Vapor-permeable waterproof textiles (VPWTs) are used in sailing apparel to protect wearers from weather and water exposure. They must also withstand knocks and abrasion. Failure of fabric ...waterproofing results in water intrusion, reduced thermal protection and potentially hypothermia. There are no standard methods for testing the waterproof durability of fabrics in these conditions.
To evaluate waterproofing durability, we simulated high levels of wear on leading commercially available VPWT assemblies through mechanical treatment in wet conditions. To compare fabrics on multiple performance characteristics, we developed a Total Durability Penalty index associated with leaks and ruptures, weighted by failure pressure.
The experiment revealed significant differences in VPWT deterioration under mechanical treatment. We determined that the mass per unit area and thickness of VPWT fabrics are positively correlated with pressure at leakage; that rupture is significantly and negatively associated with the mass per unit area and thickness of the inner and outer layers of fabric; and leakage pressure is positively correlated with the same parameters. These results show that it is important to consider wear conditions when assessing the long-term performance attributes of protective clothing assemblies.
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Personal protective clothing (PPC) is required in a variety of sectors and is important from both a safety and a thermal management standpoint. Materials used in PPC play a key role in protection. ...Extensive research has been conducted on the risk variables that lead to thermal load and the corresponding functional properties of PPC, particularly in high-risk categories. In contrast, despite the fact that employees who wear this type of PPC constitute a major fraction of the industrial workforce, relatively little study has been undertaken on PPC materials in low-risk categories and their thermal management properties. For this study, four new PPC materials were specifically engineered to have improved thermal attributes and were compared with four existing PPC materials of equivalent protection levels, as well as four summer-season civilian materials, to determine the most suitable materials for use in hot outdoor environments. We investigated and compared the thermal management properties of these novel materials, including liquid moisture transfer, thermal and water vapor resistance, and air permeability, to those of current materials used in low-risk PPC as well as civilian materials. The results demonstrated that the new PPC materials had improved thermal and vapor resistance; superior liquid moisture transfer properties; higher air permeability; and were lower in mass and thickness than the existing PPC materials. Furthermore, the new materials compared favorably with the civilian materials in a number of these attributes. The new materials should be included in low-risk PPC designed for use in hot outdoor conditions.
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3.
Sleep environments and sleep physiology: A review Troynikov, Olga; Watson, Christopher G.; Nawaz, Nazia
Journal of thermal biology,
December 2018, 2018-Dec, 2018-12-00, 20181201, Volume:
78
Journal Article
Peer reviewed
Sleep loss impairs task performance and post-physical activity recovery, cognitive performance and mood, heightens fatigue and decreases vigour; poor sleep quality impairs decision-making, the speed ...and accuracy of task performance, and post-exercise recovery.
Sleep time and quality are affected by age, psychological and physiological conditions, culture and environmental factors. Skin temperature, rapid temperature change and sweating during sleep can significantly reduce sleep quality. Hence, the thermal properties of bedding and sleepwear, both in steady-state and transient ambient temperature conditions, are logically important factors.
Research to date on sleeping thermal microclimates and their effect on sleep quality is scarce. This present review covers the fundamental elements of human sleep, highlighting physically active people, such as athletes, and the influence of sleepwear and bedding on sleep thermal microclimates, as well as the research methods that have been and could be used in this field. This review identifies opportunity for future research direction and approaches to understanding thermal environments that may support better human sleep.
•Poor sleep quality impairs task performance and post-physical activity recovery.•Skin temperature and sweating during sleep reduce sleep quality.•The sleep microclimate strongly affects skin temperature, and thus sleep quality.•Thermal properties of bedding and sleepwear are key to sleep but poorly understood.•Thermal manikins are rare but promising methods for sleep microclimate research.
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GEOZS, IJS, IMTLJ, KILJ, KISLJ, NLZOH, NUK, OILJ, PNG, SAZU, SBCE, SBJE, UL, UM, UPCLJ, UPUK, ZRSKP
Often male and female workers wear protective garments of identical construction and style, with females typically wearing small-sized men's garments. Consequently, the air spaces under garments worn ...by male and female wearers can substantially differ in size and distribution affecting the physiological comfort of firefighters' protective clothing. The present study was designed to investigate the effects of varying dimensions and distributions of air spaces in the next-to-skin microclimate under firefighters' protective jackets on attributes relevant to the thermal comfort of wearer, not only in relation to garment construction and fit, but also to human body geometry using 3D body scanning. Analysis of 20 scans demonstrated that jackets of the same size and construction create larger air spaces under them worn on a female as opposed to on a male body form. Both thermal and vapor resistance of clothing were affected significantly by the volume of trapped air.
