An Instrument to Measure the Vertical Wicking of Fabrics by Non-Contact Method Using Color Sensors

Abstract

In this research paper, an instrument was designed and developed to measure the vertical wicking behavior of textile fabrics. This instrument measures the vertical wicking capability of the fabric samples with respect to time very precisely by the non-contact method using color sensors. It records the vertical wicking time of the fabric using color sensors which analyse the change of color in the fabric caused by the color solution used for wicking. The color sensors are arranged vertically at equal intervals. For validating the developed instrument, four types of woven and knitted fabric samples were tested at first using the standard manual test method and next using the developed instrument. The results were compared for its accuracy and repeatability. Results obtained from this developed instrument were highly correlated with the manual method and were reliable. This development can be used for the objective evaluation of vertical wicking characteristics of the fabric.

Keywords

• color sensor
• comfort
• instrument
• texture
• vertical wicking
• wicking