Investigating the effect of some fabric parameters on the thermal comfort properties of flat knitted acrylic fabrics for winter wear

Abstract

In this paper, the thermal comfort properties of flat knitted acrylic fabrics differing in terms of knit structure, tightness, thickness and porosity were investigated within the perspective of its usage in winter wear products. Measured and calculated using the data from Permetest and Alambeta devices, the thermal comfort properties were handled in three aspects, namely thermoregulation characteristics, breathability and thermo-physiological characteristics, and their relationship with fabric structural parameters were investigated statistically. The results indicated that rib 2 × 2 structures provide the optimum condition in terms of thermoregulation, breathability and thermo-physiological comfort, whose thickness and porosity values should be adjusted accordingly, since the thickness improves thermal insulation and porosity improves breathability.