Determining the Drying Time of Apparel Fabrics

Clothing worn during many recreational activities may become wet or damp during wear because of the presence of non-evaporated sweat or rain. This presence of liquid in a fabric increases the effective garment mass, sometimes causing the garment to collapse against the body, result-ing in potential discomfort to the wearer and a cold, clammy feeling. The length of time required for a gar-ment to dry while being worn is therefore important in maintaining a desired level of ‘comfort ’ and minimizing the additional weight from the liquid that the garment may have absorbed. Evaporation of water/sweat is the domi-nant mechanism by which fabric and clothing dries during wear [1] and which has the potential to cool the body through the heat energy required for the process being taken partly from the human body [1]. Accumulation o