TPACC Fabric Wet Cling Test

The human body sweats to release heat, and the presence of sweat may cause the sticking of fabric against skin, leading to a strong discomfort clingy perception. The friction force between fabric and wetted skin has been reported to be correlated with wet cling perception. TPACC has developed a novel wet cling tester that can measure the friction force between fabric and wetted skin. Fabric sample attached to a rigid frame are placed on a piece of simulated skin material (synthetic leather) and a controlled dosing of liquid was supplied to skin surface. The rigid frame is connected to a force gauge, and the friction force during cyclic pushing and pulling of fabric samples was measured. The uniqueness of the device is that it can evaluate the effect of sweating time, sweating rate, environmental conditions, and fabric properties on friction force between fabric and simulated skin. We have demonstrated the efficacy of the method using a selected set of knit fabrics having different moisture absorption, wicking, and drying properties*. We have found that sweating time, sweating rates and wind speed strongly affect friction force. This new test method provides a unique tool for measuring the wet cling properties of fabrics in various conditions.

Friction force between fabrics and simulated skin with sweating time at different sweating rates (25 g/min vs. 15 g/min): (a) polyester fabrics and (b) cotton fabrics. Note: wind speed: 2 m/s; asterisks: significant difference (p < 0.05)

*Excerpted from Gao, H., Deaton, A.S. and Roger L. Barker, A novel method measuring the wet cling properties of textiles. Fibers and Polymers, 24, 187-194(2023)