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Evaluation of water absorption and transport properties of weft knitted

polyester fabrics by spontaneous uptake water transport tester and
conventional test methods

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DOI: 10.1007/s12221-016-6454-3

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Fibers and Polymers 2016, Vol.17, No.8, 1287-1295 ISSN 1229-9197 (print version)
DOI 10.1007/s12221-016-6454-3 ISSN 1875-0052 (electronic version)

Evaluation of Water Absorption and Transport Properties of Weft Knitted

Polyester Fabrics by Spontaneous Uptake Water Transport Tester and
Conventional Test Methods
Qing Chen*, Ka-po Maggie Tang1, Pibo Ma, and Gaoming Jiang
Engineering Research Center of Knitting Technology, Ministry of Education, The School of Textile and Clothing,
Jiangnan University, Wuxi 214122, P.R. China
1
The Institute of Textiles and Clothing, The Hong Kong Polytechnic University, Hong Kong
(Received April 20, 2016; Revised June 18, 2016; Accepted June 22, 2016)

Abstract: Water absorption and transport properties of fabrics, including initial contact of liquid with a dry fabric, liquid
wicking through a fully saturated medium and removal of liquid from a fabric is important during processing and in use. In
this study, the water transport properties of four weft knitted polyester fabrics were comprehensively evaluated and it aims to
select the best fabric for badminton sportswear. A recently developed instrument called Spontaneous Uptake Water Transport
Tester (SUWTT) and Moisture Management Tester (MMT) was employed to characterize the direction of water transport
within a fabric. Other conventional test methods including vertical wicking test, wettability test, water absorbency test, drying
test, and water vapor permeability test were also performed. The results showed that the elastic yarn could diminish the water
transport performance, dry rate, and water vapor permeability. Sample no. 2 and 3 were recommended for sportswear due to
better liquid water transport, dry rate and water vapor permeability.
Keywords: Knitted fabrics, Water absorption, Water transport, Moisture management, Spontaneous uptake water transport
tester

Introduction that 100 % polyester fabric, polyester/wool and bamboo/

Liquid water transport property of fabric is particularly
important to wear comfort under hot and moist condition.
The perspiration left on skin may arouse wetness discomfort
[1]. With prolonged wear of wet garment during exercise,
the frictional property of fabric increases, abrading the skin
layer or even causing skin injury. Apart from that, as a part
of the physiological regulation of body temperature, the
cooling effect by perspiring could evaporate a large amount
of heat [2]. Every gram of water evaporated is equivalent to
the loss of 2.4 kJ [3]. Clothing should assist the human body
to maintain body temperature in a narrow range, and to keep
the skin dry under different environmental conditions.
Sportswear, particularly the layer worn next to skin, are
key to the physiological comfort of an athlete, and their
attributes in this aspect are critical to the athlete’s performance
[4,5]. Transfer of moisture and vapor is mainly governed by
fabric physical properties. Liquid moisture transport in
fabrics plays an extremely important role in garment
comfort [6]. Combination of natural and synthetic fibers
results in best performing fabrics with regard to the moisture
management [7]. Studies found that the polypropylene
(inner) - cotton (outer) double faced fabric has excellent
moisture management property as evaluated by MMT [8].
However, that fabric has high fabric mass (315 g/m2) which
might not be a good choice for badminton clothing. Also, the
addition of cotton yarn might decrease the drying rate and so
leaving fabrics with high water content. Others suggested
*Corresponding author: 12071107@qq.com
wool plated jersey structure fabrics could be used as the base
layer of active sportswear [9]. However, the dry rate and
water vapor permeability of fabrics were not evaluated in
their study.
Considerable instruments and methods were invented to
characterize the water absorption or water transport ability
of fabrics. Among those test methods, vertical wicking test
and wettability test are commonly used. The operation of
these methods is simple and minimal equipment is required.
In addition, much research was conducted using MMT due
to short testing duration. However, the above methods
cannot simulate the end-use condition of a clothing material.
Limited amount of water was supplied at a constant speed or
the direction of water supply does not simulate the actual use
condition. Recently, Tang et al. developed a versatile instrument
called Spontaneous Uptake Water Transport Tester which
can solve the above limitations [10]. It can wet the fabric
continuously and supply water to fabric at the bottom of
fabric.
This study aims to study the water transport properties of
polyester weft knitted fabrics in order to select the best
fabric for badminton clothing. Different test methods were
performed including vertical wicking test, wettability test,
dry rate test, water vapor permeability test, moisture
management test, spontaneous uptake water transport test.
Experimental
Sample Details
Four commercial polyester weft knitted fabrics comprising

