Thermal properties of interior decorative material and contacted sensory cold-warmth I: Relation between skin temperature and contacted sensory cold-warmth

Abstract

The purpose of the study was to investigate the relation between the skin temperature of the palm and sensory cold-warmth after contact with some materials. Ten men and ten women were selected and introduced to 21 kinds of material for a contact test of 30 min without seeing the specimens in a climate-controlled room at 25° ± 1°C and 65% relative heemidity. The palm-contacted test materials and skin temperature of the palm, central fingertip, and back of the palm were measured during the experiment. A sensory evaluation test was applied to evaluate the contacted sensory cold-warmth. Results showed that the maximum temperature decrease of the fingertip (Td) was positively related to the natural logarithm of the material's specific gravity (ln ρu) and to the natural logarithm of the material's thermal conductivity (ln λ). There were also negative linear relations between the contacted sensory cold-warmth (S) with ln ρu and ln λ; and there was a negative linear relation between S with Td and between S with the value of Td by λ. The thermal osmotic coefficient (b) of wood and wood-based materials ranged from 3.63 to 3.97, and the materials were qualified as good thermal insulation materials. Furthermore, there was a negative linear relation between S and b. Accordingly, it is possible to evaluate the contacted sensory cold-warmth relying on the basic thermal properties of material. © The Japan Wood Research Society 2000.