2010-Quantitative Comparison of Wicking in Performance Fabrics

Quantitative Comparison of Wicking in Performance Fabrics

Haskell W. Beckham, Georgia Institute of Technology


Introduction

Wicking of moisture is one of the most important properties of fabrics used in apparel for the following market segments: outdoors, athletics, industrial uniforms, and protective services (e.g., firefighters, police, and soldiers). Relating wicking behavior to underlying void structure, fiber surface and fabric construction provides powerful design tools for manufacturers. To do this, wicking must be evaluated.
This talk will discuss the advantages and disadvantages of currently used wicking tests, and present a new test that allows one to extract intensive properties of a fabric with which wicking behavior can be designed based on fundamentals. Data on a series of commercially available wicking fabrics will be presented and compared.