1287
1288 Fibers and Polymers 2016, Vol.17, No.8 Qing Chen et al.

Table 1. Fabric specifications

1 2 3 4
Microscopic image of
back side of fabric

Mass (g/m2) 200 140 220 165

Thickness (mm) 0.56 0.44 0.86 0.52
Structure Single jersey Double jersey Bird eye double jersey Interlock
Material 150D/72FDTY Polyester
75D/72F(72 %) Polyester
40D/12FDY Polyester 150D/96F DTY 75D/72F DTY
75D/48F HO-COOLING
30D Lycra Polyester Polyester
(28 %)
95 % Polyester+5 % Spandex
Volume density (g/cm3) 0.35 0.28 0.26 0.38

different yarn count, fabric construction and loop density
were investigated. Sample specifications including mass,
thickness, material, knitting structure and volume density are
listed in Table 1. All these fabrics are weft knitted with
polyester filament. Sample no. 1 is produced with 95 %
polyester and 5 % spandex in single jersey structure. Sample
no. 2 is lighter in weight (140 g/cm2) and thinner (0.44 mm).
Sample no. 3 is the heaviest (220 g/cm2) and thickest
(0.86 mm) with the lowest volume density (0.26 g/cm3).
Sample no. 4 is made of 75D/72F polyester and knitted with
interlock structure. Its volume density is the largest (0.38 g/
cm3). All samples were washed according to standard testing
method (AATCC 135) prior to testing. They were then pre-
conditioned at 20±1 oC and 65±5 % R.H. for 24 hours
before tests were conducted.
Test Methods
Water Absorption Capacity Test
Water absorption capacity was tested according to China
standard GB 21655.1Y2008. The dry weight of fabric (10
cm×10 cm) was measured and it was immersed into a bath
of distilled water for 5 min. Then, the fabric was hanged
vertically till no water droplet dripped within 30 seconds.
By that time, the fabric was weighed again. The calculation
of water absorption ratio is calculated by equation (1).
Water absorption ratio (%)
wet weight – dry weight
= ---------------------------------------------------------- × 100 ( % )
dry weight
Wettability Test
Water absorption time of fabric was measured in accordance
with AATCC 79. A drop of liquid was delivered from a
fixed height onto the test fabric (1 cm). The time taken for
the disappearance of reflection from the liquid surface was
taken as a measure of the wettability of fabric. The shorter
the time, the more-easily wettable the fabric is. The aim of
the test method is to simulate the spread of water in a fabric
when perspiration is extracted from skin and contacted with
fabric.
Vertical Wicking Test
Vertical wicking height of fabric was measured according
to China standard GB 21655.1Y2008. A preconditioned
strip of the test fabric (30 mm×250 mm) was suspended
vertically with its lower end immersed in a reservoir of
distilled water and the height of water reached in the fabric
against gravity was visually observed and recorded after a
fixed time.
Dry Rate Test
According to China standard GB 21655.1Y2008, 0.2 ml
water was dropped onto fabric surface and the weight of wet
fabric (m0) was recorded. It was placed in standard
atmosphere. After 30 minutes, the wet fabric (m30) was
reweighed. The dry rate is calculated by equation (2) and
expressed in gram of water loss per hour.
m0 – m30
Dry rate ( % ) = ------------------
- × 100 ( % ) (2)
0.5h
Water Vapor Permeability Test (WVP)
Water vapor permeability was tested according to BS
7209. 46 ml of water was poured into a dish with an internal
diameter of 83 mm and the sample was adhered onto the
opening of the dish. The initial weight of the assembly (dish
(1) together with specimen) was measured and was placed on a
turntable. After rotating the turntable for 24 hours, the
assembly was re-weighed. The weight change of the assembly
was then used to calculate the WVP of the sample. Each
sample was tested for three times and average of them was
calculated.
M0 – M
WVP = -----------------------
-2
π ⋅ ( 83/2 )
Fabrics Tested by Spontaneous Uptake Water Transport Tester Fibers and Polymers 2016, Vol.17, No.8 1289

