An Experimental Investigation to Examine the Wicking Properties of Silk Fabrics

摘要

In this research, the wicking characteristics of fabrics were used as an essential and effective indicator to investigate the satisfaction of heat and moisture. Due to the popularization of silk fabrics recently it has become an interesting topic to know about the wicking behavior of silk fabrics in water. The absorptive capability of the silk textile makes clothing comfortable even for a hotter environment. Silk fabrics are comfortable in the summer, and warm in the winter. Silk fabric can usually contain about 11 percent of its weight in moisture but the range varies from 10% to as much as 30%. In this paper, the wicking behavior of silk fabric in both warp and weft directions was investigated in terms of wicking height, wicking rate, mass increase distribution per centimeter of wicking height, the velocity of wicking height, and durability of wicking height after removal of the wicking liquid reservoir. The experimental results show that the wicking height in both the warp and weft directions had a good correlation with the time. The wicking rate was comparable in both weft and warp directions, but at the start of the wicking phase, weft direction wicking was quicker than warp direction. The mass increase in fabric per centimeter of wicking height was inversely proportional to wicking height. The mass of moisture carried in the fabric did not significantly differ in the direction of the weft and warp.