Evaluating Thermophysiological Comfort Using the Principles of Sensory Analysis

Thermophysiological comfort applies to the way in which clothing lets through or retains heat and moisture and helps the body retain heat balance in rest position or at various levels of activities. In this paper, the principles of sensory analysis are used to define the protocol of new method for the evaluation of thermophysiological comfort wearing different garments. Sensory analysis was chosen because as a scientific discipline that applies experiment principles using human senses is used for the evaluation of consumer goods. Test protocol using assessors described in this paper consists of the following steps: defining the interview content, finding potential assessors and making an interview, creating a survey, conducting a survey, group discussion, test and group discussion scoring, selection of assessors, assessment preparation and subjective assessment. On average the most distinctive increase in the sensation of warmth was recorded for the polyester clothing ensemble, and the lowest one for the cotton clothing ensemble. Concerning the average grades of comfort given by assesors, the most comfortable clothing ensemble is the one made of viscose. It was also found out that the method is especially suitable if a representative group of assessors is formed

Impact of raw material, yarn and fabric parameters, and finishing on water vapor resistance

The objective of this study was to explore a number of technical–technological parameters affecting the water vapor resistance of knitted fabric and clothing, as well as to develop a predictive model that describes the prominent affecting parameters. Thirty-four knitted fabrics were carefully produced and measured on a sweating guarded hotplate and thermal manikin. The study focused on the influence of the following parameters on the transfer of water vapor: type of textile fibers, yarn and knitted fabric parameters, finishing of fabrics (recipes include bleaching, dyeing, and softening), and body activity. The statistical analysis, performed to examine the relationship between observed parameters, indicated medium correlation between water vapor resistance and moisture regain (R = 0.7). Furthermore, the relationship between water vapor resistance and the following knitted fabric parameters is especially prominent: mass per unit area, knitted fabric thickness, and tightness factor (R = 0.9). When the fabrics are made into ensembles, however, effects of material differences become small and the differences between garments more difficult to discriminate; even more so when movement is present