M0 is the original weight of assembly, M is the weight of
assembly after 24 hours.
Moisture Management Test (MMT)
According to AATCC 195, MMT is based on measuring
the electrical resistance of the back side (upper surface
during testing) and face side (lower surface during testing)
of the fabric. During the test, a fixed quantity of liquid was
dropped onto the back side of the fabric. The moisture
management indices include:
(i) wetting time,
(ii) maximum absorption rate,
(iii) maximum wetted radii,
(iv) spreading speed,
(v) Cumulative one-way transport capacity (OWTC), and
(vi) Overall moisture management capacity (OMMC).
Spontaneous Uptake Water Transport Tester (SUWTT)
Recently, Tang et al. developed SUWTT which is based
on gravimetric and image analysis technique [10]. The
uniqueness of this instrument is that it can directly measure
the water absorption amount in the sample in real-time by
the balance, capture the wetted pattern of the sample (in-
plane wicking) by the attached camera, monitor the
transplanar wicking property and estimate the amount of
water left on skin when sweated. For the 1-layer test, the test
sample was put onto the sample podium. The water absorption
rate and the horizontal wicking area of the sample were
measured. For the 3-layer test, the test sample was put in-
between two filter papers. The mass of water absorbed by
the bottom filter paper could be used for estimating skin
condition. On top of the test sample was another filter paper,
it helps to characterize the amount of water that has passed
to the outer surface of the sample. The distribution of water
within the top and bottom filter papers determines the
transplanar water transport property of fabrics.
Statistical Analysis
The significance of difference between plant-structured
and control fabrics was analyzed using one-way ANOVA
(SPSS 16.0). When P value was equal or less than 0.05, the
differences were considered to be statistically significant. To
study the correlation between all indexes obtained from
different test methods, correlation analysis was performed
by SPSS and correlation coefficients were calculated. 24
indexes of all tests are listed in Table 3. The statistical
analysis results were tabulated in Table 4.
Results and Discussion
Water Absorbency Ratio
Water absorbency ratio reflects its water absorption
capacity. The test results are listed in Table 2. Sample no. 2
had the highest water absorbency ratio due to the use of fine
fiber and low volume density. With same type of fiber used,
fabrics with lower volume density implies higher fabric
porosity and so this fabric can absorb triple (321 %) amount
of water compared to the dry fabric. For sample no. 3, due
to higher fabric thickness and the special knitting structure
(i.e. bird eye), its water absorption ratio reached 280 %.
Sample no. 1 had the lowest water absorbency ratio due to
the addition of elastic yarn. This elastic yarn has very low
hygroscopicity. Furthermore, the addition of elastic yarn
could make fabric denser.
Water Absorption Time
The wettability test illustrates the phenomenon during the
initial contact with water. This is related to the surface
property of the material. However, the wettability of these
four samples is excellent and the water absorption time of all
these samples is less than a second. No significant difference
is observed among these samples. This test is incapable of
differentiating the wettability of these samples.
Vertical Wicking Height
Vertical wicking height reflects the water movements in
fabric driven by capillary force against gravity. The degree
of vertical wicking is associated with the intra-yarn spacing
and inter-yarn spacing. In general, sample nos. 3 and 4ad
excellent vertical wicking ability. Compared to cotton fabrics
studied in previous research [14], those weft knitted fabrics
weighing 207-236 g/m2 had vertical wicking at 153-192 mm.
The superiority in vertical wicking height might be due to
the moisture management treatment applied and the geometry
of the yarn. Also, polyester has low moisture regain (0.4 %)
and so the fiber itself does not absorb water at all. Instead,
this fabric can facilitate inter-fiber and inter-yarn wicking.
Sample no. 3 had higher vertical wicking height due to its

