Protection to thermal impact of solar radiation: evaluation of selected reflective fabrics
Prolonged exposure to solar radiation can cause considerable heat stress. The application of reflective materials in garments or sunscreens is generally considered as an appropriate protective strategy. In this study, we aimed to compare a range of reflective and control fabrics on their ability to...
| Main Authors: | , , |
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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TU Dresden
2021-09-01
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| Series: | Communications in Development and Assembling of Textile Products |
| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | https://journals.qucosa.de/cdatp/article/view/43 |
| _version_ | 1797724181299724288 |
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| author | Lennart Teunissen Linda Plaude Kaspar Jansen |
| author_facet | Lennart Teunissen Linda Plaude Kaspar Jansen |
| author_sort | Lennart Teunissen |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Prolonged exposure to solar radiation can cause considerable heat stress. The application of reflective materials in garments or sunscreens is generally considered as an appropriate protective strategy. In this study, we aimed to compare a range of reflective and control fabrics on their ability to reduce the thermal impact of solar radiation. We evaluated 16 reflective and 5 control fabrics, varying in applicability for garments and/or sunscreens. Transmission of ultraviolet, visible light and infrared radiation was studied using artificial solar light. Thermal impact reduction was first studied using artificial infrared light and secondly using natural sunlight, measuring temperature right at the back and 10 cm behind the fabric after a 10-minute exposure. Most samples showed comparably low radiation transmission (<10%). However, substantially higher transmission was observed in perforated and mesh-like reflective fabrics, as well as light-colored controls and coldblack® treated fabric. This resulted in larger temperature increases at 10 cm behind the fabric (+1-4°C in sunlight). Contact temperature at the back of the black fabrics ended up higher than at the back of the reflective and white control fabrics (T: 5-10°C in sunlight), the latter two showing minor mutual differences (T<3°C). In conclusion, the reflective fabrics (excluding perforated, mesh and coldblack®) showed minor mutual differences, lower heat absorption than the black control fabrics and lower heat transmission than the white ones. The results suggest that reflective or white fabrics are preferable for most garment applications, while reflective or possibly black fabrics are preferable for sunscreen applications. |
| first_indexed | 2024-03-12T10:13:46Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-625f72ecefb24fc9b2ffcfe1424ed9b1 |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 2701-939X |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-03-12T10:13:46Z |
| publishDate | 2021-09-01 |
| publisher | TU Dresden |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Communications in Development and Assembling of Textile Products |
| spelling | doaj.art-625f72ecefb24fc9b2ffcfe1424ed9b12023-09-02T10:38:35ZengTU DresdenCommunications in Development and Assembling of Textile Products2701-939X2021-09-012210311410.25367/cdatp.2021.2.p103-11443Protection to thermal impact of solar radiation: evaluation of selected reflective fabricsLennart Teunissen0https://orcid.org/0000-0002-4898-8850Linda Plaude1Kaspar Jansen2https://orcid.org/0000-0002-2172-9824Delft University of Technology, Delft, The NetherlandsDelft University of Technology, Delft, The NetherlandsDelft University of Technology, Delft, The NetherlandsProlonged exposure to solar radiation can cause considerable heat stress. The application of reflective materials in garments or sunscreens is generally considered as an appropriate protective strategy. In this study, we aimed to compare a range of reflective and control fabrics on their ability to reduce the thermal impact of solar radiation. We evaluated 16 reflective and 5 control fabrics, varying in applicability for garments and/or sunscreens. Transmission of ultraviolet, visible light and infrared radiation was studied using artificial solar light. Thermal impact reduction was first studied using artificial infrared light and secondly using natural sunlight, measuring temperature right at the back and 10 cm behind the fabric after a 10-minute exposure. Most samples showed comparably low radiation transmission (<10%). However, substantially higher transmission was observed in perforated and mesh-like reflective fabrics, as well as light-colored controls and coldblack® treated fabric. This resulted in larger temperature increases at 10 cm behind the fabric (+1-4°C in sunlight). Contact temperature at the back of the black fabrics ended up higher than at the back of the reflective and white control fabrics (T: 5-10°C in sunlight), the latter two showing minor mutual differences (T<3°C). In conclusion, the reflective fabrics (excluding perforated, mesh and coldblack®) showed minor mutual differences, lower heat absorption than the black control fabrics and lower heat transmission than the white ones. The results suggest that reflective or white fabrics are preferable for most garment applications, while reflective or possibly black fabrics are preferable for sunscreen applications.https://journals.qucosa.de/cdatp/article/view/43solar radiationthermal impactreflective fabricheat stress |
| spellingShingle | Lennart Teunissen Linda Plaude Kaspar Jansen Protection to thermal impact of solar radiation: evaluation of selected reflective fabrics Communications in Development and Assembling of Textile Products solar radiation thermal impact reflective fabric heat stress |
| title | Protection to thermal impact of solar radiation: evaluation of selected reflective fabrics |
| title_full | Protection to thermal impact of solar radiation: evaluation of selected reflective fabrics |
| title_fullStr | Protection to thermal impact of solar radiation: evaluation of selected reflective fabrics |
| title_full_unstemmed | Protection to thermal impact of solar radiation: evaluation of selected reflective fabrics |
| title_short | Protection to thermal impact of solar radiation: evaluation of selected reflective fabrics |
| title_sort | protection to thermal impact of solar radiation evaluation of selected reflective fabrics |
| topic | solar radiation thermal impact reflective fabric heat stress |
| url | https://journals.qucosa.de/cdatp/article/view/43 |
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