Sweating guarded hot plate test method

The sweating guarded hot plate instrument, simulating the heat and moisture transfer from the body surface through clothing material to the environment, was designed for the measurement of thermal resistance and water vapor permeability of fabrics, relating to comfort characteristics of the garment. A number of factors govern the accuracy of the measurement, namely air velocity, leading edge effect, bubbles and wrinkles, membrane effect and so forth. The sweating guarded hot plate apparatus provides reproducible and repeatable results. This steady-state testing equipment, however, needs to be redesigned to assess the characteristics of fabric to transport heat and moisture under transient conditions. (C) 2006 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.