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Assessment of the non-woven, goose down and duck down as thermally insulating materials for the clothing protecting against cold

Anna Katarzyna Dabrowska (Department of Personal Protective Equipment, Central Institute for Labour Protection – National Research Institute, Lodz, Poland)
Grazyna Bartkowiak (Department of Personal Protective Equipment, Central Institute for Labour Protection – National Research Institute, Lodz, Poland)
Jagna Karcz (Laboratory of Scanning Electron Microscopy, University of Silesia, Katowice, Poland)
Iwona Frydrych (Department of Clothing Technology and Textronics, Lodz University of Technology, Lodz, Poland) (Department of Personal Protective Equipment, Central Institute for Labour Protection – National Research Institute, Lodz, Poland)

International Journal of Clothing Science and Technology

ISSN: 0955-6222

Article publication date: 5 June 2017

332

Abstract

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to compare morphological and physical features of three kinds of materials intended for the insulating layer in the clothing protecting against cold – high-bulk non-woven, goose down (GD) and duck down (DD).

Design/methodology/approach

Comparison of thermal performance of developed textile systems with the non-woven, GD and DD content was based on basic biophysical properties related to comfort sensations of the user such as thermal resistance, water vapor resistance and air permeability. In this study, light microscopy and scanning electron microscopy methods were employed to visualize the surface and internal structure of non-woven, GD and DD samples.

Findings

The paper indicates the advantages and disadvantages of each of selected insulating material. For the down samples, significantly higher thermal resistance in a dry state than for the non-woven samples can be achieved. Meanwhile, textile systems with the non-woven provide lower value of water vapor resistance. The selected textile systems for the research were characterized by a comparable air permeability.

Originality/value

This paper allows for an evaluation of high-bulk non-woven, DD and GD samples in terms of providing optimal thermal performance in clothing protecting against cold.

Keywords

Acknowledgements

The publication has been based on the results of research founded in a framework of the statutory activities by Ministry of Science and Higher Education intended for maintaining the scientific potential of CIOP-PIB in 2012-2013 years.

The authors would like to thank Adam Małachowski, a Polish manufacturer of clothing for high mountain expeditions (Malachowski Alpine Workshop), for the scientific discussion relating the laboratory tests results to the experience gained from the real utility conditions, as well as for the technical support in preparation of the textile systems.

Citation

Dabrowska, A.K., Bartkowiak, G., Karcz, J. and Frydrych, I. (2017), "Assessment of the non-woven, goose down and duck down as thermally insulating materials for the clothing protecting against cold", International Journal of Clothing Science and Technology, Vol. 29 No. 3, pp. 380-393. https://doi.org/10.1108/IJCST-08-2016-0094

Publisher

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Emerald Publishing Limited

Copyright © 2017, Emerald Publishing Limited

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