We use cookies to enhance your experience. By continuing to browse this site you agree to our use of cookies. More info.
In a paper recently published in the open-access journal Polymers, researchers studied the structural properties of multi-weft woven fabrics and their effect on the thermal protection and breathability of firefighting clothing. The generated results determined that the water vapor resistance was greatly influenced by the mass and the thickness of the fabric while the fiber content, thickness, and porosity had an influence on heat transmission.
Study: Thermal Protective Properties and Breathability of Multilayer Protective Woven Fabrics for Wildland Firefighting . Image Credit: Tyler Olson/Shutterstock.com
Maximum thermal protection and minimal metabolic heat stress are the two most crucial parameters to be considered in the design of firefighting clothing suitable for outdoor fires. However, these two parameters are contradictory to each other, as high thermal protection fabrics have high stiffness and low breathability.
Presently, para-aramid and meta-aramid fibers have the most widespread applications in the making of thermal protective clothing due to greater thermal stability. Para-aramid fibers are commonly used for ballistic applications due to their high mechanical properties. Currently, the composite fabrics used in fire protection consist of multiple layers, providing high heat protection but simultaneously having low thermo-physiological comfort. Metabolic heat can increase in stressful firefighting conditions due to the mass, bulkiness, and stiffness of the firefighting clothing.
Therefore, firefighting clothing used in wildland firefighting must protect the firefighter from thermal radiation and reduce burn-injury hazards while being comfortable, light, breathable and porous. It must also be particularly permeable to gaseous sweat.
Peg plans and fabric simulation of samples (a) 2-weft; (b) 3-weft and (c) 4-weft. Image Credit: Kalazić, A et al., Polymers
In this study, researchers aimed to enhance the comfort characteristics of firefighting fabrics without forfeiting user protection by investigating the impact of mass, fabric thickness, fiber content, and porosity on the heat transfer and water vapor resistance of multi-weft woven fabrics.
Researchers used eight fabric samples, which included one 2-weft, three 4-weft, and four 3-weft woven fabrics. The fabric samples were tested for their woven-fabric porosity using the Texgen program, wherein the samples were simulated to define several parameters such as weft and warp thickness, density, average fiber density, and fiber thickness.
The heat resistance tests were performed on a TE-08 radiant heat exposure tester, while the water-vapor resistance was tested by the sweating-guarded hotplate test under steady-state environments. Water-vapor resistance (Ret) was computed as the difference of a water-vapor pressure estimated between the surfaces of the material divided by the resulting evaporative heat flux distributed across a unit area.
Weave unit simulation in Texgen. Image Credit: Kalazić, A et al., Polymers
It was observed that the increase in the weft system numbers increased the fabric porosity. Due to the specific structure that results in greater flotation at every layer, the 4-weft fabrics exhibited the highest porosity volumes. Therefore, breathable woven fabric with efficient heat protective properties can be developed with an increase in the number of weft systems. Furthermore, volume porosity can be increased with an increase in the modacrylic/cotton yarn content.
The increased number of weft systems also increased the resistance to water-vapor passage. Consequently, this resistance also decreased with the decrease in the number of weft systems. Moreover, with an increase in the number of aramid fibers, the team noted an increase in the Ret with 3-weft fabrics, with a contrasting result observed for 4-weft fabrics potentially because of the distinct sample structures.
On the other hand, thermal radiation resistance was observed to be proportional to the weft system numbers. In comparison to aramid fibers, a higher Cotton Long Staple Combed/Modacrylic Sevel FRSA/L (MAC) content decreased the thermal resistance of the fabric. It was established that fabrics with a single aramid layer along with MAC had a better effect on heat protection.
Correlating the thickness and the mass of the samples with their water-vapor permeability resistance showed increased water-vapor resistance with an increase in the sample’s mass and thickness per unit of fabric area. Thus, with an increase in the weft systems and density, mass per unit area, porosity, and thickness, the resistance to water-vapor permeability increases along with a decrease in the heat transfer factor.
