New ASTM textiles standard proposed
Test method will be useful in measuring thermal properties of textiles.
A proposed new ASTM International standard will test the thermal effusivity of materials. Thermal effusivity is a measure of how a material exchanges heat with another material with which it is in contact.
Measuring this will reveal the rate at which a fabric absorbs heat when it first comes in contact with skin. Fabric with a low thermal effusivity rate is slow to absorb heat and would feel warmer to the touch and be slower to transfer heat away from the body.
The proposed standard, ASTM WK43374, Test Method for Measurement of Thermal Effusivity of Fabrics Using a Guarded Modified Transient Plane Source (MTPS) Instrument, will become a benchmark scale test method for textile mills to compare and develop new technologies for managing heat. Intended for apparel fabrics, it has the potential to be used for other household textiles, such as bed sheets, as well as the upholstery and automobile industries.
ASTM WK43374 is being developed by Subcommittee D13.51 on Conditioning, Chemical and Thermal Properties, part of ASTM Committee D13 on Textiles. All interested parties are invited to participate in the ongoing development of ASTM WK43374. D13.51 will be looking for laboratories to participate in an interlaboratory study for the proposed standard.
For more information, visit the ASTM website.
