Rain Test Equipment for Waterproof and Water Repellent Textiles

Wewon Environmental Chambers Co., Ltd. has made one unit rain test equipment for waterproof clothing for Slovakia customer. The main purpose of this Wewon rain test equipment used for special waterproof clothing research and development work. Such us the waterproof clothing for soldier or the outdoor traveller walking in the raining and keep the body with dry, warm and comfortable.

This rain test equipment provides an overview of the various test methods available for assessing the performance of water repellent textiles. These include static and dynamic methods for assessing a fabric or garment’s resistance to surface wetting and resistance to water penetration.

Rain Test Equipment for Waterproof Clothing

●	Features of this rain test equipment for waterproof material performance test:
●	Rain test chamber front view with closed door during testing.
●	Total water amount is 240l/h ~ 300l/h
●	The bottom platform without rotation table.
●	The water pressure for each nozzle is 0.6bar ~0.9bar, Water pressure should be controllable
●	Test room size would be 110110200cm (WDH)
●	The water collects in a tank under the plate. A pump transports it back to the nozzles.

The difference between water-repellent and waterproof garments is based on the definition which is applied by the textile industry for waterproofness.

International standards define a water entry pressure of 8.000mm (hydrostatic water column) above which a textile material (not the finished garment) can be called waterproof. Everything below that can be called only water-repellent.

As per definition, textiles with a water entry pressure below 800 mm water column or 0,8 bar, can be called water repellent.

This might be enough to stay dry if one is only for a short time exposed to rain or any moisture, which is not pressed onto the textile.

As water-repellent materials usually do not contain any kind of membrane of compact coating, the so-called breathability of these materials is in most cases better than the one in waterproof materials.

This is quite logic, as they have a higher air permeability and also sweat, or better moisture vapour can permeate much easier.

WATER-REPELLENT CLOTHING

A waterproof material, as per definition above is not the guarantee for waterproof garments.

Also, the overall design of a garment has to prevent rain to enter into the inner layers of the clothing system. That means that all closures, all seams, all edges must block any potential water entry attempts.

To prevent moisture to penetrate the seams, all seams which connect the outside of a garment with the inside of it have to be sealed with a seam sealing tape.

These seals have to be durable to washing, drying and any kind of wear and tear. They have to be durably waterproof.

As water usually finds a way to enter, wherever there is the slightest possibility to enter, this is quite a challenge.

Especially around edges, one might experience that without proper barriers, moisture can be seen wicking around them and all the way up into the inside of a garment.

Critical are the lower hems of the torso and the sleeves, but also the edges of the hood are neuralgic areas for wicking effects. To avoid this, wicking barriers have to be applied in these areas.

WATERPROOF CLOTHING

Rain Test Equipment for Waterproof Clothing Used for Soldier or Outdoorsman

Sympatex Technologies began its research in 1998, experimenting with cellophane, a packaging material created in the 70s of the last century for the needs of the food industry. The first commercial success of the company can be considered the creation of a non-porous membrane, which was permeable to air, but at the same time waterproof and windproof.

In 1986, the first samples of textile products were put on the market, containing the Sympatex membrane as an integral part. Since 1990, the company’s specialists have been constantly working to improve the consumer characteristics of the membrane.

Today, Sympatex is a brand with a high degree of recognition both in Germany and around the world. According to the Institute for Market Research (GfK), brand recognition in Germany is about 70%.

The principle of the membrane is as follows. When the temperature and humidity inside the clothes increase and become higher than the outside, due to the resulting pressure difference of water vapor, a force is generated that is directed from the high pressure area to the low one.

Free-flying molecules of sweat through the built-in hydrophilic zones in the membrane are displayed on the outer surface of the clothes, where they can already evaporate unhindered. The Sympatex membrane does not have pores, so that its properties do not deteriorate due to contamination over time. The poreless construction provides the ability of the membrane to “breathe” even when water with salts or oils gets on it.

Rain Test Equipment

●	The main characteristics of Sympatex Technology (Waterproof and Water Repellent Textiles):
●	100% water resistance at pressures up to 250,000 mm. mercury column
●	100% windproof in accordance with the textile standard EN ISO 9237
●	Various tests by the Hohenstein Research Institute rate the breathability as “excellent” or “good”
●	Harmless to the environment, according to the Oko-Tex standard, extreme lightness;
●	High extensibility: the membrane does not lose its unique properties even when stretched 3 times in any direction;
●	High ability to “breathe”: provides removal of moisture more than 2500 g / m2 per day;
●	Retains a high degree of functionality for a long time.

A hydrostatic water column describes the amount of height of a theoretical column of water, which is pressing on the surface of the fabric. So the water column always corresponds to a certain pressure. A water column of 10 meter (= 1.000 cm, = 10.000mm) equals a pressure of 1 bar, or 100 kPa.

	Rain Testing Equipment for Waterproof Clothing Used for Soldier or Outdoorsman
	Rain Test Chamber for IP X1 X2 X3 X4 X5 X6 Test Standard IEC 60529 GB 10485

Wewon Environmental Chambers Co., Ltd.

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Wewon Environmental Chambers Co., Ltd.