Abstract: A comparable study was carried out to compare fabric thermal resistance testing method A and B of new edition of GB/T11048-2008 ‘Textiles-Physiological effects-Measurement of thermal and Wate-vapour resistance under steady-state conditions’ with method A of the earlier edition of GB/T11048-1989 ‘Textiles-testing method for warmth retention property’. Experimental results showed that there is a difference between the data obtained from two hotplates with different design and calibration even under same new method A; The data measured from new method A with air speed of 1 m/s is decreased significantly than that from new method B with no wind, the decline in value is negatively related to thickness of fabric and also to their material and structure; The difference setting between new method B of 35℃ and old method A of 36℃ has no significant influence on test results overall, the data can be compared directly; The airflow shield has no obvious effect on results overall based on new method B, but has certain effect on suppression of random fluctuation of ambient air disturbance. C.V. values of the data by new method A and B and by old method A are similar, shows those tests have similar stability. The new method A is consistent with ISO11092-1993 ‘Textiles-Physiological effects-Measurement of thermal and Wate-vapour resistance under steady-state conditions’, while the new method B is compatible with old method A.

Key words: fabric, thremal resistance, hotplate, GB/T 11048, ISO11092