People understandably find it odd to hear "wick" used as a verb. A "wicking" shirt? Sounds strange at first. Wicking will absorb or draw off (liquid) by capillary action. Here's an explanation of this phenomenon for nonscientific minds:
Candle Wicks -
Think of a candle wick—usually a braided, wax-coated cord of cotton. When lit, the wax coating melts away. Melted wax becomes the fuel source for the flame, and the wick draws ("wicks") melted wax to the flame, where it vaporizes. The flame continues to burn because the wick steadily draws more liquefied fuel to it. An oil lamp works on the same principle, drawing (wicking) fuel to the flame. This act of wicking a liquid along a fibrous path is known as capillary action.
Think of a candle wick—usually a braided, wax-coated cord of cotton. When lit, the wax coating melts away. Melted wax becomes the fuel source for the flame, and the wick draws ("wicks") melted wax to the flame, where it vaporizes. The flame continues to burn because the wick steadily draws more liquefied fuel to it. An oil lamp works on the same principle, drawing (wicking) fuel to the flame. This act of wicking a liquid along a fibrous path is known as capillary action.
Wicking: Synthetic Fabrics -
Capillary action also occurs with synthetic performance underwear. Here's how: An active person wearing a polyester T-shirt begins to sweat. A high-humidity "microclimate" is created between the person's sweating skin and the shirt covering the skin. Perspiration vapor and moisture condense on the garment's interior (its underside). Because everything in nature moves toward equilibrium, the high-humidity air mass between skin and garment will seek a path to a lower-humidity environment. The difference (gradient) between temperature and humidity on both sides of the garment becomes the driving force that moves the warmer, wetter air beneath the garment toward the cooler, dryer air on the outside. Wicking takes place when perspiration moisture travels along the surface of the fiber but is not absorbed into the fiber. (Synthetic fibers are, essentially, plastic—and virtually nonabsorbent). Moisture escapes to the outside through the interstitial spaces (the miniscule holes) between the knitted yarns. Moisture is dispersed across the fabric's exterior, where it evaporates after contacting the lower-humidity environment outside the shirt.
Capillary action also occurs with synthetic performance underwear. Here's how: An active person wearing a polyester T-shirt begins to sweat. A high-humidity "microclimate" is created between the person's sweating skin and the shirt covering the skin. Perspiration vapor and moisture condense on the garment's interior (its underside). Because everything in nature moves toward equilibrium, the high-humidity air mass between skin and garment will seek a path to a lower-humidity environment. The difference (gradient) between temperature and humidity on both sides of the garment becomes the driving force that moves the warmer, wetter air beneath the garment toward the cooler, dryer air on the outside. Wicking takes place when perspiration moisture travels along the surface of the fiber but is not absorbed into the fiber. (Synthetic fibers are, essentially, plastic—and virtually nonabsorbent). Moisture escapes to the outside through the interstitial spaces (the miniscule holes) between the knitted yarns. Moisture is dispersed across the fabric's exterior, where it evaporates after contacting the lower-humidity environment outside the shirt.
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