Q: Moisture management fabrics have become commonplace in the sportswear market. How do moisture management fabrics differ from water-proof fabrics?
A: Moisture Management Fabrics (MMF) are fabrics that have special designed structure on two surfaces, with which the fabrics are able to transfer liquid water from inner surface to outer surface and keep the inner surface dry.
MMF features: one way transport of liquid water, quick absorb, quick dry, keep dry on the inside, prevent water penetrating into clothing. In comparison, water-proof fabric features very slow absorption, slow spreading, no transport of water and no penetration.
Q: What are the common international standards governing the moisture management properties of fabrics?
A: A standard was developed by Entry-Exit Inspection and Quarantine Bureau (EEIQB) China in June last year for the governance of the moisture management property of porous materials including fabric. According to the guideline for the test method of fabric, the Overall Moisture Management Capability (OMMC) of a fabric should be evaluated by the correlation of the wetting time, absorption rate, maximum wetting radius, spreading speed, and the dynamism of one-way transportation.
Meanwhile, the AATCC and ISO standards of moisture management property are still in the drafting stage. Similar to the standard provided in China, the drafting AATCC standard also targets to provide a procedure for evaluating the moisture management property of porous materials, which depends on water resistance, water repellency, water absorption, wicking of the fibers and yarns, as well as the geometric and internal structures of constituting materials such as fibers, yarns and fabrics. The results obtained by the procedure suggested in the AATCC standard can provide an understanding of the dynamic movement of liquid moisture in porous materials such as fabrics.
Q: Are there any equipments and procedures that can be used for testing the moisture management properties of fabrics?
A: The Moisture Management Tester (invented by Hong Kong Polytechnic University, Patent: US 6,499,338 B2) can be used to measure the liquid moisture transportation, providing 10 indices for comprehensive performance evaluation. It is also proposed in the AATCC draft as an equipment for measuring the transport of liquid moisture in the fabric dynamically in three dimensions.
A standard test can be completed within two minutes to give 10 indices namely:
Wetting Time, Top/Bottom
Absorption Rate, Top/Bottom
Maximum Wetted Radius, Top/Bottom
Spreading Speed, Top/Bottom
Accumulated One-Way Transport Capability
Overall Moisture Management Capability
Software on the MMT shows water location vs. time |
Carrying out the testing on a MMT is simple. Place a 80mm x 80mm pre-conditioned fabric between the upper and lower sensors of the MMT. Lower down the upper sensor hence the specimen is held between the upper and lower sensor under a pre-set pressure. Then start the test program from the computer. A pre-defined volume of testing solution is delivered to the upper surface of the fabric (fabric surface in contact with the human skin), and the signal from the upper sensor and lower sensor (fabric surface facing the ambient) are captured by the Data Acquisition System of the MMT, and then analyzed. The whole test is completed within two minutes.
Other test methods such as Wicking test, Absorbency Test, Water Repellency, Water Penetration are also available in the market. However, comparing to the new MMT test method, these conventional methods need a longer time to get one test result, which is static in nature, non-directional and separated individual performance parameters that may be difficult to give an overall performance rating for a MMF.
Q: How should the result be interpreted on the MMT?
A: The fabric's performance against liquid moisture management can be primarily classified into seven categories on the MMT. A table will be provided as reference to grade a fabric sample per the MMT test results (based on the 10 indices). The property will provide a classification and ranking of a fabric, which is useful for the research and development of functional fabrics, quality control for routine production, and for determining the suitability of fabric for a certain type of textile product.
1) Water proof fabric
Very slow absorption
Slow spreading
No one-way transport, no penetration
2) Water repellent fabric
No wetting
No absorption
No spreading
Poor one-way transport without external forces
3) Slow absorbing and slow drying fabric
Slow absorption
Slow spreading
Poor one-way transport
4) Fast absorbing and slow drying fabric
Medium to fast wetting
Medium to fast absorption
Small spreading area
Slow spreading
Poor one-way transport
5) Fast absorbing and quick drying fabric
Medium to fast wetting
Medium to fast absorption
Large spreading area
Fast spreading
Poor one-way transport
6) Water penetration fabric
Small spreading area
Excellent one-way transport
7) Moisture management fabric
Medium to fast wetting
Medium to fast absorption
Large spread area at bottom surface
Fast spreading at bottom surface
Good to excellent one-way transport
Answers were provided by SDL Atlas Ltd.
|
| We are collecting readers' comment for improving our website. If you are willing to help, please CLICK HERE to complete a survey. Your comments matter. |
|
|
|
|
| Copyright © Adsale Publishing Limited. Any party needs to reprint any part of the content should get the written approval from Adsale Publishing Ltd and quote the source "ATA Journal for Asia on Textile & Apparel", Adsale Textile English Website - www.AdsaleATA.com. We reserve the right to take legal action against any party who reprints any part of this article without acknowledgement. For enquiry, please contact Editorial Department. |
Write a mail to the editor : 
