Clothing comfort depends on absorbency, aiding sweat evaporation and preventing heat loss. Absorbency is tested by time, sinking, and rate tests, determining moisture retention and comfort in various fabrics.
The comfortability of clothing determines the pleasant feeling of the wearer. High absorbency is one of the major features that the manufacturers and buyers pursure to enhance their product quality. It facilitates the trasmission and evaporation of sweats to prevent heat loss.
Absorbency is the ability of a fabric to take in moisture and retain liquids within its structure which affects skin comfort, static build–up, shrinkage, water repellency and wrinkle recovery and other properties. It is determined by the time the sample takes to absorb a fixed amount (usually a drop) of distilled or deionized water. Good absorbency requires rapid capture and superior holding capacity.
Apart from the comfort feeling given to the wearer, good absorbency of textile products can prevent the person from getting wet in the cold and causing danger when too much heat is lost. High absorbent clothing can minimize the wetness sensation on skin and facilitate the evaporation of sweat.
This function can be tested by three test methods: absorbency time test, sinking time test and absorbency rate test.
The absorbency time test determines the suitability of a fabric for a particular use, as in the case of gauze or toweling. A drop of water is allowed to fall from a fixed height onto the taut surface of a test specimen. The time required for the water drop to disappear is measured and recorded as wetting time. The applicable methods include:
- AATCC 79
- BS 4554
- GB/T 21655.1 clause 8.2
- CNS 13905 L3246 clause 5.1.1
- JIS L1907 clause 7.1.1
The sinking time test determines the time for a test specimen to be completely wetted by water, when laid on the surface of the water. The applicable methods include:
- JIS L1907 clause 7.1.3
- EN 14697 Annex B
- GB/T 21655.1 clause 8.1
- KS K 0434
The absorbency rate test determines the ability of terry fabric to absorb surface water and retain moisture from surfaces such as human skin, dishes and furniture. Its applicable method is ASTM D 4772.
