Thermal-insulation properties of textile materials play a significant role in material engineering of protective clothing. Thermal-insulation properties are very important from the point of view of thermal comfort of the clothing user as well as the protective efficiency against low or high temperature. Thermal protective clothing usually is a multilayer construction. Its thermal insulation is a resultant of a number of layers and their order, as well as the thermalinsulation properties of a single textile material creating particular layers. The aim of the presented work was to investigate the relationships between the thermal-insulation properties of single materials and multilayer textile packages composed of these materials. Measurement of the thermal-insulation properties of single and multilayer textile materials has been performed with the Alambeta. The following properties have been investigated: thermal conductivity, resistance and absorptivity. Investigated textile packages were composed of two, three and four layers made of woven and knitted fabrics, as well as nonwovens. On the basis of the obtained results an analysis has been carried out in order to assess the dependency of the resultant values of the thermal-insulation properties of multilayer packages on the appropriate values of particular components.

Moisture transport in fabrics influences the thermal comfort of clothing due to drainage of sweat secreted by the human body. The moisture transport through textile materials takes place in two ways: water-vapor transport and liquid moisture transport. Both ways are equally important. In the present work, liquid moisture transport in cotton woven fabrics with different weft yarns was investigated. Measurement was done using the Moisture Management Tester MMT M290. The obtained results confirmed that the linear density of weft yarn significantly influenced the values of all parameters characterizing liquid moisture transport in the investigated fabrics. The best performance in liquid moisture transport was achieved by weft yarn of linear density 30 tex. For this fabric variant, the maximum wetted radius for both surfaces was the biggest: 25 mm for the inner and 26.6 mm for the outer surface of the fabric. This means that the fabric spread the liquid on the biggest area compared to the other variants being investigated to facilitate an evaporation of liquid sweat. The fabric variant with 30 tex weft yarn showed the highest spreading speed: 5.83 mm/s for both sides, and the shortest wetting time: 2.83 s for the inner and 3.00 s for the outer side of the fabric. The higher the linear density of weft yarn, the worse the ability of cotton woven fabrics to ensure liquid moisture transport.

Drape is a very important utility parameter of fabrics, especially applied in clothing. It influences the aesthetic effect of clothing, in particular its fitting to the user’s body. Fabric draping is the result of interaction between gravitation and various fabric characteristics. In the work presented, cotton woven fabrics of different structure were measured in the range of their drapeability. The fabrics differed from each other in the range of their weave and linear density of weft yarn. Measurement of the fabrics was made by means of a fabric drape tester. Results of the measurement were analysed in the aspect of the relationships between the drape of the fabrics and their parameters, such as the kind of weft yarn, weave, weft density and stiffness. Results confirmed that for the group of fabrics investigated, their stiffness is the most significant property influencing the drapeability of fabrics. Additionally different weaves result in different values of the drape coefficient and shape factor.

The protection of a human body against the negative environmental factors, especially the cold, is one of the crucial functions of clothing. Clothing creates a thermal barrier between the human body and the surroundings. The protective efficiency of clothing goods depends mostly on thermal insulation properties of textile materials applied in clothing. The clothing design, fitting to a user’s body, and a number of layers also play an important role in the phenomenon of the heat exchange between the human organism and its surroundings. The thermal insulation properties of textile materials can be measured by means of different testing devices, such as the “skin model,” the Alambeta, the Permetest, and the Thermo Labo. A measurement of clothing goods from the point of view of their thermal insulation is performed using a thermal manikin. The article presents an investigation of thermal insulation properties of vests by means of thermal manikin. The investigated vests have been made of different textile materials: woven and knitted. The thermal insulation properties of fabrics applied in vests have been measured by means of the Alambeta. The article presents and discusses the relationships between the thermal insulation of vests according to the thermal manikin and the thermal resistance of fabrics applied in the vests.

Purpose: The purpose of this paper is to analyse the seersucker fabrics from the point of view of their ability to ensure the thermo-physiological comfort. It was investigated how the kind of the weft yarn and seersucker structure influence the air permeability and thermal insulation properties of the fabrics. Design/methodology/approach: The paper presents the investigations of the typical seersucker fabrics made of the same set of warps and different weft yarns. Fabrics were manufactured on the same loom with two warp beams. Next they were finished by the same way including washing, drying and stabilisation processes. Fabrics were measured in the range of their air permeability using standard test method. Thermal insulation properties of fabrics were measured in dry and wet state by means of Alambeta. Surface topography of the seersucker fabrics was analysed using 3D laser scanning. Findings: On the basis of the obtained results it was stated that due to the puckered structure the seersucker fabrics are characterised by high thermal resistance, several times higher than the thermal resistance of typical flat woven fabrics. The seersucker fabrics are characterised by very low value of the thermal absorptivity in wet state at the level appropriate for typical flat fabrics in dry state. It confirmed that the seersucker fabrics ensure the physiological comfort. Application of the elastomeric yarn in weft caused significant tightening the fabric structure. It resulted in low air permeability, fabric stiffness and unpleasant hand. Research limitations/implications: As a limitation of the investigation of the seersucker fabrics in wet state we can mention the surface topography of the fabrics. It made wetting the fabrics difficult before measuring. It is necessary to elaborate precise procedure of preparation of seersucker fabrics before their testing in the wet state. Practical implications: Performed investigations showed that the seersucker fabrics have a big potential to be comfortable. By an appropriate designing of their structure it is possible to achieve very good comfort-related properties even without application of innovative comfort-oriented yarns. Originality/value: The originality of the paper is based on the fact that the measurement was performed for the seersucker fabrics. The fabrics are characterised by the unique structure which influences their appearance and utility properties. It caused that they are willingly applied in different kinds of clothing. Till now any results of comfort-related properties of such kind of the woven fabrics have not been published.