Wash Life Analysis of Printed Cooling Technology for Agricultural Work Applications

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Abstract

To improve the comfort of agricultural workers, a t-shirt with a printed active cooling finish was evaluated to determine if it would meet the wash life durability and performance expectations of such an arduous application. Six shirts with a printed PCM finish (printed) and six shirts without (control) were washed 50 times to replicate a typical consumer wash life. Shirts were evaluated for dimensional stability, colorfastness, crocking, abrasion resistance, soil release, and smoothness retention according to AATCC and ASTM standard test methods. Testing was conducted new and after 1, 5, 10, 20, 30, 35, 40, and 50 consumer laundry (CL) cycles. One printed and one control shirt were evaluated for the presence of PCM capsules under an inspection microscope at each test interval. Absorbency, dimensional change, and instrumental color measurement were significantly influenced by the PCM finish. Results demonstrate the appropriateness of adopting this technology for farm worker clothing applications.

How to Cite:

McQuerry, M., (2018) “Wash Life Analysis of Printed Cooling Technology for Agricultural Work Applications”, International Textile and Apparel Association Annual Conference Proceedings 75(1).