QMax Cool – Intelligent Fabric
Cooling
The mean body temperature of humans is 37+/-0.5’C, and during physical
exercise the body produces high heat in the range of 800–1300W, which if not
managed well can lead to high discomfort.
Our body has 2 natural responses to adjust its body temperature :
1. Moisture Regulation – Sweating removes upto 65% of body
temperature
2. Thermal Regulation – Excess heat is removed from the body by
Conduction, Convection and Radiation.
Hence, sweat absorbing, fast drying, and cooling are the key functional
requirements for high-activity sports clothing.
Currently the activewear industry has very well addressed the concerns of
Moisture regulation through Wicking and Quick Drying fabrics, but solutions
for Thermal Regulation are gaining importance as well, as consumers demand
better comfort levels.
Further touch is a critical attribute in defining the quality of fabric. The clothes
we wear defines our relationship with the fabric if it is comfortable, pleasant
to touch and can give us the comfort we desire. Human skin has a natural
ability to detect the warmth and coolness of a fabric. This distinctness of how
a fabric feels on touch, whether it’s warm or cool is measured through Q-
max.
For better heat transmission, the fabric needs to have a high conductivity.
Specifically when it comes to Sportswear, it becomes more important as the
body is producing high heat and sweat. In hot situations, sportswear should
allow the wearer to stay cool; while in cold situations, sportswear should help
the wearer to stay warm.
So the sportswear garments should enable this heat to be transferred easily
to the environment, helping the body to stay comfortable.
How does Thermal Regulation work ?
As we were taught in our Class 7 Physics, heat is transferred through
Conduction, Convection and Radiation properties. Lets understand here, how
it applies in the context of apparels.
1. Conduction – As the garment is in direct contact with the body, a fabric
with a high heat Conduction rate (QMax value) can help transfer the
excess heat quickly from the Body to the outer surface. This is more
appropriate in Sportswear, as when the garment is wet due to sweating,
the water causes more heat loss than air, and hence helps the body cool
down faster. It is also important to know that the body regulates heat
through specific heat zones in the body, where there is higher
concentration of sweat glands like palms, under arms, chest, groins, etc.
While looking at an Infrared image, the Red/ Orange zones are the ones
from where more Heat is generated. Hence in Sports, it is important to
conduct the heat from these heat zones to the overall garment, for
faster cooling.
Body Temperature (Infrared Image)
(Before Workout) (After Workout)
2. Convection – Garments are designed with air vents (using meshes) or
designed to be loose fitted and airy, so that the Convection properties
can allow the movement of air to cool down the body.
3. Radiation – If the outside temperature is lower than the body
temperature, then the heat loss will happen due to radiation as well.
To understand this concept better I suggest watchig this interesting video by
Prof. Alex Hass and Van Ly, University of British Columbia :
[Link]
What is Q-max exactly?
Qmax is a value used to assess the warm or cool sensation of the material
surface of a fabric. It indicates a warm or cool sensation when fabric comes
in contact with the surface of the skin. The surface of the material is thereby
important in defining how warm or cool the fabric feels to an individual. A high
Qmax value would mean there is constant transfer of heat from the body to
the surface of the material, which ensures a cooler feeling fabric.
Simply saying, the Cooling function is activated by rising body temperature
and deactivated once your body comes to normal state.
Why is this important?
Due to rapid changes in the climate, environmental pollution and the
strenuous sunlight the people feel the discomfort caused by the higher
temperature and humid weather. Further in applications of Activewear, where
we are sweating it out either in the gym or on the field, fabrics with Cooling,
Anti-UV, Thermal regulation, moisture transfer and water absorption etc.
functions have become the preferred choice for the clothes we wear.
The function of QMax is not only being used in Sports Apparels, but gaining
importance in applications like Work wear, Casual Wear, and Home textiles
(duvets, pillows, home textiles, etc) as well. There are a number of Japanese,
German, Chinese, brands offering QMax Cooling products under the branding
of brrr’, Luxear, Top Cool, Arc Chill, Cool Lite, etc. in all categories. Looking at
the benefits of this function, and as people get more aware, it is sure to
become a need for all.
Fabrics which have a high QMax value, provide a cooling sensation to the skin
and minimise sweating.
How is Q-max measured?
The Q-max value was introduced in the early 1980’s as a measure of
predicting warm/cool feeling of fabrics by Kawabata and his team in Japan.
According to technical standard of Japanese textile institute BOKEN, any
fabrics providing 0.1w/cm2 of heat dissipation qualify for Q-Max Cool.
It measures the rate of heat transfer through the material in Dry and Wet
state.
The results achieved on testing of various fabrics shows below results :
For this experiment a Polyester Knitted fabric having Hexarel Finish shows
how Graphene conducts heat very efficiently, giving the fabric a Qmax Cool
rating of 0.15w/cm2(Dry) and 0.37w/cm2(Wet). It enables the fabric to be
cooler, when it is dry or wet, and helps transfer the body heat to the
environment quickly.
Comparatively other Poly, Nylon and Cotton fabrics show a much lesser QMax
value, and would be less effective in thermal conductivity.
Due to excess sweating players also have a possibility of Thermal Shocks,
caused by continued heat loss due to their wet clothes after their high
performance activity. So thermal and sweat regulation play a vital role.
Thermal Regulation Solutions Available :
Looking at the importance of the function of Thermal Regulation, some
chemical companies offer solutions for treating the fabrics to get this finish.
Some of the popular companies are Heiq Smart Temp, Resil’s Coolit, Reliance
Industries Hexarel, etc.
The Graphene enabled Hexarel technology, is one of the most advanced
technologies available in the industry. It not only provides Q Max cool
function, but also provides Moisture Wicking, Anti Static, UPF 50+, Anti
Microbial and Anti Viral functions which are critical for any Activewear
application.
The apparel industry is working fast to understand and address the evolving
needs of the modern day consumer. It is also understood that many
consumers are not even aware currently of such modern offerings, but brands
like Uniqlo have presented a success story by combining Technology with
Clothing, and the consumers have well accepted these new functions which
provide them better comfort.
Brands who do not catch up with these new technology shifts in clothing,
might face challenges in these rapidly changing times, where consumers are
highly aware and experimental.
