Enhancement of Coolness to the Touch by Hygroscopic Fibers: Part II: Physical Mechanisms

Physical mechanisms responsible for subjective differentiation in coolness to the touch between textile fabrics are investigated in terms of the dynamic moisture sorption behavior at the interface between skin and fabric. The change in skin temperature during initial contact with fabric is related to the rate of moisture desorption at the inner surface of the fabric, which in turn directly relates to the sorption capacity and diffusion coefficient of the fibers involved, and to the inverse of the fiber diameter. By applying a model of skin thermoreceptor behavior to the skin temperature response predicted from the moisture sorption behavior of fabrics during skin contact, the integrated thermoreceptor impulse output, known as the psychosensory intensity, can be used to predict subjectively perceived differences in coolness.