Table 2. Test results of various conventional test methods

Water absorbency Water absorption Vertical wicking height (mm) Dry rate Water vapor
Sample ratio (%) time (s) Warp Weft (g/h) permeability (g/m2·day)
Mean S.D. Mean S.D. Mean S.D. Mean S.D. Mean S.D. Mean S.D.
1 201 11 0.5 0.029 157 11 188 11 0.30 0.017 12690 487
2 321 15 0.5 0.033 188 13 220 13 0.27 0.018 16850 610
3 280 22 0.3 0.015 220 15 220 15 0.38 0.019 15670 543
4 245 16 0.6 0.021 213 11 220 11 0.26 0.011 16120 770
1290 Fibers and Polymers 2016, Vol.17, No.8 Qing Chen et al.

thicker yarn, finer filament and lower volume density. The
highest values reached 220 mm at both weft and warp
direction. Sample no. 4 was in the second place. The vertical
wicking height reached 218 mm and 220 mm in warp and
weft direction, respectively. It is noticed that the vertical
wicking height of weft knitted fabric exhibited higher value
at weft direction than that at the warp direction. This is
because one continuous yarn is used to knit across the course
of the weft knitted fabric. This also applies to warp knitted
fabrics [11] where the vertical wicking height at warp
direction is higher than that at weft direction. This is because
yarns are knitted at warp direction in warp knitted fabrics.
Dry Rate
With regard to dry rate, sample no. 3 had the fastest dry
rate (0.38 g/h). The superiority in dry rate might be due to
the loose bird eye double jersey structure where some voids
are formed at one side of fabric. The surface area is higher
and there are enlarged interfaces which exposed to air.
Besides, the dry rate of sample no. 1 is lower than sample
no. 3, but higher than the other two. This is because the
fabric is knitted in single jersey structure with less inter-
space in one layer.
Besides, dry rate is significantly and negatively correlated
with water absorption time (r=-0.962). It implies that shorter

Figure 1. Moisture management test results; (a) wetting time at top and bottom surfaces, (b) absorption rate at top and bottom surfaces,
(c) max wetted radius at top and bottom surfaces, (d) spreading speed at top and bottom surfaces, (e) one way transport capacity at top and
bottom surfaces, and (f) overall moisture management capacity at top and bottom surfaces.
Fabrics Tested by Spontaneous Uptake Water Transport Tester Fibers and Polymers 2016, Vol.17, No.8 1291

