Design and development of novel devices to measure the multidirectional wicking of fabrics under deformations

Abstract

In today s modern world with an improved standard of living, the demand for the requirements of clothing is increasing. Comfort relating to moisture management is an important feature of any textile material used for clothing and especially it is a very vital aspect for sportswear. All human beings sweat during various levels of activities. In particular, the rate of sweat during sports activities is high. An increase in core body temperature is balanced through sweat during sports. The accumulated moisture in the clothing increases discomfort. This feeling makes the wearer tired and it directly affects the performance of the player. Moisture management can be defined as the process of transportation of moisture from the skin to the outer environment through the fabric. Effective moisture management can be carried out through proper moisture vapour transmission, wetting, and wicking. While wearing the clothes, wicking is the real phenomenon taking place where the perspired sweat from the skin is transported to the outer environment. Effective and spontaneous wicking over a large surface area of fabric by its capillary action facilitates faster evaporation. This instant transportation and evaporation of sweat from the body make the wearer feel dry and comfortable. Hence, this wicking action provides a direct impact on clothing comfort. A considerable amount of research work has been carried out in the past decades on wicking and many useful findings have been well established. However, there are many issues which are to be taken up to have a better understanding of wicking. The shortcomings of the existing works have to be examined exhaustively and systematic approaches have to be developed. In the past research, the measure of wicking was carried out while the fabric was newline