Thermal Comfort Aspects of Pesticide-protective Clothing Made with Nonwoven Fabrics

  • Published : 2002.12.01

Abstract

The purpose of this study was to evaluate the thermal resistance of pesticideprotective clothing and to investigate its subjective wear performance. Three different nonwoven fabrics, which provide barrier properties against water and pesticide, were used to manufacture the experimental clothing: spunbonded nonwoven (SB), spunbonded/meltblown/spunbonded nonwoven (SM), and spunlaced nonwoven (SL). The thermal insulation values of the experimental clothing were measured with a thermal manikin, and other wear trials were performed on human subjects in a climate chamber at $28^{\circ}C$, with 70% R.H. and air movement at less than 0.15m/s. Our results found that the thermal resistance was lower in the SB experimental clothing than in the others; that the mean skin temperature of subjects who wore the experimental clothing made with SL was significantly lower than that of subjects who wore the SB and SM clothing; and that the microclimate temperature and humidity with SB were significantly higher than that of the others. Overall, the experimental clothing made with SL was more comfortable than the others in terms of subjective wear sensations.

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References

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