absorption time is associated with higher evaporation speed. Table 3. 24 indexes tested by different tests
In this study, the fabrics possessed quick water absorbency Test The indexes of correlation analysis
and quick dry property. Water absorption capacity Water absorbency ratio
test
Water Vapor Permeability Wettability test Water absorption time by wettability test
As for water vapor permeability, sample no. 2 had the
Vertical wicking test Vertical wicking height at weft direction
largest water vapor transmission mass. This can attribute to
Vertical wicking height at warp direction
lower thickness and lower fabric weight. The water vapor
permeability of sample no. 4 is just lower than sample no. 2 Dry rate test Dry rate
and its thickness is higher than sample no. 2. For sample no. Water vapor permeability Water vapor permeability
1, it is neither the thickest nor the heaviest among the four test
samples. However, its water vapor permeability is the Moisture management Wetting time at the top surface by MMT
lowest. This can attribute to the use of elastic filament in test (MMT) Wetting time at the bottom surface by
sample no. 1. This makes the fabric denser and so water MMT
vapor might find difficult to transport through the fabric. Water absorption rate at the top surface
Research also showed that the increase in elastane density by MMT
deteriorates the thermophysiological comfort of sportswear Water absorption rate at the bottom
[12]. surface by MMT
Max wetted radius at the top surface by
Moisture Management Test MMT
Surface wetting time is the time in which the top and Max wetted radius at the bottom surface
bottom surfaces of the fabric start to be wetted. The lower by MMT
value means fabric took less time to absorb water. When the Spreading speed at the top surface by
wetting time is less than 3 seconds, its absorption speed is MMT
defined as Very fast [13].
Spreading speed at the bottom surface
For sample no. 1, its wetting time is the shortest among by MMT
four fabrics (see Figure 1(a)). It is inconsistent with other
One way transport by MMT
conventional test results. As mentioned in earlier discussion,
sample no. 1 had the lowest vertical wicking height and Overall moisture management capacity
by MMT
water absorption ratio. Besides, this observation is different
from the wettability test result. The water absorption time Spontaneous One-layer Water absorption rate by 1 layer
uptake water test SUWTT
for sample no. 1 is similar to sample no. 2 and no. 4, but
transport tester Water absorption in fabric by 1 layer
longer than sample no. 3. However, the wetting time of
(SUWTT) SUWTT
sample no. 1 in MMT test is significantly shorter than the
others (p<0.05). The wetting time at the top surface is highly Wetted area by 1 layer SUWTT
correlated with vertical wicking height (Warp: r=0.950 and Water content by 1 layer SUWTT
Weft: r=0.982). The wetting time at the bottom surface is Three-layer Water absorption in top filter paper by
also strongly correlated with wicking height at weft direction test 3 layer SUWTT
(r=0.978). Generally, the top surface starts to be wetted Water absorption in fabric by 3 layer
because water was dropped onto the top surface. It is SUWTT
interesting that sample nos. 1 and 3 had the shorter wetting Water absorption in bottom filter by
time at the bottom than at the top. It means the bottom 3 layer SUWTT
surface started to be wetted before the top surface to be Transplanar ratio by 3 layer SUWTT
wetted. This might be that the sensor pin of tester was placed
in the mesh portion of those two samples.
Absorption rate is the initial slope of the water content surface and 50.968 %/s at bottom surface). However, there is
curves. When it is between 50 to 100 %/s, it demonstrates no significant difference among sample no. 2, no. 3 and no.
high water absorption rate [13]. As Figure 1(b) shown, the 4. Table 3 suggests that the absorption rate at the top and
absorption rate of sample no. 2 is significantly higher at both bottom surfaces is strongly correlated (r=0.994). This suggested
surfaces (69.855 %/s at the top surface and 62.860 %/s at the that the two surfaces of all tested fabrics had similar water
bottom surface). It might be due to highest water absorption transport property.
ratio as measured by GB 21655.1Y2008 [8]. The absorption Max wetted radius reflects the spreading ability of fabric.
rate of sample no. 1 is just lower than sample no. 2 but Previous study suggests that if the radius is larger than
higher than sample no. 3 and no. 4 (52.567 %/s at top 22 mm, it can be considered as very large area [13]. The
1292 Fibers and Polymers 2016, Vol.17, No.8
