A Consideration on Mechanism of Moisture Permeability through Knitted Fabric of Wool and Crimped Acrylic Fiber

Abstract

A mechanism of moisture permeability through ten-layered knitted fabrics was investigated by the method used in the previous report (Mechanism of Moisture Permeation through Cellulose Fabrics). The composition of the fabrics was each of untreated wool, treated wool with the membrane of polymer being forned by the different methods of treatment on the surface of fiber, and the crimped acrylic fiber.
Based on the characteristics of the fiber and the use of knitted fabrics, contrary to woven fabrics, it was showed that the moisture permeability through knitted fabrics occured by a diffusion of water vapour in the minite space among fibers in the layered fabrics, and the diffusion coefficient D_c was calculated. The volume of a space per a unit surface of the fiber in a unit volume of the fabrics was calculated as a qualitative indication of the minute space. As the volume cited above is larger, the D_c is larger. And the highest value of D_c was coincided with the diffusion coefficient of water vapour in the air.