The "Enhanced Thermal Comfort and Moisture Transmission for Activewear" report has been added to ResearchAndMarkets.com's offering.

This report has investigated the most relevant aspects of thermal and moisture comfort and has provided an insight into current commercial solutions and possible future products of interest related with the two properties. The human body's thermoregulation was initially introduced, together with a brief description of the phenomena that govern thermal insulation and water (liquid and vapour) transmission. A summary of the performances considered of interest by activewear users was also provided along with basic standard testing methods to evaluate thermal comfort of textiles.

Clothing, regardless of its functionality, needs to be pleasant to wear first and foremost, so comfort is of major importance. It also creates a barrier between the human body and its surrounding environment, which affects the heat and mass transfer and influences the thermal comfort of the wearer.

The thermo-physiological comfort (or simply thermal comfort) of clothing is fulfilled when the metabolic heat and moisture production of the human body of the wearer is in balance with the heat and moisture loss from the skin surface. Such that, the main parameters that are important in relation to the thermal comfort of a textile product are thermal insulation, moisture transmission and air permeability.

Later on, some of the commercialised technologies which provide thermal comfort in textile materials with regards to fibre types and structures, fabric structures and coating and finishing technology have been discussed. Finally the open challenges, along with some of the recent developments and innovations fromacademia to address these, have been provided as well.

Key Topics Covered:

1 Introduction

2 Thermal Regulation Mechanism

2.1 Thermal Insulation

2.2 Moisture Transmission

2.3 Activewear Users' Demands

2.4 Standard test methods for determining thermal comfort of clothing

3 Available Technologies and Commercial Applications

3.1 Fibre Types, Morphology and Treatments

3.1.1 Stretchable Fibres

3.1.2 Microfibres

3.1.3 Hollow Fibres

3.1.4 Channelled Fibres

3.1.5 Winged Fibres

3.1.6 Fibres and Yarns Treatments

3.2 Fabrics Structure

3.2.1 Evolon

3.2.2 Polartec Power Stretch, Power Dry and Power Wool

3.2.3 D-ONE

3.3 Coatings and Other Fabric Finishing Treatments

3.3.1 Graphene Plus

3.3.2 Aerogel

4 Open Challenges

5 Innovations from the Academic World

5.1 Fibres Characteristics

5.1.1 Milkweed Fibres

5.1.2 Peat Fibres

5.1.3 Cellulose Aerogels

5.2 Fabrics Structure

5.2.1 Innovative Structures Containing PCMs

5.2.2 Introduction of Spacer Blocks

5.2.3 Knitted Fabrics with Auxetic Properties

5.3 Fabric Coatings and Other Treatments

5.3.1 Surface Modification via Plasma Treatment

5.3.2 bioLogic

6 Summary and outlook

Companies Mentioned

  • Allasso Industries
  • Chemical treatments (to be incorporated at fibre level)
  • CSIRO (research organisation)
  • Deewear
  • Directa Plus
  • Directa Plus
  • Eastman
  • Europlasma
  • Freudenberg
  • HeiQ
  • Hologenix, LLC
  • INVISTA
  • Kelheim Fibres
  • Kultaturve Oy
  • New Balance
  • Nike
  • NORTHFINDER
  • Oros
  • Outlast Technologies Inc
  • Polartec
  • Procter & Gamble
  • Sdwolle Group
  • The North Face

For more information about this report visit https://www.researchandmarkets.com/research/6wbd8v/global_enhanced?w=4