large area wetted by the same amount water is associated
with higher dry rate in general. It should be noticed that
sample no. 3 had larger wetted radius at the bottom surface
(30 mm) than at the top surface (25 mm) as illustrated in
Figure 1(c). This demonstrates that more water can be
transferred to outside of fabric. In general, the difference in
max wetted radius is not significant among these four
samples (p>0.05). This is a defect of MMT tester which
cannot precisely show the wetted radius.
Spreading speed shows the speed of the moisture spreading
to reach the maximum wetted radius. Previous study suggests
that if the spreading speed is between 1-2 mm/s, it is defined
as slow [13]. At the top surface, sample no. 2 had the fastest
spreading speed among the four fabrics as shown in Figure
1(d). This might be due to lower fabric thickness and the use
of finer filament and special yarn (HO-COOLING). The
trend is the same for the both sides of fabric.
One way transport capacity is the difference in the
cumulative moisture content between the two surfaces of the
fabric in testing period. When one way transport capacity is
ranged between 100-200, it is defined as good. When it is
ranged between 200-400, it is defined as very good [13].
Figure 1(e) shows that sample no. 4 had the highest one way
transport value. Sample no. 2 had lowest value possibly due
Figure 2. Spontaneous uptake water transport tester results - one layer set up; (a) water absorption rate in fabric, (b) water absorption in
fabric, (c) wetted area in fabric, and (d) water content in fabric.
Qing Chen et al.
to its lowest thickness with the same water absorbency
property at the two surfaces. Sample no. 2 had lowest value
despite it had highest spreading speed and highest absorption
time. It is explicit that one way transport has no relationship
with other index within tested samples which have similar
water transport property. Table 3 showed that one way
transport is negatively correlated with absorption rate (Top:
r=-0.981 and Bottom: r=-0.961). It suggested that in this
study the more water absorbed by fabric in unit time, the
lower one way transport capacity.
Overall moisture management capacity (OMMC) is an
index to indicate the overall ability of the fabric to manage
the transport of liquid moisture, which includes three aspects
of performance: moisture absorption rate of the bottom side,
one way liquid transport ability, and maximum spreading
speed of the bottom side [13]. Figure 1(f) shows that sample
no. 1, no. 3 and no. 4 had better overall moisture management
capacity than sample no. 2. Table 3 shows that OMMC is
highly correlated with absorption rate of the top surface
(r=-0.966) and one way transport (r=0.994).
Spontaneous Uptake Water Transport Tester
One-layer Test
Sample no. 1 does not absorb water under zero hydrostatic
Fabrics Tested by Spontaneous Uptake Water Transport Tester
head, so its water absorption rate, wetted area, water content
and amount of water absorption is undefined.
The amount of water absorption in the sample was
recorded against time and the water absorption rate was
calculated according to the slope between times at 10 second
to 30 second. The higher the absorption rate, the less likely
the water remained between the fabric-skin interface and
thus the more comfort it provides [10]. The water absorption
rate is the highest in sample no. 4 (Figure 2(a)). It is highly
correlated with vertical wicking height at warp direction
(r=0.966) and vertical wicking height at weft direction
(r=0.958). This is because water absorption rate by SUWTT
and vertical wicking rate both reflects the water absorption
and transport property under unlimited water supply against
gravity.
Water absorption in fabric indicates amount of water
absorbed during initial 60 s after constant time of water
supply (30 s). Because interlock structure is densest compared
with other single and double jersey weft knitting structure,
sample no. 4 had highest volume density. As a result,
amount of water absorbed in sample no. 4 is the highest (as
shown in Figure 2(b)). Table 3 shows that amount of water
absorbed in fabric is the same as the water absorption rate
(r=0.981). This indicates that high water absorption rate is
associated with higher absorption capacity. In addition, water
absorption in fabric is highly correlated with vertical
wicking height at weft direction (r=0.991). Besides, it is
correlated with wetting time at top surface by MMT
(r=0.997).
The wetted area suggests the in-plane wicking property of
fabric. The larger the spreading area, the faster the
evaporation might be. The spreading area of sample no. 3 is
the largest. It might be due to its lowest volume density