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Perchloroethylene (PERC) is a compound commonly used as a solvent in dry cleaning, despite its severe health and environmental impacts. In recent times chemicals such as hydrocarbons, GreenEarth®, ...acetal and liquid carbon dioxide have emerged as less damaging substitutes for PERC, and an even more sustainable water-based wet cleaning process has been developed. We employed a systematic review approach to provide a comprehensive overview of the existing research evidence in the area of sustainable and safe apparel cleaning methods and care. Our review describes traditional professional dry cleaning methods, as well as those that utilise solvents other than PERC, and their ecological attributes. In addition, the new professional wet cleaning process is discussed. Finally, we address the health hazards of the various solvents used in dry cleaning and state-of-the-art solvent residue trace analysis techniques.
•PERC dry cleaning is being phased out due to its health and environmental risks.•Most non-PERC dry-cleaning solvents pose similar health and environmental hazards.•Professional wet cleaning of textiles is a safe and sustainable cleaning method.•Wet cleaning's effectiveness in cleaning natural fibers must be established.•Analysis of solvent residues on fabrics requires a combination of existing methods.
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Materials used in personal protective clothing (PPC) are important from both protection and thermal management perspectives, particularly as PPC frequently covers more than 90% of the wearer’s body. ...There is extensive literature on the risk factors that contribute to thermal load and the related functional characteristics of the PPC, especially in high-risk categories such as fire fighting and the military. In contrast, research on PPC materials in low-risk categories such as mining and construction and their thermal management attributes is scarce. Nevertheless, workers who wear this type of PPC represent a significant proportion of the industrial workforce, and are commonly required to work in hot and/or humid thermal environments. This study provides new knowledge of the thermal management attributes of materials used in low-level risk PPC by evaluating a selection of 19 workwear materials that are used in low-risk PPC worldwide. In addition, four civilian/corporate wear summer materials were tested to compare against the PPC materials. This study identifies relationships between the structure, physical parameters and functional attributes of materials, providing direction for development of new and improved PPC materials. The results show that there are opportunities to substantially reduce PPC material mass and thickness, whilst still maintaining protective compliance requirements. Further, thermal and moisture management attributes of PPC materials can also be significantly improved to reduce thermal burden.
The present study aimed to explore self and body esteem differences between congenital and acquired physical disabilities. The most common physical deformity includes upper and lower limbs deformity ...that produces difficulty in daily life activities including reaching, walking, lifting, and carrying. It was hypothesized that self-esteem would be higher among those with congenital physical disabilities than individuals with an acquired physical disability. The second hypothesis was body esteem would be higher among those with congenital physical disabilities than those with the acquired physical disabilities. A sample of eighty (n=80) participants was included in the study out of which half (n=40) were individual with congenital disabilities and remaining half (n=40) were individuals with acquired physical disabilities. The sample was recruited from different rehabilitation and paraplegic centers and related institutions through a purposive sampling technique. Body esteem was measured with the Body Esteem Scale and self-esteem was assessed with the Rosenberg Self-Esteem Scale. Independent sample t-tests (IBM SPSS statistics version 20) were used to analyze the differences between those with congenital and acquired physical disabilities. Individuals with congenital physical disabilities were found to have significantly higher body and self-esteem (p= <.001) than those with acquired physical disabilities. Additionally, those with congenital physical disabilities had significantly (p=< .001) higher scores on the Physical Attraction and Sexual Attraction, Upper Body Strength and Weight Concern and Physical Condition subscales. Our findings supported our hypotheses. Self and body esteem is high among those with congenital physical disabilities as compared to those with acquired physical disabilities.
The clothing area factors of several hip protective garments, alone and in ensembles, were studied in this research (Part I). Two methods were used to determine the clothing factor area: the standard ...photography method, and a newly developed method involving 3D scanning. The results from the two methods were consistent; therefore, either method can be used to determine clothing area factors, depending on the available equipment. The methods can be used to determine the thermal insulation performance of hip protective garments and garments in ensembles, as covered in Part II of the study.
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