min of rest. At different points during the 40 min test period, subjects rated their body coolness, skin dryness, and overall comfort of the designed T-shirt. The testing was repeated with participants wearing the same T-shirt but without spacer blocks, which served as a control garment. The mean skin temperature of each subject was also measured to support survey findings. Findings The data were evaluated using independent t-tests. The T-shirt with spacer blocks provided higher ventilation than the control T-shirt after 10 min of running. Research limitations – because of limited resources, only eight subjects were recruited to this study. In addition, more T-shirt designs should be tested in the future to elucidate how T-shirt design affects ventilation performance. Originality/value This study investigated a T-shirt design wherein the air gap between the skin surface and fabric was increased. The results of the wearer trial showed that this design could be adopted as a design brief for further design development of related clothing. This study has implications for clothing designers developing functional clothing with improved ventilation.

Effects of athletic T-shirt designs on natural ventilation

Purpose Maintaining air circulation between the wearer and garment layer is crucial for activating heat and moisture transfer from the body. If an air gap is trapped, air circulation may become ineffective and the ventilation of the garment is, thus, hindered. To maintain and extend the air gap, this study aims to propose a design method that involves placing spacer blocks underneath the garment to prevent the fabric from clinging directly to the skin. Design/methodology/approach To study the application of this design method, a series of T-shirts were produced and tested using a thermal manikin in standing and walking postures. All the T-shirts were made of fabric ostensibly manufactured to have high air permeability. Porous mesh fabric was used to construct the vented panels on the T-shirts. The test was conducted in a chamber with controlled temperature, relative humidity and wind velocity. Total thermal insulation (Rt) and moisture vapour resistance (Ret) were measured. Findings The test results showed that extension of the air gap between wearer and fabric provided higher ventilation to the wearer if the vented panels were also present on the T-shirts. Different placements of the vented panels on the T-shirts also affected the heat and moisture transfer from the thermal manikin. Research limitations/implications Due to limited resources, the evaluation of total thermal insulation and moisture vapour resistance was based on the testing result from a thermal manikin instead of any subjective wearer trial. Practical implications This research can contribute to the clothing designer who is developing function wear for a better ventilation. Social implications This research can contribute to the clothing designer who is developing function wear for a better ventilation. Originality/value This study aimed to further develop a new design concept in T-shirt design by improving the construction of the spacer blocks. Fabric with higher air and water vapour permeability was used to determine to what extent this design method is applicable to higher performance on heat and moisture transfer.

Effect of Test Methods on Apparent Moisture Vapour Transmission of P/V and P/C Fabrics

The moisture vapour permeability properties of a series of almost similar polyesterviscose (P/V) and polyester-cotton (P/C) blended fabrics are investigated. The water vapour transport rate greatly differs depending on the principle of the test methods, even when other parameters are nearly identical, such as air permeability, areal density, porosity and thickness. The water absorption characteristics of fibre seem to be the most important in determining the overall water vapour transport rate. Substitution of polyester for viscose and cotton in P/V and P/C blended fabrics respectively, reduces the water transport rate of the fabrics in a long term method. It is found that the P/C blended fabrics show greater water vapour transport than the corresponding P/V fabrics when a long term test method is used; however, the P/V fabrics show relatively higher water vapour permeability than the P/C fabrics when short duration tests are carried out by using the Permetest and moisture vapour transmission rate (MVTR) cell methods

Effect of Various Ring Yarns on Fabric Comfort

Comfort performance of woven structures made of various types of ring spun yarns like carded, combed, and compact spun yarns has been reported in the present study. Carded, combed, and compact spun yarns are entirely different in structure in terms of fibre migration inside the yarn body, level of free space inside the yarn, number of hairs, and length of hairs on yarn surfaces. In this study, 197 dtex and 144 dtex (30s Ne and 40s Ne) ring spun combed yarns are used as a warp. The same cotton mixing was used to manufacture 30s Ne and 40s Ne carded, combed, and compact yarns. Both 30s and 40s Ne linear density yarns were prepared by all three carded, combed, and compact yarn manufacturing routes. The structure of fibre strand in filling yarn has a great impact on comfort related properties, that is, thermal conductivity, , air permeability, wicking, and moisture vapour permeability.