Development of thermoregulating textile materials with micro encapsulated phase change materials (PCM). IV. Performance properties and hand of fabrics treated with PCM microcapsules

Polyester knit fabrics were treated with phase-change-material microcapsules by a pad-dry-cure method with a polyurethane binder. The treated fabrics were evaluated in terms of the thermal properties, air permeability, moisture vapor permeability, moisture regain, low-stress mechanical properties, and hand, with respect to the add-on of microcapsules. The surface morphology of the treated fabrics was investigated with scanning electron microscopy. The low-stress mechanical properties of the treated fabrics, including the tensile, shear, bending, surface, and compression properties, were measured with the Kawa-bata evaluation system for fabrics (KES-FB). As the add-on increased, the heat storage capacity of the treated fabrics increased. The treated fabric with 22.9% add-on was capable of absorbing 4.44 J/g of heat. The air permeability and moisture vapor permeability decreased, whereas the moisture regain increased, with an increase in the add-on. The tensile linearity and geographical roughness increased, whereas the resilience, bending, and shear properties decreased with an increase in the add-on. The fabrics became stiffer, less smooth, and less full as the add-on increased, and thus the total hand value decreased. (c) 2005 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.