Optimizing Garment Material Selection to Reduce Solar Heat Radiation Exposure

Abstract

Workers exposed to high levels of solar radiation are at elevated risk of heat-related disorders, with infrared (IR) radiation representing a significant external heat load that can exacerbate physiological heat strain. Protective clothing is widely used to mitigate solar exposure; however, reductions in IR transmission may be counteracted by IR absorption and heat accumulation within garment materials, potentially increasing overall heat stress. To clarify these competing mechanisms, controlled laboratory experiments were conducted to independently quantify IR transmission and IR-induced heat absorption for cotton, polyester, cotton/polyester blend, silk, paper, and Mylar materials. Temperature measurements be-neath and in direct contact with each material allowed separation of transmitted radiative heat from conductive heat resulting from material IR absorption. The conventional textile fabrics tested exhibited net increases in thermal burden, with net heat gains of up to 50%, despite partial attenuation of incident IR radiation. In contrast, the reflective Mylar material produced a net reduction in heat exposure of about 15% by substantially limiting IR absorption while reflecting incident radiation. These findings demonstrate that reduced IR transmission alone is an insufficient indicator of thermal protection and underscore the importance of minimizing IR absorption in garment design. The experimental methodology presented pro-vides a practical and reproducible framework for evidence-based evaluation and selection of garment materials aimed at reducing solar IR heat stress in occupational outdoor environments.

Keywords: Solar IR Heat Radiation, Heat Stress, Protective Clothing, Garment Material Selection

DOI: 10.54941/ahfe1007811