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a single product or are building a new laboratory, SDL Atlas can offer expert
assistance.

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 thermoregulatory properties--properties of textiles which
influence the thermoregulation of the human body to maintain the core
body temperature at a stable and comfortable state

IMPORTANT TO COMFORT OF GARMENTS

• TECHNICAL REPORT CEN/TR 16422

– Classification of thermoregulatory properties

Available from
http://www.cen.eu/cen/Products/TR/Pages/default.aspx
or from CEN National member bodies.

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 Measuring and grading (A,B,C)
• thermal insulation;
• water vapour transmission (breathability);
• air permeability;
• water penetration resistance and repellence;
• liquid sweat management.

Choose a “product profile” for type of use

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for Thermal insulation testing

• ISO 5085-1, Textiles – Determination of
thermal resistance – Part 1: Low thermal
resistance
– Principle--The temperature drop across a material
of known thermal resistance and across a
specimen of the material under test in series with
it are measured, and from the values obtained,
the thermal resistance of the specimen is
determined.
• but instrument not commercially available

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for Thermal insulation testing
• Instead we recommend
• EN 31092 (ISO 11092), Textiles –
Determination of physiological effects –
Measurement of thermal and water-vapour
resistance under steady-state conditions
(sweating guarded-hotplate test)

for Thermal insulation testing

• EN 31092 (ISO 11092)
– Principle--The specimen to be tested is placed on an
electrically-heated plate with conditioned air ducted to
flow across and parallel to its upper surface as specified in
this international standard.
– For the determination of thermal resistance, the heat flux
through the test specimen is measured after steady state
conditions have been reached. The thermal resistance Rct
of a material is determined by subtracting the thermal
resistance of the boundary air layer above the surface of
the test apparatus from that of a test specimen plus
boundary air layer, both measured under the same
conditions.

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for Thermal insulation testing
• SDL Atlas Sweating Guarded Hot Plate (SGHP)

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for Water vapour transmission (breathability)

• Use SGHP and EN 31092 (ISO 11092)
– Principle--The specimen to be tested is placed on an electrically
heated plate with conditioned air ducted to flow across and parallel to
its upper surface as specified in this international standard. For the
determination of water-vapour resistance, an electrically heated
porous plate is covered by a water-vapour permeable but liquid-water
impermeable membrane. Water fed to the heated plate evaporates
and passes through the membrane as vapour, so that no liquid water
contacts the test specimen. With the test specimen placed on the
membrane, the heat flux required to maintain a constant temperature
at the plate is a measure of the rate of water evaporation, and from
this the water-vapour resistance of the test specimen is determined.
The water-vapour resistance Ret of a material is determined by
subtracting the water-vapour resistance of the boundary air layer
above the surface of the test apparatus from that of the test specimen
plus boundary air layer, both measured under the same conditions.

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for Water vapour transmission (breathability)

• Alternatively-
– ISO 15496 Textiles — Measurement of water vapour
permeability of textiles for the purpose of quality
control

• SDL Atlas PermaVape

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for Water vapour transmission (breathability)

• ISO 15496 Textiles — Measurement of water vapour
permeability of textiles for the purpose of quality
control
– Principle--The specimen to be tested is placed, together
with a waterproof but highly water-vapour-permeable,
hydrophobic, micro porous membrane on a ring holder
and then put in a water bath so that the membrane is in
contact with the water. This is then left for 15 min. A cup
containing saturated potassium acetate solution, creating a
relative humidity of about 23 % at the specimen’s upper
face, and covered with a second piece of the same
membrane, is weighed and then inverted above the
specimen in the ring holder, so that the membrane is in
contact with the specimen.

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for Air permeability
• SDL Atlas Digital Air Permeability tester

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for Air permeability

• EN ISO 9237, Textiles – Determination of
permeability of fabrics to air (ISO 9237)
– Principle--The rate of flow of air passing
perpendicularly through a given area of fabric is
measured at a given pressure difference across
the fabric test area over a given time period. In
the context of this document, the measurement
should be carried out at a pressure drop across
the specimen test area of 100 Pa and the area of
the specimen holder 20 cm2.

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for Water penetration-resistance-repellence

• SDL Atlas Spray Rating Tester

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for Water penetration-resistance-repellence

• EN 24920 (ISO 4920), Textiles – Determination

of resistance to surface wetting (spray test) of
fabrics
– Principle--A specified volume of distilled water is
sprayed on a test specimen which has been
mounted on a ring and placed at an angle of 45 °
so that the center of the specimen is at a
specified distance below the spray nozzle. The
spray rating is determined by comparing the
appearance of the specimen with descriptive
standards and photographs.

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for Water penetration-resistance-repellence

• SDL Atlas Bundesmann water repellency Tester

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for Water penetration-resistance-repellence

• EN 29865 (ISO 9865), Textiles – Determination of

water repellency of fabrics by the Bundesmann rain-
shower test
– Principle--Test specimens of textile fabrics are
mounted on cups and then exposed to an artificial
rain shower under defined conditions. The water
repellency is assessed by visual comparison of the wet
specimens with reference photographs. The water
absorbed by specimens during the test is calculated by
weighing. The water penetrating the specimens is
collected in the cups and recorded.