(0.26 g/cm3). Since its spreading area is the largest, this can
explain higher dry rate found in sample no. 3. It is proved by
that sample no. 3 had largest wetted area at 72.991 cm2 and
quickest dry rate 0.38 g/h as well. Similar result was found
Figure 3. Spontaneous uptake water transport tester results – three-layer set up; (a) water absorbed by bottom filter, top filter and fabric and
(b) transplabar ratio.
Fibers and Polymers 2016, Vol.17, No.8 1293
in the max wetted radius given by MMT; however, the
precision of MMT is lower (sensitivity is 5 unit). Wetted
area in fabric is correlated with absorption time in water
drop test (r=-0.961). If the absorption time is fast, it can
predict with smaller wetted area.
Water content focuses on the concentration of water
within the sample. This parameter is determined by its
wetted area, thickness and porosity. In general, the higher
the water content within a fabric, the less comfort it provides
[10]. Sample no. 3 had the lowest water content (see Figure
2(d)), implying lower degree of wetness discomfort provided.
Sample no. 2 had the highest water content values (Figure
3(d)). This is consistent with finding obtained by water
absorption ratio, because it has finer fiber and lower volume
density. Water content is significantly correlated with water
vapor permeability at 0.977. This is because two indexes are
determined by fabric geometrical property such as thickness,
porosity or bulk density.
Three-layer Test
In the 3-layer set up, the amount of water absorbed by the
bottom filter paper was additionally recorded. Here, the
bottom filter paper acted as a simulated skin layer and it is an
indirect estimation of the degree of skin moistness when
sweated [10].
As shown in Figure 3(a), the amount of water absorbed by
bottom filter paper in sample no. 2 and no. 3 is significantly
lower than that in sample no. 1 and no. 4. This implies that
they can give drier skin feeling when sweating. Besides, the
amount of water absorbed in fabric layer is higher for
sample no. 3. Fabrics with faster absorption can transport
water away from skin layer. This can explain the inverse
relationship found in amount of water absorbed in fabric
layer and amount of water absorbed in bottom filter paper.
Water absorption in top filter is negatively correlated with
one-way transport of MMT test (r=-0.958). This is because
one way transport depends on the water contained in top and
bottom layer of fabric. Besides, absorption in top filter is
1294 Fibers and Polymers 2016, Vol.17, No.8
Table 4. Correlation coefficient between indexes of different tests
Significant correlation between two indexes
Dry rate
Water vapor permeability rate
Wetting time at the top surface by MMT
Wetting time at the top surface by MMT
Wetting time at the bottom surface by MMT
Wetting time at the bottom surface by MMT
Wetting time at the bottom surface by MMT
Absorption rate at the bottom surface by MMT
One way transport by MMT
One way transport by MMT
Overall moisture management capacity by MMT
Overall moisture management capacity by MMT
Water absorption rate by 1 layer SUWTT
Water absorption rate by 1 layer SUWTT
Water absorption rate by 1 layer SUWTT
Water absorption in fabric by 1 layer SUWTT
Water absorption in fabric by 1 layer SUWTT
Water absorption in fabric by 1 layer SUWTT
Water absorption in fabric by 1 layer SUWTT
Water content by 1 layer SUWTT
Water absorption in top filter paper by 3 layer SUWTT
Water absorption in top filter paper by 3 layer SUWTT
Transplanar ratio by 3 layer SUWTT
Note: **correlation is significant at the 0.01 level (2-tailed); *correlation is significant at the 0.05 level (2-tailed).
negatively correlated with overall moisture management
capacity (r=-0.963). It indicated more water retained in top
filter can result in the lower difference between top and
bottom surfaces as well as lower overall moisture management
capacity for the kind of fabric in this study.
The greater wetted area, the quicker evaporation under the
same water content supplied. Sample no. 3 had not only
largest wetted area in fabric but also smallest wetted area in
bottom filter paper. Sample no. 4 had largest wetted area in
bottom filter paper. As a result, it will create the sticky
feeling. This is as same as findings observed in one-layer
test and MMT test. Wetted area reflects the ability of water
spreading in-plane. Wetted area in fabric tested by SUWTT
is negatively correlated with water absorption time tested by
water drop test (r=-0.961). It implied larger wetted area in
fabric in three-layer test is associated with shorter water
absorption time for tested fabrics. Wetted area in bottom
