SAFETY AND PROTECTIVE

TEXTILES
DR. REYHAN KESKIN
TENG 506, 2019 SPRING SEMESTER
CLASS NOTES
PAMUKKALE UNIVERSITY
 DEFINITION
• SAFETY AND PROTECTIVE TEXTILES are technical
textile products that are used to:
• 1) Protect the wearer from harsh environmental
effects (heat, fire, cold, electrical hazard,...) that
might cause injury or death.
• 2) Protect the environment from people (such as
clean rooms).

•clean rooms
 USAGE AREAS

•Extreme heat •Extreme fire

•Extreme cold
 •Harmful gases

•Harmful chemicals
•Viral environment
•Bacterial
environment
 •Contamination

•Mechanical hazards
•Electrical hazards
•Radiation

•Vacuum and
pressure
fluctuations
 HIGH TEMPERATURE TEXTILES

• DEFINITION
• A high temperature textile material is a
material that can be used continuously at
temperatures over 200°C without
decomposition and without losing its major
physical properties.
• In the past: Asbestos was used as a high
temperature resistant textile material.
 HIGH TEMPERATURE FIBERS
• Rayon
• Glass
• Nylon
• Modacrylics
• Polyester
• Aramids
• PPS (polyphenylene sulfide) (=sulfar fiber)
• PTFE
• Phenolic
• Ceramic
• Carbon
• PBI
• Polyacrylate
• Polyimide
• Melamine
• The most commonly used synthetic FR fibers
include aramids, PBI, and rayon. Acrylic and
modacrylic is used in some chemical
resistance and in children’s sleepwears.
 FLAME RESISTANT (FR) PROTECTIVE
CLOTHING
• Burn injuries occur when a person’s clothing
ignites. Wearing flame resistant (FR) protective
apparel reduces burn injury and increases the
chance of surviving a flash fire.
• FR fabrics are designed:
• 1) To resist ignition (should prevent the spread of
flames when subjected to intensive heat or
flame)
• 2) To self-extinguish when ignited (should self-
extinguish immediately as soon as the ignition
source is removed.)
 THERMAL PROTECTION
• Resistance to flame and associated heat
transfer through the garments is defined as
thermal protection.
 PROTECTIVE CLOTHING FOR FLAME
RESISTANCE
• PRIMARY PROTECTIVE CLOTHING
• It is designed to be worn for work
activities where significant exposure to
molten substance splash, radiant heat,
and flame is likely. Ex: Firefighter turnout
gear and fire entry suits.
• SECONDARY PROTECTIVE CLOTHING
• It is designed for continuous
protection from possible intermittent
exposure to molten substance splash,
radiant heat and flame. Ex: Continuously
worn flame resistant uniforms.
 FLAME RESISTANCE
• Can be achieved in two ways:
• 1) By using inherently FR materials and fibers. FR is an
essential or inherent characteristic of the fiber. They
can be produced from a single type of fiber (ex:
Modacrylics), or from blends (ex: Kevlar®, Nomex® and
carbon blends). Blending is done either to optimise FR
or to optimise cost.
• 2) By using special treatments of fibers and fabrics:
Chemical treatments or compounds are incorporated
into/onto the fiber/fabric to achieve flame resistance.
Treated cotton (=FR cotton) is widely used in apparel
for FR.
 A) FLAME RESISTANT FIBERS AND
FABRICS
• Flame resistant cotton
• Nomex
• Vinex
• Modacrylic
• PBI
• Treated cotton
• Blends of different fibers. Ex: modacrylic,
polyester, rayon
 REQUIREMENTS FOR FR TEXTILES
• Parameters are:
• Flame resistance
• Ergonomical design
• Durability
• Easy maintainance
• Comfort
• Lightweight
• Moisture vapor transport ability
• Chemical or molten substance resistance
• Color fastness for a certain number of washing
• Dimensional stability after repeated washing
• Aesthetics
 B) TESTING FOR FLAME RESISTANCE
• According to USA flammability standard, 16 CFR-1610:
• Measures ease of ignition and flame spread time.
• Method: A test specimen at 45° angle is exposed to a
one second ignition and the time to burn five inches of
the specimen is measured. 3 types of flammability are
identified:
• 1) Normal flammability (CLASS 1): flame spreads in 4
seconds or more.
• 2) Intermediate flammability (CLASS 2): applies to
napped fabrics. (a fabric gone through a finishing
process and fiber ends are left outside: ex: Velvet,
cashmire,...)
• 3) Rapid and intense burning (CLASS 3): spread time is
less than 4 secınds
 WIDELY USED TEST METHODS
• 1) Vertical flame resistance test
• 2) Thermal protective performance of
materials for clothing
• 3) Fire fighter protective clothing standards
1) Vertical flame resistance test
• A 12 inch long fabric is suspended vertically.
• The fabric is subjected to a controlled flame on the cut
edge.
• After 12 seconds, the flame is removed and three
characteristics are reported:
• A) afterflame: the time in seconds that visible flame
remains on the fabric.
• B) afterglow: the time (in seconds) that glow remains
on the fabric.
• C) char length: fabric length (in inches) that is
destroyed by the flame.
• 5 samples in warp and 5 samples in filling direction are
tested. The average of each direction is reported.
 2) Thermal protective performance
(TPP) of materials for clothing by
open-flame method
• This method is used to rate textile materials for
thermal resistance and insulation when exposed to a
convective heat flux.
• Method:
• The sample is exposed to heat from a standard flame
on one face.
• The amount of heat energy on the opposite face is
measured.
• There are two versions: for single layer fabrics (ex:
shirts, pants and coveralls worn by industrial workers),
and for multilayer fabrics (ex: fabrics used in three
layer firefighter turnout coats).
 3) Fire fighter protective clothing
standards
• There are different standards for different fire
fighter protective clothing:
• - Fire tests for flame resistant textiles and films
• -Fire tests for clothing except hats, gloves,
footwear and interlinings
• -Standard on protective clothing for structural
fire fighting
• -Standard on gloves for structural fire fighting
• -Standard on protective clothing for station work
uniforms. In this standard, 2 new requirements
are established:
• 1) Garments must not melt or drip when exposed
in a forced air oven at 500°F (260°C) for five
minutes
• 2) Garments must be approved by a third party
organization.
• -Standard on protective clothing for proximity fire
fighting
• -Standard on protective clothing and equipment
for wildlands fire fighting
 C) PERFORMANCE OF FLAME
RESISTANT TEXTILES
• If surface temperature increases, protection time
exponentially drops.
• At high outside temperatures and humidity, the
evaporation of sweat becomes a factor.To improve comfort,
water vapor permeability of protective clothing must be
high.
• Sewing thread failure can lead to downhall of the entire
protective system. So special attention should be given to
sewing machines. Glass fiber sewing threads break easily,
PTFE sewing threads slick (=slide) and need adjustment
while sewing, carbon sewing threads need slower machine
speeds, quartz threads fracture (=break), Nomex® and
Kevlar ® sewing threads are generally good when used as
threads for FR protective clothing.
 D) APPLICATIONS OF FR TEXTILES

