Development of breathable and liquid/microbes barrier woven surgical gowns for hospital usage

An attempt has been made to develop a breathable woven surgical gown with antimicrobial and liquid repellent properties by finishing with nanoparticles of silver and fluorocarbon using pad-dry-cure method. Box-Behnken design has been used to optimize the coating parameters, i.e. concentrations of nanosilver (NS), nanofluorocarbon (NFC) and binder. The selected coating parameters has decisive influence on the fabric properties, such as air permeability, moisture vapour permeability, antimicrobial and tensile behaviour. The optimum coating parameters such as concentrations of NS, NFC and binder result in improved air permeability and moisture vapour permeability of the fabric for 3 g/L of NS and 40 g/L of NFC. The antibacterial activity of fabric is found to be higher for increased NS concentration and lower for increased NFC. In case of tensile properties of coated fabrics, the increase in NS concentration increases the tensile strength and decreases the bending modulus of fabrics

Development of metallic core-spun yarns and hybrid conductive fabrics for electromagnetic shielding applications

346-351Various metallic core-sheath yarns have been prepared and conductive fabrics are woven using sample loom for electromagnetic shielding applications. The core-sheath yarn is prepared using stainless steel and polyester slivers with different proportions of SS fibre content. The conductive fabrics are produced with different warp and weft patterns. The shielding effectiveness (SE) of fabric has been tested in the frequency range from 50 MHz to 1.5 GHz according to ASTM D4935. The test results reveal that the fabric with cell type structures shows better shielding effectiveness (SE) than the plain weave structures. The increase in metal content does not influence the SE of fabric having conductive fibres in one direction. However, fabric having conductive fibres in warp and weft directions shows improved shielding effectiveness. When the grid size is increased, the shielding effectiveness is decreased. It is concluded that the fabric with small grid size and cell type weave structures could provide effective shielding as compared to plain woven fabric in low frequency range

Electromagnetic shielding behaviour of conductive filler composites and conductive fabrics – A review

In this study, theory of EMI shielding and research conducted on textile fabrics to impart conductivity for attenuating the electromagnetic (EM) radiation by means of different techniques have been reviewed in detail. Shielding of the EM waves can be done by means of reflection, multiple reflection and absorption by the shield. Different metals with their alloys and polymeric materials are initially used as shielding materials with some limitations. However, the recent developments in conductive fabrics and composites replace the conventional shielding materials. The composites with better conductivity and light weight could be a promising barrier material for protecting electronic circuits from the EM radiation and mechanical damage. Materials with high absorption co-efficient could impart shielding effectiveness of 80 dB for the frequency of 18 GHz. This paper mainly focuses on the necessity of conductive textile fabric and composites used as hybrid electromagnetic shields

Cyclic bursting loading on needle-punched nonwovens: Part I – Distention behavior

The present study aims at examining different needle-punched polypropylene nonwovens under different cyclic bursting pressure. Various fabric parameters including mass density, punch density and fibre fineness have been investigated. For the cyclic test, the distension is measured at different cyclic bursting pressures proportionate to the bursting strength of the fabric. Other parameters including the cyclic pressure magnitude, the number of cycles, and the rest time at peak pressure have also been investigated. It has been found that the bursting strength and distension of fabric increase with an increase in mass density, while they show opposite trend with punch density and fibre denier (p < 0.01). The distension value of each sample increases with an increase in the cyclic parameters i.e. number of loading cycle, rest time and pressure peak

Study of cyclic bursting loading on needle-punched nonwovens: Part II – Change in air permeability and compression behavior

Efforts have been made to investigate the physical properties of needle-punched nonwovens, such as compression and air permeability, before and after the application of cyclic bursting pressure. It is observed that the structural parameters, such as areal density, needling density and fibre fineness, have significant effect on the aforementioned fabric characteristics. More compression is observed in a sample with low mass density. Sample made of coarser fibre shows lower compression as compared to finer fibre samples. The air permeability decreases with increase in mass density. On conducting cyclic bursting test on a sample, the values of air permeability and compression change significantly. The cyclic parameters, such as pressure magnitude and rest time at cyclic peak pressure, cause significant structural changes and reorientation of the fibre during deformation. Increase in pressure and rest time causes increase in compression parameter (α) and air permeability. Nevertheless, at low cyclic pressure level (10% of bursting pressure), the network becomes compact due to fibrous reorientation, and therefore both the values of compression parameter (α) and air permeability show initial drop. On examining the samples made of coarser and finer fibres, the variation is observed in the extent of change in the air permeability

