Review of test methods for measuring water vapour transfer properties of fabrics

The water vapour transport characteristics of fabrics, made from polymeric materials, are critical determinant of wear comfort. There are six standard test methods available for measuring water vapour transport properties of fabrics. Due to various construction mechanisms, test conditions, measurement variables and units adopted by different methods, the test results are not directly comparable, though good correlations were observed among some test methods only for a certain type of fabrics. However, these test methods cannot be employed to describe the ability of fabrics to transport moisture vapour under dynamic conditions, which is frequently experienced by people. There is a great need for future research on the techniques to accurately and precisely characterize the dynamic water vapour transport of layered fabrics in terms of overall thermal parameters.