Characteristics of Tencel Clothes in Response to Human Thermoregulation during 43-degree Water Heat Loading

• Published in: Journal of Home Economics of Japan Vol. 56; no. 10; pp. 753 - 759
• Main Authors: KANEKO, Yoshiko, KAGAWA, Harumi, FUKUOKA, Yoshiyuki, TAKITA, Chizuko
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English; Japanese
• Published: The Japan Society of Home Economics 2005; 一般社団法人 日本家政学会
• Subjects: clopthing climate; heat loading; skin temperature; sweating rate; tencel; thermal sensation; テンセル; 温冷感; 温熱負荷; 発汗; 皮膚温; 衣服気候
• ISSN: 0913-5227; 1882-0352
• DOI: 10.11428/jhej1987.56.753

The purpose of this study was to clarify the characteristics of tencel material from the aspect of human thermoregulation during heat loading in women. For the purpose of comparison, of the tencel material, clothes made of 3 kinds of material (tencel, cotton and polyester) were used in the present experiment. Five young females were exposed to a 43-degree water heat loading for 30 min and a 30-min recovery. Individual skin temperatures, local sweat rate, body temperature, and the temperature and humidity of the inner surface of the clothes were measured throughout the experiment. The skin temperatures at the chest and forearm regions in tencel tended to be higher than those in cotton and polyester. The changes of the inner surface temperature and humidity were significantly lower in tencel than in cotton during the heat loading. The sweat rate in tencel was significantly lower than in polyester. These findings suggest that the tencel material suppresses microclimate changes within clothing during heat loading.