[kemkid794]

Hey everyone. I'm having some problems with a year 11 chemistry assignment, which is about the effectiveness of different fibers in thermal clothing. I am discussing wool and polypropylene thermal clothing, and my teacher would like me to explain how the materials "wick" away moisture. "Wicking" is where the material draws moisture away from the body and allows it to be evaporated in the air. The difficulty is how, since both wool and polypropylene have hydrophobic characteristics, meaning they repel water, so I'm not sure how it absorbs it. Any help would be greatly appreciated, and links to any useful sites would be a huge help.

Thanks!

[kemkid794]

Is anyone able to help me out on this? Please? I'm really stuck....

[JGK]

Google is your friend 

[kemkid794]

*Facepalm* Thanks, but I tried. I was hoping someone would know through their own knowledge. On the other hand, if anyone knows any particular site....

[JGK]

Really, just typing "Wicking" into google and doing a bit of reading is what you need to do

wicking gives you

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Capillary_action

From there you can get a myriad of information by refining your searches.  This type of assignment is not just about getting the information you need, it's also helping you improve your infomation gathering skills. For us to spout off what we konw defeats the object of the exercise.

[kemkid794]

Yeah I know.

And I looked at that page, but our teacher hates wiki, and strongly recommends we don't use it.

Thanks anyway.

[JGK]

I'm not saying to quote directly from Wiki in your work but it can provide a useful guide for further refined searching which is probably part of the assignments goals