The effect of the transfer abilities of single layers on the heat and mass transport through multilayered outerwear clothing for cold protection

This paper deals with performance properties related to human thermo-physiological comfort of three-layer textile systems used for the production of outerwear for cold protection. The transfer of heat and fluids through the compound single layers (woven and non-woven) is investigated and compared to the heat and mass transfer of the systems for clothing. Six characteristics are measured for both single layers and systems of layers: thermal resistance, air permeability, water vapor resistance, relative water vapor permeability, the accumulative one-way transport index and overall moisture management capacity. For each of the characteristics, regression analysis is applied to prove or reject the proposed mathematical dependencies between the transfer abilities of the single layers and the respective systems. The results obtained showed that the fluid transfer abilities of the single layers applied in clothing for cold protection strongly affect the fluid transfer ability of the system of layers, while the heat transfer of the system is dominated by the heat transfer ability of the thermo-insulating layer. The proposed approach for assessment of the transfer processes through a system of layers for the production of outerwear for cold protection could be successfully applied in the design of other textile and clothing items, produced by using systems of different textile layers.