The popularity of cold winter sports such as alpine climbing, ice climbing and recreational skiing has spurred the demand for fabrics and technologies which help to keep the outdoor enthusiast dry, warm and comfortable.
Cold temperatures are less of a problem for people pursuing outdoor activities than they were in the past. Advances in insulating technologies have led to the creation of clothing systems which keep the wearer at a comfortable temperature, even in some of the coldest weather conditions. Technological developments have also made it possible to create fabrics which maintain comfortable temperatures for the wearer without adding significantly to the bulk of the garment. A key trend in this performance wear category is the use of lighter-weight insulation which offers greater comfort without sacrificing warmth. Duvet-like ski jackets are becoming a thing of the past with the growing popularity of lightweight soft shells which combine insulation with the durability and weather resistance of a hard shell.
One of the most noteworthy developments in the field of temperature control fabrics has been the use of phase change materials (PCMs). Unlike traditional insulations, PCM-based fabrics work interactively with the body to prevent overheating when activity levels or ambient temperatures increase. Although PCM technology has not taken off as rapidly as its proponents had expected, the range of textile applications to which it is being applied has broadened considerably in recent years. Over the past decade, with the advent of wearable technology, battery powered heating devices have begun to enter the temperature control market. However, while great work has been done to improve the temperature control, expense and wearability of these garments, much has yet to be achieved. Other temperature control technologies are also attracting the attention of outdoor enthusiasts and include silver-based fabrics, adjustable insulation systems and bionic climate membranes. For the future, research into temperature control systems for the performance apparel industry is set to grow in importance as efforts are stepped up to develop all-weather clothing systems which provide optimum comfort.
Performance Apparel Market reports provide you with business and market analysis of worldwide trends in high performance activewear and corporate apparel. Each report contains:
Why performance apparel?
Performance apparel represents one of the fastest growing sectors of the international textile and clothing industry. Market growth is being fuelled by the emergence of new fibres, new fabrics and innovative process technologies. The market is also being boosted by changes in consumer lifestyles. People are living longer and spending more time on leisure activities. New high-tech fabrics are being developed for a wide range of active sports such as aerobics, athletics, running, cycling, hiking, mountaineering, swimming, sailing, windsurfing, ballooning, parachuting, snowboarding, and ski-ing.
Exciting innovations are emerging in fire retardant materials and those which protect against extreme temperatures. Added to that is the growing market for corporatewear – which, in some cases, is becoming increasingly fashion-oriented, and increasingly, high-tech fabrics and apparel designed for high performance wear are crossing over the boundary into everyday fashion.
TABLE OF CONTENTS
SUMMARY
INTRODUCTION
The importance of temperature control in performance apparel
TEMPERATURE REGULATING MECHANISMS IN THE HUMAN BODY
Heat loss from the body
Retaining body heat
THE ROLE OF CLOTHING IN MAINTAINING A COMFORTABLE BODY TEMPERATURE
THREE MAIN APPROACHES TO TEMPERATURE CONTROL IN APPAREL
Using insulating materials
Using thermally adaptive fabrics to control body temperature
Using electronic devices and wearable technology
USING INSULATING MATERIALS TO CONTROL BODY TEMPERATURE
Natural insulating materials
Down
Synthetic insulating materials
Synthetic fibres for insulation
Invista: Polarguard 3D fibre
Invista: Thermolite fibre
Nylstar: Meryl Nexten fibre
Synthetic fleece fabrics for insulation
Polartec
Synthetic nonwoven fabrics for insulation
3M: Thinsulate insulation
Aerogels
Aspen Aerogels
USING THERMALLY ADAPTIVE FABRICS TO CONTROL BODY TEMPERATURE
Phase change materials
Empa study of phase change materials
Manufacturers of thermally adaptive fabrics
Outlast technologies: adaptive comfort technology
Outdoor wear
Bedding
Footwear
Outerwear
Beverages
Frisby, Freudenberg and Schoeller Textil
Schoeller Textil: Schoeller-PCM
Smartfiber: Smartcel Clima
ELECTRONIC DEVICES & WEARABLE TECHNOLOGY TO CONTROL BODY TEMERATURE
TECHNOLOGY
Everest Textile Company: ever soft heat
Interactive wear: IThermX
Polartec: Polartec Heat Technology
Wera: Wera heated fabrics
W Zimmerman: Novonic heat
OTHER INSULATING TECHNOLOGIES
Fabrics which incorporate silver
Noble Fiber Technologies: X-Static
Oztek Tekstil: Tex-Therm
Toray Industries: Dermizax
Holofiber Enterprises: Holofiber
W L Gore Airvantage
Schoeller Textil: Coolblack
The technology
Schoeller Textil: c_change
OUTLOOK
LIST OF TABLES
1: Clo values for different items of clothing and ensembles
2: Thinsulate insulation for accessories
3: Skin temperatures in different parts of the human body
4: Adaptive comfort ratings of Outlast bedding products
5: Differences between Ever Soft Heat 50 and Ever Soft Heat 250
LIST OF FIGURES
1: Primaloft
2: Outlast microcapsules
3: Outlast viscose under the microscope
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Search Terms: Moisture Management Fabrics, Temerature Control Fabrics, temperature control, performance apparel, CLOTHING, insulating materials, thermally adaptive fabrics, Down, Synthetic insulating materials, Synthetic fibres, Invista, Polarguard 3D fibre, Invista, Thermolite fibre, Nylstar, Meryl Nexten fibre, Synthetic fleece fabrics, Polartec, Synthetic nonwoven fabrics, Noble Fiber Technologies, X-Static, Oztek Tekstil, Tex-Therm, Toray Industries, Dermizax, Holofiber Enterprises, Holofiber, W L Gore Airvantage, Schoeller Textil, Coolblack,c_change, Clo values, clothing, Thinsulate insulation, bedding products, Ever Soft Heat, Primaloft, Outlast microcapsules, Outlast viscose, Outlast technologies: adaptive comfort technology, Outdoor wear, Bedding, Outerwear, Beverages, Frisby, Freudenberg, Schoeller Textil, Schoeller-PCM, Smartfiber: Smartcel Clima, Manufacturers, thermally adaptive fabrics, ELECTRONIC DEVICES, WEARABLE TECHNOLOGY, BODY TEMERATURE, Everest Textile Company, ever soft heat, Interactive wear, IThermX, Polartec, Polartec Heat Technology, Wera, Wera heated fabrics, W Zimmerman, Novonic heat, 3M, Thinsulate insulation, Aspen Aerogels, THERMALLY ADAPTIVE FABRICS, BODY TEMPERATURE, Empa, phase change materials, Technical Textile Markets, Textile Industry Report, Textile Markets, Textile Market Studies, Textile Industry Analysis, Market Research, Textile Industries, Textile Market Studies, AKTRIN Textile Information, Aktrin, Gewebe, Textil
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