Hello All,
Excerpts:
Most of us are familiar with dry-wick athletic apparel. We see the advertisements claiming that this shirt has the textile technology to keep you dry, that those shorts can wick away your sweat, that this fabric will keep you feeling cool and comfortable during the most intense workouts.
But what’s the science behind these promises? How do dry-wick textiles actually work?
It comes down to two principles: percolation and evaporation. “Moisture-management” fabrics absorb the sweat from your body, propelling it away from your skin, then spread it throughout the garment so it can easily vaporize into the environment.
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DriRelease, for example, uses a patented mix of 85-percent polyester and 15-percent cotton fibers in its fabrics. Its fibers can be found in such brands as Asics, Hanesbrands, Nautica and Nike.
Coolmax, the original moisture-management fabric developed by DuPont in 1986, features a unique 100-percent polyester fiber design.
Unlike other polyester fibers, which are typically tubular, Coolmax polyester fibers have either scalloped-oval or four-leaf-clover cross sections that create tiny tunnels for the sweat to slide through to the outside of the fabric.
“The smaller the diameter, or the finer the tubes,” Yang said, “the more powerful the liquid transportation.”
As more companies highlight their garments’ absorbent capillaries, fiber blend and dry-wick, moisture-wick or quick-dry abilities, the athletic apparel market can get confusing.