filter is significantly correlated with water absorption in
bottom filter (r= 0.973*). The water transport ability at plane
direction along fabric is poor than water transport ability at
transverse section. It might be that fabric first absorbs water
at transverse section and then water spreads along the plane
Qing Chen et al.
Correlation
coefficient (r)
Water absorption time by wettability test -0.962*
Vertical wicking height at weft direction 0.964*
Vertical wicking height at warp direction 0.950*
Vertical wicking height at weft direction 0.982*
Vertical wicking height at weft direction 0.978*
Water vapor permeability 0.969*
Wetting time at the top surface by MMT 0.955*
Water absorption rate at the top surface by MMT 0.994**
Water absorption rate at the top surface by MMT -0.981*
Water absorption rate at the bottom surface by MMT -0.961*
Water absorption rate at the top surface by MMT -0.966*
One way transport by MMT 0.994**
Vertical wicking height at the warp direction 0.966*
Vertical wicking height at the weft direction 0.957*
Wetting time at the top direction by MMT 0.994**
Wicking height at the weft direction 0.991*
Wetting time at the top direction by MMT 0.997**
Wetting time at the bottom direction by MMT 0.994**
Water absorption rate by SUWTT 0.987*
Water vapor permeability 0.977*
One way transport by MMT -0.958*
Overall moisture management capacity by MMT -0.963*
Water absorption in the top filter paper by 3 layer SUWTT 0.984*
direction of fabric.
In the 3-layer set up, the transplanar wicking property can
be additionally measured. It is done by dividing the water
absorption amount in the top filter paper with the water
absorption amount in the bottom filter paper [10]. It is
believed that the higher the ratio, the farther the water being
transported away from the skin surface and the less clammy
sensation it provides. Sample no. 2 had the highest transplanar
ratio (0.8597). This might be due to the use of finer filament
in sample no. 2. The capillary pressure is higher when the
inter-yarn pore is smaller. Also, sample no. 2 is thinner, so
the driving path from inner surface of the fabric to outer
surface is shorter. Hence, its transplanar ratio is the highest.
Conclusion
To characterize and differentiate the water transport
property, four polyester weft knitted fabrics were tested by
different test methods, including the recently developed
instrument-Spontaneous Uptake Water Transport Tester
(SUWTT), MMT, water drop test, water absorption capacity
test, vertical wicking test, water vapor permeability test and
 Fabrics Tested by Spontaneous Uptake Water Transport Tester
dry rate test. Generally, sample no. 2 and no. 3 are the
preferred choice for badminton sportswear. They are superior
in different perspectives. Sample no. 2 with lowest mass
(140 g/m2) had significantly higher transplanar ratio and
lower water absorption in the bottom filter paper (by
SUWTT) due to the HO-COOLING yarn. Its absorption rate
and spreading speed by MMT is also higher. In addition,
water absorption ratio and water permeability of sample no.
2 is higher than the rest due to its lower thickness. On the
other hand, although sample no. 3 had highest fabric mass
(220 g/m2), it had better in-plane wicking property (larger
wetted area by SUWTT and larger max wetted radius by
MMT), vertical wicking height and dry rate due to its bird
eye structure and lowest volume density. The water transport
property of sample no. 1 and no. 4 is poorer. This can
attribute to spandex yarn of sample no. 1 and highest volume
density of sample no. 4.
Regarding the different tests, wettabiliy test is simple to
check the fabric absorption property and give a preliminary
evaluation. The vertical wicking, water absorption capacity
and dry rate can give the overview of the moisture management
property although they are time consuming. SUWTT
simulating sweating condition could reflect the water
absorbency property and water transport property, but it is
not suitable for the fabric with poor water absorption
property. MMT can classify the grade of moisture management
fabric, but is not suitable for the fabric with mesh. And the
wetted area evaluated by MMT cannot be evaluated
precisely.
Acknowledgement
The authors would like to acknowledge the funding
support from National Science Foundation of China
View publication stats
Fibers and Polymers 2016, Vol.17, No.8 1295
(51403080), Natural Science Foundation of Jiangsu Province of
China (BK20140161), and the Innovation fund project of
Cooperation among Industries, Universities & Research
Institutes of Jiangsu Province (BY2015019-20).
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