Comparison of the developed samples with the requirements of the standard. Image Credit: Kalazić, A et al., Polymers
To summarize, this research determined the impact on thermal protection and breathability by the use of multi-weft woven fabric materials in firefighting clothing. The heat transmission factor is largely affected by the proportion of modacrylic/cotton and aramid flame retardant (FR) fiber blends in the fabric layers. Although effective protection against heat radiation can be achieved with higher modacrylic/cotton FR content, the inclusion of aramid fibers in the outer layer is still necessary for protection against flames. Additionally, Ret was higher with greater sample mass and thickness.
According to the authors, the development of a comfortable woven fabric with optimal thermal protection is possible through the optimization of weft systems and the raw material combinations to utilize maximum use of modacrylic/ cotton FR into the fabric and minimum compromises against flame contact protection.
Kalazić, A.; Brnada, S.; Kiš, A. Thermal Protective Properties and Breathability of Multilayer Protective Woven Fabrics for Wildland Firefighting. Polymers 2022, 14, 2967. https://www.mdpi.com/2073-4360/14/14/2967
Disclaimer: The views expressed here are those of the author expressed in their private capacity and do not necessarily represent the views of AZoM.com Limited T/A AZoNetwork the owner and operator of this website. This disclaimer forms part of the Terms and conditions of use of this website.
Chinmay Chari is a technical writer based in Goa, India. His academic background is in Earth Sciences and he holds a Master's degree in Applied Geology from Goa University. His academic research involved the petrological studies of Mesoarchean komatiites in the Banasandra Greenstone belt in Karnataka, India. He has also had exposure to geological fieldwork in Dharwad, Vadodara, in India, as well as the coastal and western ghat regions of Goa, India. As part of an internship, he has been trained in geological mapping and assessment of the Cudnem mine, mapping of a virgin area for mineral exploration, as well understanding the beneficiation and shipping processes of iron ore.
Please use one of the following formats to cite this article in your essay, paper or report:
Chari, Chinmay. (2022, August 02). Exploring the Properties of Textiles for Fighting Wildfires. AZoM. Retrieved on August 08, 2022 from https://www.azom.com/news.aspx?newsID=59675.
Chari, Chinmay. "Exploring the Properties of Textiles for Fighting Wildfires". AZoM. 08 August 2022. <https://www.azom.com/news.aspx?newsID=59675>.
Chari, Chinmay. "Exploring the Properties of Textiles for Fighting Wildfires". AZoM. https://www.azom.com/news.aspx?newsID=59675. (accessed August 08, 2022).
Chari, Chinmay. 2022. Exploring the Properties of Textiles for Fighting Wildfires. AZoM, viewed 08 August 2022, https://www.azom.com/news.aspx?newsID=59675.
Do you have a review, update or anything you would like to add to this news story?
At the Advanced Materials Show 2022, AZoM caught up with the CEO of Cambridge Smart Plastics, Andrew Terentjev. In this interview, we discuss the company's novel technologies and how they could revolutionize how we think about plastics.
At the Advanced Materials Show in June 2022, AZoM spoke with Ben Melrose from International Syalons about the advanced materials market, Industry 4.0, and efforts to move toward net-zero.
At the Advanced Materials Show, AZoM spoke with Vig Sherrill from General Graphene about the future of graphene and how their novel production technique will lower costs to open up a whole new world of applications in the future.
This product Profile outlines the ZEISS SmartPI-Smart Particle Investigator.
Discover the OTT Parsivel², a laser disdrometer that can be used to measure all precipitation types. It allows users to collect data on the size and speed of falling particles.
Environics offers stand alone permeation systems that can be used for single or multiple disposable permeation tubes.
This article provides an end-of-life assessment of lithium-ion batteries, focusing on the recycling of an ever-growing amount of spent Li-Ion batteries in order to work toward a sustainable and circular approach to battery use and reuse.
Corrosion is the degradation of an alloy caused by its exposure to the environment. Corrosion deterioration of metallic alloys exposed to the atmosphere or other adverse conditions is prevented using a variety of techniques.
Due to the ever-increasing demand for energy, the demand for nuclear fuel has also increased, which has further created a significant increase in the requirement for post-irradiation examination (PIE) techniques.
AZoM.com - An AZoNetwork Site
Owned and operated by AZoNetwork, © 2000-2022