The use of modern fabrics, accessories and non-woven materials allows you to reduce the weight of a set of insulated clothing to 3 –4 kg compared to 7–8 kg in previous products. The use of not one, but two or three or more layers of cloth in a clothing package forms additional air cavities between the layers and thus increases the total thermal resistance.
Layering in clothing a worldwide approach to solving thermal insulation problems at extremely low temperatures. The concept of multilayering is also noted today in foreign trends. Most clearly they could be traced not recently held in Munich outdoor exhibition ISPO 2019.
Taking into account the emergence of new technologies and materials, close interest in this approach is obvious, because the effectiveness of clothing depends on the thermal conductivity of materials, linear fiber density, ambient temperature, external air heat transfer coefficient and the size of the air space between the surface of the skin and the material, that is, all the indicators that innovators are working on, creating their new products.
As the first layer in multilayer clothing, contact materials are used (those that are in direct contact with the human body), they provide some insulation, but the main purpose of such materials is to transfer moisture from the skin to the outer layer of the clothing system.
Woolen fabrics have been used as a contact fabric for centuries, their use in cold climates is well documented. An example of multi-layered clothing can be ECWCS clothing sets developed in the USA for cold conditions back in the 1980s. The 1st generation of ECWCS consisted of 22 separate types of clothing used in a variety of combinations.
The layering approach in clothing is effective and proven, but requires the active participation of the user of thermal insulation products. The volume and mass of textile materials used in protective clothing should be as small as possible so that the clothing does not create physical stress and discomfort.
Domestic industry develops technologies in accordance with global trends, often even forming them. Thus, the spread of non-woven materials Holofiber® contributes to changing the approach not only to the design of clothing (special, children's, sports, uniforms, etc.), but also to the appropriate selection of components, raw materials for their production.
Fibrous materials Holofiber® have changed the idea of the possibilities of synthetic thermal insulation. Having the property of minimal hygroscopicity of chemical fibers (1%), insulation bags work on the principle of "dry heat" in contrast to down, feather, wool, batting.
Let's explain: lightweight «air » fiber-based thermal insulation synthetic materials contribute to the retention of «dry heat » and air exchange inside the clothing package. Thus, if carbon dioxide is continuously released through the skin of a person in a set of clothes and oxygen is absorbed, then the retention of such an air mixture in the underclothing space can have an impact on a person, his energy consumption.
Thermal insulation materials Holofiber caused the appearance of new "packages" of clothing. For example, with membrane thermo and moisture-wicking fabrics of the upper and lining fabrics, which help to maintain a certain range of temperature and humidity in the shrinking space between the environment and human skin (insulation is becoming thinner and more effective).
In this combination, indeed, the effectiveness of nonwovens can be maximized, and clothing is even more comfortable. For example, the solution to increase the thermal insulation properties of clothing was the novelty of 2018 - packages Holofiber® A1® with Thermal Control technology. Thermoregulation is revealed as the main feature of the clothing package. This technology reacts to changes in body temperature!
However, these are not all promising approaches to improving the thermal insulation properties of clothing.
To be continued.
The text was prepared by: Vladislav Ivanov, PhD, Elena Mezentseva, LLC "Thermopol", Holofiber®
