Assessing insulating fabric performance for extremely cold weather

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to present the quantification of the thermal conductivities and thermal resistances of 12 insulating fabrics extracted from commercial clothing products under static, simulated sweating, and simulated wind chill conditions. Design/methodology/approach Triplicate coded (blind test) samples of each fabric were tested in a modified ASTM 1518‐85 test apparatus enclosed in a cold box capable of temperatures as low as −85°C to determine thermal conductivity and thermal resistance. Sweat and wind chill were also simulated and evaluated. Findings One fabric, Vaetrex0, was clearly found to be superior under all conditions to the other 11 fabrics tested. The performance of many of the other fabrics varied when exposed to simulated sweat. Practical implications An objective evaluation of fabrics that can assist manufacturers in fabric selection for cold weather clothing manufacture. Originality/value The paper provides an extension of the ASTM 1518‐85 method to cold conditions and a unique blind comparison test of commercial clothing fabrics under these extreme conditions.