Force attenuation capacity and thermophysiological wear comfort of vertically lapped nonwoven fabric

Hip-protective pads are designed to prevent hip fracture in elderly women. Two types of vertically lapped nonwoven fabrics were evaluated for suitability as materials for hip-protective pads. The force attenuation capacity of pads made from these fabrics was studied using drop impact tests, and performance relevant to thermophysiological wear comfort measured using a sweating guarded hot plate. The results indicate that vertically lapped nonwoven fabrics are suitable materials for soft hip-protective pads. They provide effective protection for the hip bone, and have similar force attenuation capacity to closed-cell foam. The inter-fibre and voids in nonwoven structures enable moisture to escape to the environment, and the experimental vertically lapped nonwoven fabric pads had significantly higher ability to transfer moisture than closed-cell foam pads.     

Influence of cover factor on liquid moisture transport performance of bamboo knitted fabrics

The moisture transport responses to plain jersey fabrics produced from bamboo yarns were studied. The fabric responses included wetting times of top and bottom fabric surfaces, maximum moisture absorption rates of top and bottom surfaces, maximum wetted radii of top and bottom surfaces, spreading speeds of top and bottom surfaces, and cumulative one‐way transport capacity and overall moisture management capacity. The fabrics were produced from 100% bamboo yarns with 13 different fabric cover factors. The relationships between cover factors and moisture management properties were determined. It was observed that as the cover factor of the fabric increased, the wetting time increased, maximum wetted radius decreased, rate of absorption decreased, spreading speed decreased and overall moisture management capacity decreased.     

Performance relevant to the thermophysiological wear comfort of hip protective garments,Part I: clothing area factor of hip protective garments in clothing ensembles

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.     

Interface pressure generated by knitted fabrics of different direction,composition and number of layers in sport compression garments

The present study aimed to determine the effect of fabric direction, fabric composition and number of fabric layers on pressure generated by sport compression garments. Experimental fabric used in commercially available compression sport garments was chosen. Experimental fabric sleeves imitating a part of a pressure garment were assembled and placed on cylinders of different diameters, so that they provided different fabric direction, fabric composition of sleeve and number of layers in assemblies along the circumference of the cylinders. A Salzmann MST MK IV pressure-measuring device and Salzmann MST 2007 software were used to measure the interface pressure generated by the sleeves. It was established that different direction, fabric composition of sleeve and number of fabric layers in fabric assemblies influences the interface pressure.