Waterproof and breathable fabric
Waterproof and breathable fabric
The main functions of waterproof and breathable fabrics are: waterproof, moisture-permeable, breathable, insulating, windproof, and warm. In terms of production technology, the technical requirements of waterproof and breathable fabrics are much higher than those of ordinary waterproof fabrics. At the same time, from a quality point of view, waterproof and breathable fabrics also have functional characteristics that other waterproof fabrics do not have. Waterproof and breathable fabrics not only enhance the air-tightness and water-tightness of the fabric, but also have unique breathable properties that can quickly discharge water vapor inside the structure, avoid mold breeding in the structure, and keep the human body always dry. It perfectly solves the problem of breathability, windproof, waterproof, It is a new type of fabric that is healthy and environmentally friendly.
In the state of water vapor, the water particles are very small. According to the principle of capillary movement, they can smoothly penetrate into the capillary tube to the other side, thus causing vapor permeability. When water vapor condenses into water droplets, the particles become larger. Due to the surface tension of the water droplets (the water molecules “pull and compete” with each other), the water molecules cannot smoothly break away from the water droplets and penetrate to the other side, which is to prevent Water penetration occurs, making the breathable membrane waterproof.
Real waterproof fabrics can withstand the pressure of water seepage and do not seep water even if they are exposed to humid climate environments for a long time. For example, if you walk outdoors in windy and rainy conditions for a long time, or kneel or sit on wet ground, there will be no water leakage.
Friends who have been in the outdoors for a while must know that the high technology and high performance advertised by outdoor clothing are largely related to the waterproof and breathable fabrics. So what exactly is the principle of waterproof and breathable fabrics, and what are the effects of various materials on the market? How?
Waterproof and breathable sound like a pair of contradictions. Since it is waterproof, it is sealed. We all know that water is pervasive, so how can it be breathable? In fact, this is related to the characteristics of water. As we all know, the surface of water has tension. In life, we can find that when we pour water, the water can often be a little higher than the mouth of the cup without flowing out. This is the surface tension of water. As a result, this phenomenon is mainly because water molecules only have a relatively large molecular attraction, making each water molecule as closely connected as possible without being separated. Water vapor is also a water molecule, but at this time, the distance between each water molecule are completely independent and therefore not so closely linked. Taking advantage of this characteristic, the laboratory found through tests that if the hole is small enough, it can only allow water in the vapor state to pass through but not liquid water. Taking advantage of this characteristic, waterproof and breathable materials were invented, which use the interlacing of polyester fiber materials to form multiple tiny holes on the fabric. Taking the common waterproof and breathable material GORE-TEX as an example, the principle of this material is that there is no square There are hundreds of millions of small holes distributed on the inch. The diameter of each small hole is one 20,000 times that of a small liquid water droplet, but 700 times larger than the small state of water vapor. This is the principle of waterproofing and breathability.
The picture is a comparative test of the breathability performance of several waterproof and breathable materials conducted by a foreign laboratory. This chart includes almost all of our common materials. Here we use this as a basis to talk about the performance of various materials. Let’s first talk about the materials included in the chart that are common in China. The last row on the left is LOWEALPINE’s own materials, the top is PATAGONIA’s own Nextec material, and the top one is Japan’s Toray’s Entrant material. Toray is actually the same as GORE. Gore is almost the same, only materials, no finished products. Above it is EVENT material, below on the right is TNF’s HYEVNT material, above it is Columbia’s OMNI-TECH, above it is MHW’s Conduit, and above it is Deguo. Sympatex is called Xinbaoxi in Chinese, and above it is another material called Dermizax from Japan’s Toray, and above that is GTX and GTXXCR. Basically, the common materials for domestic clothing are here. Let’s talk about the coordinates of the chart. The abscissa represents the humidity difference between the inside and outside of the fabric, and the ordinate represents the breathability. The unit is the mass of water vapor that can be transmitted per square meter per 24 hours. The humidity difference is measured on both sides of the fabric, with one side at a relative humidity of 100. % of the environment, the other side ranges from 30%-70%. In the changes in humidity, we find that almost all materials can be attributed to two types. One is an almost horizontal straight line represented by LOWEALPINE, PATAGONIA and EVENT, and the other is that most other materials form close to a half parabola. Our common GORE-TEX can be found in the chart that the breathability is the best among all parabolic materials. However, the breathability effect fluctuates greatly, basically fluctuating between 1200 grams and 3500 grams per square meter every day. When the outside is dry, the breathability performance is greatly reduced. According to the nominal data of the Gore manufacturer, GORE-TEXXCR claims that the breathability is 25% higher than that of traditional GORE-TEX. This is true from the measured data in the table, but the fluctuation is also relatively large, basically 1500 per square meter per day. Between grams-4000 grams. The manufacturer’s nominal product breathability is often the breathability of the material at its peak. For a material whose breathability is greatly reduced as the difference in internal and external humidity increases, the moisture content of this marking method is naturally very large. Looking at the materials represented by EVENT, the breathability performance can basically be maintained at around 5300 grams no matter how big the difference in humidity between the inside and outside is. Everyone can clearly distinguish which one is better. 8l3cneO
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