Investigating water vapor retention of fabrics and their suitability for seat coverings
International Journal of Clothing Science and Technology
ISSN: 0955-6222
Article publication date: 8 June 2023
Issue publication date: 10 July 2023
Abstract
Purpose
Water vapor trapped in the boundary layer between a person and the clothing creates discomfort and other unpleasant sensations. When that water vapor is prevented from leaving the clothing by external vapor barriers or impermeable layers, those psychophysical states are further exacerbated. One situation where that can be problematic is in office workplaces, and the seats that workers use for many hours every day. This study aims to evaluate the impact of different fabrics that are used for seat cover on water vapor retention.
Design/methodology/approach
The authors' method determines the behavior of contact surface humidity with a 50 kg sandbag on the seat to mimic the deformation of the seat materials due to the seated person's weight. Thus, the maximum increase in relative humidity (RH) after humidification of the seat surface (ΔRH-max), the time required to reach the maximum value of humidity (t-max) and the time constant (TC) after humidity starts to fall were derived.
Findings
Of the three different seat covers tested, the ΔRH-max of the wool were 7.3–8.8%, compared to 27.0–29.0% of the polyvinyl chloride (PVC), indicating more moisture absorption and transmission of the wool. The TC of the acrylic cover was 224–384 min compared to the 483–558 min of the PVC, which indicated a quick drying out feature of the acrylic.
Originality/value
The ΔRH-max, t-max and TC were all significantly correlated with the RH at the back thigh skin surface of the actual human participants.
Keywords
Acknowledgements
The authors would like to express our appreciation to Tendo Co., Ltd for the cooperation in the experiments. This work was funded by JSPS KAKENHI (No: 20K12512). This manuscript has been edited by native English-speaking experts from Proof-Reading-Service.com.
Citation
Nagano, K., Lyu, S. and Kakitsuba, N. (2023), "Investigating water vapor retention of fabrics and their suitability for seat coverings", International Journal of Clothing Science and Technology, Vol. 35 No. 4, pp. 665-681. https://doi.org/10.1108/IJCST-11-2022-0161
Publisher
:Emerald Publishing Limited
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