Studies on Test Methods used to Measure Water Vapor Transmission of Fabrics by DSC and Conventional Dish Techniques

The water vapor transmission of a wide range of base fabrics used in extreme cold weather protective clothing has been evaluated using the conventional dish and MDSC techniques. The results generated from the two methods are compared. The studies reveal that the two techniques cannot be compared directly due to different test conditions, although few samples exhibited good correlation. Further, the study examines and analyzes the effect of constructional parameters of the base fabric on water vapor transfer, factors that are often used as surrogate indicators of clothing comfort affecting the combat efficiency of soldiers.