The American Association of Textile Chemists and Colorists (AATCC) has introduced a new test method to measure accumulated condensation on a fabric, calling it an "important step" to drive sustainable practices within supply chains.
AATCC TM214 is a new tool for the textile industry to assess the performance of fabrics in wet and dry conditions. Circular Filter Paper
The new test method applies to clothing systems, tenting fabrics, and medical and technical temporary shelters. However, the condensation rate heavily depends on temperature and vapor pressure across a fabric system.
The AATCC research committee shared that the new method is designed to measure the water condensation accumulation on the innermost (back) surface of waterproof fabrics in a humid microclimate. During the test, the outermost fabric (face) surface is subjected to dry and wet conditions (simulated precipitation). The condensation accumulation is determined by calculating the mass change of a filter paper attached to the inner chamber for a prescribed time.
The test apparatus has an inner chamber (microenvironment) and an outer chamber (simulated precipitation). The test can be conducted inside an environmental chamber or under ambient conditions. This feature allows broad use across various textile systems for the accurate representation of a company’s unique platform.
Although several existing test methods measure the effectiveness of moisture transport mechanisms ‘through fabric’, AATCC points out that this is the first method to measure condensation created by the microclimate of the textile product.
AATCC also highlighted that the insights gained by using this method will help organisations improve and develop new hydrophobic and water-repellent fabric systems; calling it an effective way to drive sustainable practices in their supply chains.
AATCC has been working on connecting the global textile community to empower an innovative, informed and sustainable future. In August 2021, AATCC announced a new global standard for measuring fibre shedding to tackle the amount of water pollution caused by microfibres and microplastics.
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