Water repellency testing helps retailers and manufacturers meet and exceed consumer’s comfort and performance expectations in outdoor apparel.
By Paul Montalto
我n 2019, the waterproof, breathable textiles market was valued at $1.7 billion, according to a Market Analysis report. The report further estimates a compound annual growth rate of 6.6 percent over the following six years for that particular market. This trend is driven by a growing awareness of the health benefits of sports and the increased necessity to exercise outdoors. Within this space, water repellent garments have become key performers.
水排泄物描述了在纺织品表面上的水串珠，水在该表面渗透到织物上。这种特性通常是通过将膜或涂料与紧密编织的织物结合在一起来实现的。驱虫服装的好处是它们的透气性。织物保持多孔，使其可以渗透到空气和水蒸气中，这使其对佩戴者更舒适。最终，防水服装应提供舒适的防止间歇性雨水。
为什么水排泄物很重要？
水排泄物在很大程度上很重要，因为消费者行为的变化使得如此。
There has been an increased interest in athleisure for many years now. The sportswear industry has influenced mainstream fashion, and innovations in technology have led to improvements in functionality.
特别是对于室外磨损，全球大流行的开始进一步增加了需求。长期关闭健身房，游泳池和运动课，越来越多的人前往户外运动。此外，越来越多的人在自己的祖国度假，这对许多人来说意味着将泳衣和短裤换成雨衣和步行裤。随着需求的增加，需要进行更严格的性能测试，以确保服装在暴露于元素时应尽其所能。
选择配件，例如驱虫剂或防水品质的背包，也变得越来越普遍。品牌和制造商的另一个考虑因素通常可能涉及更多特定功能的测试，例如建立何种角色接缝，拉链和口袋播放。
Consumers expect comfort from their garments. Comfort is influenced by fit factors as well as fabric properties such as stretch and recovery, and thermal and moisture management properties. But for outdoor wear in particular, comfort is about finding a balance between keeping water out and letting sweat escape.
驱逐驱虫织物的透气性涉及的风险错误
安全性可以说是用户从性能服装中期望的最重要的功能。驱虫织物的透气性涉及错误的风险，主要是它们可以捕获汗水并导致佩戴者过热。这似乎不是在公园里快速散步的问题，但是对于长期徒步旅行的佩戴者来说，这可能会导致严重的健康风险。
To understand the testing that must be performed, it is important to understand the make-up of a garment, and the role that layers play.
在运动服，尤其是户外服装中，经常提倡三层服装系统，系统中的每一层都执行不同的功能，以补充整体，以最大程度地舒适。
A layering system typically includes:
- A base layer;
- A mid layer; and
- 外部保护壳层。
An effective outer layer should have a high level of water resistance as well as a high level of water vapor permeability, or breathability. How this layer is constructed plays a significant part in this permeability.
这是外层面临的挑战 - 创建提供良好防水性的织物相对简单，但是在保持透气性的同时这样做是一个更复杂的过程，因为这两种属性在典型的纺织品中具有反相反的关系。彻底的测试制度可以证明已经达到了这些属性之间的平衡。
测试水排泄物
Water repellency is tested by spray methods, using instruments such as the Bundesmann or Spray Rate Tester, where water is run over the surface of the fabric and the repellency is visually graded.
For the Bundesmann method, in particular testing to ISO 9865, the test instrument generates artificial rainfall to simulate the real life conditions the end garment will be used in. Here, three aspects of water repellency are measured:
- Surface water repellency is visually assessed;
- 通过称量样品来评估对吸水的耐药性；和
- 通过收集已经通过样品的水来确定对水渗透的抗性。
与任何测试一样，过程中有某些部分需要注意，这可能会对结果产生影响。
Pro tips for testing include:
- 正确夹紧织物以避免结果的差异；
- 时机就是一切 - 一旦测试完成，就可以随时评估；
- Condition the samples in accordance to the standard;
- 水温很重要，应记录下来；和
- 在测试之前必须运行15分钟，以确保水流是一致的。
Sustainability
Traditionally, the Bundesmann test requires a lot of water, which can be an issue for apparel brands and manufacturers who are tackling sustainability issues.
联合国可持续时尚的合作伙伴关系发现，时尚造成了近20％的全球废水，以及全球碳排放量的10％，因此更加清洁，更高效且最终可持续存在很大的压力。尽管测试在此过程中起着一小部分，但在测试过程中可以节省大量资金。
James Heal最近进行了一项小型研究项目，以对其联邦军测试工具的水再循环功效。
一个典型的Bundesmann防水性测试人员runs for eight hours per day, five days per week, is consuming 3,360 liters of water. It is plumbed into the mains and drained directly after a single fall onto the specimen. Recirculating the water would reduce usage, but we had to establish there would be no detrimental effects to testing when doing this.
包括：
- 如果织物在洗涤时脱落 - 尤其是人造织物散发出许多微塑料 - 这种脱落的材料会留在水中并影响下一轮测试吗？
- Would the shedded material stick to the next specimen being tested and give a false impression of water repellency for a garment that would then fail when worn?
詹姆斯·康（James Heal）进行了内部和使用外部实验室的大量测试，以验证结果是否准确。测试结果得出的结论是，从头到尾都有一致性，并且通过证实这一点，该公司能够计算其再循环单元可以提供的节省，包括：
- An eight-hour working day’s use of the James Heal TruRain Bundesmann recirculation system sees 83 percent total cost savings in energy consumption and total running costs.
- There is less waste: 99-percent less water is used during testing alone — 150 tests a week equates to a drop in water consumption from 2,100 liters to just 23 liters.
- Additionally, it is accurate, safe and reliable: Through the use of an effective Water Safety Plan, health and safety can be maintained.
James Heal also found that by using the recirculation unit, it was much easier to maintain the temperature of the water. The percentage of water absorbed by fabrics can increase as the temperature increases, so it is important to control temperature for consistency in results.
证明水排泄物
With an increase in demand for water repellent clothing, and the subsequent increase in the popularity of Bundesmann testing, understanding and implementing repeatable testing is crucial to substantiate any claims made about a garment. The challenge for retailers and manufacturers is to meet and exceed consumer’s expectations for comfort and performance, and water repellency is one part of the puzzle for achieving this.
Editor’s Note: Paul Montalto is a Technical Knowledge manager for the Physical Properties Testers Group (PPT Group), an England-based family of brands — James Heal, Mecmesin and Alluris — that design and produce solutions for testing a wide range of physical properties including compression, light fastness, moisture, dry rate, water repellency, abrasion, flammability, and tensile and torque properties.
2022年1月/ 2月
