Wicking on fabrics

• Main Author: Aw, Yuh Shi
• Other Authors: Tuan Tran
• Format: Final Year Project
• Language: English
• Published: Nanyang Technological University 2023
• Subjects: Engineering::Mechanical engineering::Fluid mechanics
• Online Access: https://hdl.handle.net/10356/172613
• Institution: Nanyang Technological University

For years, research efforts have been dedicated towards the interactions between liquids and textiles. The behaviour of water on textiles depends on several variables, including characteristics that are unique to each material. This report aimed to examine and analyse the wicking behaviour of fabrics with different characteristics: thread count, thread width and weaving patterns. The fabrics used in the experiment are cotton, silk, and polyester. An experiment was conducted to observe how water spreads on different fabric samples and establish a correlation between wicking behaviour and fabric characteristics. This was done by gently placing a droplet of deionised water near a fabric sample, allowing the droplet to wick into the fabric structure. Observations – the spreading area, speed, and shape of water on fabrics – were captured using a camera and a stable experimental set-up. These results determine how different fabric characteristics affect wicking behaviour. Potential applications of findings are also included in the end of this report.