Development of breathable and liquid/microbes barrier woven surgical gowns for hospital usage

453-464An attempt has been made to develop a breathable woven surgical gown with antimicrobial and liquid repellent properties by finishing with nanoparticles of silver and fluorocarbon using pad-dry-cure method. Box-Behnken design has been used to optimize the coating parameters, i.e. concentrations of nanosilver (NS), nanofluorocarbon (NFC) and binder. The selected coating parameters has decisive influence on the fabric properties, such as air permeability, moisture vapour permeability, antimicrobial and tensile behaviour. The optimum coating parameters such as concentrations of NS, NFC and binder result in improved air permeability and moisture vapour permeability of the fabric for 3 g/L of NS and 40 g/L of NFC. The antibacterial activity of fabric is found to be higher for increased NS concentration and lower for increased NFC. In case of tensile properties of coated fabrics, the increase in NS concentration increases the tensile strength and decreases the bending modulus of fabrics

Electromagnetic shielding behaviour of conductive filler composites and conductive fabrics – A review

329-342In this study, theory of EMI shielding and research conducted on textile fabrics to impart conductivity for attenuating the electromagnetic (EM) radiation by means of different techniques have been reviewed in detail. Shielding of the EM waves can be done by means of reflection, multiple reflection and absorption by the shield. Different metals with their alloys and polymeric materials are initially used as shielding materials with some limitations. However, the recent developments in conductive fabrics and composites replace the conventional shielding materials. The composites with better conductivity and light weight could be a promising barrier material for protecting electronic circuits from the EM radiation and mechanical damage. Materials with high absorption co-efficient could impart shielding effectiveness of 80 dB for the frequency of 18 GHz. This paper mainly focuses on the necessity of conductive textile fabric and composites used as hybrid electromagnetic shields

Cyclic bursting loading on needle-punched nonwovens: Part I – Distention behavior

20-24The present study aims at examining different needle-punched polypropylene nonwovens under different cyclic bursting pressure. Various fabric parameters including mass density, punch density and fibre fineness have been investigated. For the cyclic test, the distension is measured at different cyclic bursting pressures proportionate to the bursting strength of the fabric. Other parameters including the cyclic pressure magnitude, the number of cycles, and the rest time at peak pressure have also been investigated. It has been found that the bursting strength and distension of fabric increase with an increase in mass density, while they show opposite trend with punch density and fibre denier (p < 0.01). The distension value of each sample increases with an increase in the cyclic parameters i.e. number of loading cycle, rest time and pressure peak

Study of cyclic bursting loading on needle-punched nonwovens: Part II – Change in air permeability and compression behavior

203-208Efforts have been made to investigate the physical properties of needle-punched nonwovens, such as compression and air permeability, before and after the application of cyclic bursting pressure. It is observed that the structural parameters, such as areal density, needling density and fibre fineness, have significant effect on the aforementioned fabric characteristics. More compression is observed in a sample with low mass density. Sample made of coarser fibre shows lower compression as compared to finer fibre samples. The air permeability decreases with increase in mass density. On conducting cyclic bursting test on a sample, the values of air permeability and compression change significantly. The cyclic parameters, such as pressure magnitude and rest time at cyclic peak pressure, cause significant structural changes and reorientation of the fibre during deformation. Increase in pressure and rest time causes increase in compression parameter (α) and air permeability. Nevertheless, at low cyclic pressure level (10% of bursting pressure), the network becomes compact due to fibrous reorientation, and therefore both the values of compression parameter (α) and air permeability show initial drop. On examining the samples made of coarser and finer fibres, the variation is observed in the extent of change in the air permeability