Influences of Wettability and Geometry on Adhesion Force between Sportswear Fabric and Human/Artificial Skin

Abstract

Sportswear is widely used in various sports and serves multiple functions. A key feature is the ability to absorb sweat during physical activity, which can, however, cause discomfort due to stickiness. This study focuses specifically on the stickiness caused by sweat between sportswear and the skin by objectively evaluating stickiness using specific physical parameters and correlating them with sensory evaluation values. Moreover, there is little research on the adhesion force between sportswear and human skin. Therefore, this study aims to achieve the following objectives: (1) investigate the relationship between the adhesion force between human skin and fabrics and the sensation of stickiness; (2) examine the relationship between the adhesion force between artificial skin and fabric and that between human skin and fabric; and (3) clarify the impact of fabric wettability and geometry on the adhesion force under wet conditions. Experiments reveal that the sensory evaluation value and adhesion force against human skin corresponded. Additionally, a positive correlation was found between the adhesion force against human skin and an artificial skin sheet. These experimental results suggest that fabrics with a lower adhesion force can be achieved by decreasing the load area ratio at 30% Φ0.3 and increasing the contact angle and meniscus height.