A transient technique is used to measure the effective thermal conductivity of textile fabrics containing varying amounts of water. Conductivity increases with water content and also depends on a fiber's sorption properties. Wool, which is a highly absorbent fiber, has better insulating properties under moist conditions than polypropylene, porous acrylic, and cotton. Heat transfer in moist textiles takes place by conduction, infrared radiation, and distillation. Until the fiber is saturated, the evaporation process is determined mainly by the fiber's sorption properties.
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