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for Water penetration-resistance-repellence

• SDL Atlas Hydrostatic Head Tester

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for Water penetration-resistance-repellence

• EN 20811, Textiles – Determination of resistance

to water penetration – Hydrostatic pressure test.
– Principle--The hydrostatic head supported by a fabric
is a measure of the resistance to the penetration of
water through the fabric. A specimen is subjected to a
steadily increasing pressure of water on one face,
under standard conditions, until penetration occurs in
three places. The pressure at which the water
penetrates the fabric at the third place is noted

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for Liquid sweat management
• laboratories around the world turn to the
patented SDL Atlas MMT Moisture
Management Tester

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for Liquid sweat management

• AATCC TM 195, Liquid moisture management properties of textile
fabrics
– Principle--The liquid moisture management properties of a textile are
evaluated by placing a fabric specimen between two horizontal (upper
and lower) electrical sensors each with seven concentric rings of pins.
A predetermined amount of test solution that aids the measurement
of electrical conductivity changes is dropped onto the center of the
test specimen surface. The test solution is free to move in three
directions: radial spreading on the top surface, movement through the
specimen from top surface to the bottom surface, and radial spreading
on the bottom surface of the specimen.
During the test, changes in electrical resistance of specimens are
measured and recorded. The electrical resistance readings are used to
calculate fabric liquid moisture content changes that quantify dynamic
liquid moisture transport behaviours in multiple directions of the
specimen.

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for Liquid sweat management
• A specially modified SGHP is described in the
TR for the private standard--
– BPI 1.2.1 (Bekleidungsphysiologisches Institut,
Hohenstein)

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for Liquid sweat management

• BPI 1.2.1 (Bekleidungsphysiologisches Institut, Hohenstein)
– Principle--The buffering capacity and transport of liquid sweat of a
textile material is measured with the sweating guarded hotplate,
specified in EN 31092 (ISO 11092). Measuring unit and air in the
climatic cabinet are set isothermally to 35 °C and the relative humidity
is set to 30 %. To perform the test, the SGHP’smeasuring unit is
covered with a thin foil which is water and vapour impermeable. On
the top of the foil a polyester-woven fabric is placed. This fabric
simulates the sweating human skin and the foil prevents water being
wicked into the measuring unit during the test. 15 cm³ of water with a
temperature of 35 °C are evenly distributed onto the polyester-woven
fabric. Then a specimen is placed wrinkle free on the polyester-woven
fabric. After 15 min the specimen is removed. During the test, water
vapour diffusion is taking place through the specimen and the
specimen is absorbing water out of the underlying polyester-woven
fabric which is also partly evaporated.

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 What’s next?

THE CHOICE OF PERFORMANCE LEVELS

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choice of performance levels

• Review and decide the proposed use of the
clothing and the climate and determine A, B,
or C grades for the measured properties.

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Performance for skin contact materials, warm climate
Property Unit A B C
Thermal insulation
0,015 < Rct <
ISO 5085-1 or m² K/W Rct ≤ 0,015 0,03 < Rct < 0,04
0,03
EN 31092
Water vapour transmission
Knitted fabrics
Water vapour permeability index 0 -1 imt > 0,35 0,35 > imt > 0,25 0,25 > imt > 0,15
index EN 31092
Woven fabrics
Water vapour resistance m² Pa/W Ret < 3 3 < Ret ≤ 4 4 < Ret < 5
EN 31092
Air permeability
mm/s - - -
EN ISO 9237
Water penetration
resistance and repellence
Water penetration
cm H2O
resistance - - -
EN 20811
Water repellence
grade 1-5
EN 29865
spray rate
- - -
EN 24920
Liquid sweat management
Liquid moisture
management index OMMC≥ 4 4 > OMMC ≥ 3 OMMC <3
AATCC TM 195
Liquid sweat transport g/m² h
F > 810 810 > F > 765 765 > F > 695
Annex B (25 °C; 50 % r.h.)
Liquid sweat buffering index 0-1
Kf ≥ 0,95 0,95 > Kf ≥ 0,85 0,85 > Kf > 0,78
Annex B 29

Performance for outer layer materials, warm climate

Property Unit A B C
Thermal insulation
0,02 < Rct ≤ 0,035 ≤ Rct ≤
ISO 5085-1 or m² K/W Rct ≤ 0,02
0,035 0,045
EN 31092
Water vapour transmission
Knitted fabrics
0,35 > imt > 0,25 > imt >
Water vapour permeability index 0 -1 1 imt > 0,35
0,25 0,15
index EN 31092
Woven fabrics
Water vapour resistance m² Pa/W Ret ≤ 4 4 < Ret ≤ 5
EN 31092 5 < Ret < 6
Woven fabrics, waterproof
Water vapour resistance m² Pa/W Ret ≤ 6 6 < Ret ≤ 13 13 < Ret < 20
EN 31092
Air permeability
mm/s AP ≤ 5 5 < AP ≤ 100 100 < AP
EN ISO 9237
Water penetration
resistance and repellence
Water penetration
cm H2O 400 > WR ≥
resistance WR ≥ 400 WR > 130
EN 20811 130
Water repellence
EN 29865 grade 1-5
spray rate
5 4 3
EN 24920
5 4 3
Liquid sweat management
Liquid moisture
management index - - -
AATCC TM 195
Liquid sweat transport
Annex B (25 °C; 50 % r.h.)
g/m² h - - -
Liquid sweat buffering
index 0-1 - - - 30
Annex B
 labeling garments for thermoregulatory performance

AN A MAY NOT BE THE BEST GRADE

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Marking example, skin contact, warm climate

Thermal insulation A

Water vapour transmission A

Liquid sweat management A

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Marking example, skin contact, cold climate

Thermal insulation C

Water vapour transmission A

Liquid sweat management A

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Marking example, intermediate layer, cold

climate

Thermal insulation B

Water vapour transmission A

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Marking example, outerwear, cold climate

Thermal insulation C

Water vapour transmission B

Air permeability A

Water repellence B

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Conclusion

It isn’t unexpected that there are large differences in the conditions of

use or various garments and clothing systems . The Technical Report
emphasizes that these necessitate a flexible use of the properties and
performance levels. By choosing an appropriate level for each property
and then compose a “product profile” the TR has introduced a great tool
for manufacturers, retailers and consumers alike.

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