• 1) Fire fighter protective clothing

• 2) Furniture manufacturing: Inherently FR
fibers or coated fabrics are used in furniture
fabrics.
 1) Fire fighter protective clothing
• Fire fighter protective clothing is made of 3
layers:
• 1) outer layer: Must be heat and flame
resistant, abrasion resistant.
• 2) Moisture barrier: Must keep the fire fighter
dry.
• 3) inner layer: Provides the main protection
against heat.
CHEMICAL PROTECTIVE CLOTHING
• CHEMICAL PROTECTIVE CLOTHING
• The aim is to isolate parts of the body from direct
contact with a hazardous chemical.
• Ex: clothing to protect farmers from insecticides,
clothing to protect truck drivers from
toxic/flammable materials during loading,
clothing to protect fire fighters from chemicals.
• A) CP MATERIALS
• Porous fabrics are used for particulate protection
and coated/laminated fabrics are used for liquid
and gas protection.
 MECHANICAL PROTECTION
• Technical textiles to protect the wearer from cut, tear,
puncture, splash, impact and abrasion. High strength
textile fibers (paraaramids, high density ethylene,
nylon/cotton blends) or their blends with metallic
fibers (metal and fiber blend) might be used in
mechanical protection.
• Cut resistance can be achieved in several ways:
• -increasing fabric weight
• -using inherently cut resistant materials
• -using composite yarns
• Extended chain polyethylene, and paraaramids have
high inherent cut resistance. By wrapping cut resistant
fibers around steel or fiberglass yarns, composite yarns
with excellent cut resistance can be obtained.
• A) GLOVES
• Must be chosen according to end uses (surgeon gloves,
metal worker gloves, laboratory gloves, ...)
• FOR CUT RESISTANCE
• Nylon and polyester gloves are suitable for clean
rooms, standard cotton or leather work gloves provide
little cut resistance, a paraaramid glove provides more
cut resistance than a standard cotton glove, gloves
made of yarns combining para-aramids or extended
chain polyethylene with steel wire or fiberglass provide
excellent cut protection. Better cut protection and
comfort is provided by them compared to metal mesh
gloves.
• FOR PUNCTURE RESISTANCE
• When dealing with small pointed objects, puncture resistance is needed. The
construction is important, loosely knit gloves are not suitable for puncture
resistance.
• Tightly woven fabrics made of strong fibers increase puncture resistance.
Coated nonwovens made of metallic and high strength textile fibers provide
excellent puncture resistance.
• FOR THERMAL PROTECTION
• They must have insulating properties to prevent heat through the glove to the
wearer. Gloves made of FR cotton (decomposes at 600-650 °F) and aramids
(meta aramids decompose at 700-800 °F, para aramids decompose at 800-900
° F) provide thermal protection to several levels.
• FOR HAZARDOUS CHEMICALS AND LIQUIDS
• Nonporous gloves are used. Gloves made of rubber and other elastomeric
materials, or coated fabrics made of natural or synthetic fibers might be used
for chemical and liquid protection.
• LABORATORY USE
• Classic latex gloves do not stop chemicals, to have no chemical
absorption/penetration through the skin in lab works, nytrile gloves (blue
gloves) are used.
• MOLTEN METAL
• Aluminized aramid fibers can be used for protection against molten metal.
 B) CHAIN SAW CLOTHING
• Loosely woven or knit fabrics having
large numbers of long yarns are used. These
fabrics are easy to cut in conventional tests
but they shred out in chain saw protection
and stop the motor of the chain saw.
• In the past, 8-14 layers of ballistic nylon was
used.
• Now, 6 layers of woven and needle-felt para-
aramid are used.
 SPACE SUITS

• Space suits protect the astronauts from heat,

cold, chemicals, micrometeroids and pressure
fluctuations.
 SPACE SUITS FOR OUTSIDE OF THE
SHUTTLE
• There is no atmosphere, pressure and oxygen at the outside of the
shuttle it is a vacuum. This suit protects the astronaut from harsh
conditions in the space. The outside suit includes:
• -pressure, therma l and micrometeroid protection
• -oxygen
• -cooling water
• -drinking water
• -food
• -waste collection nicluding CO2 removal
• -electrical power and
• -communications
• Space suits are pressurized at 4.3 pounds per square inch, they have
112 kg weight on earth, but in space they have no weight. In space
astronauts feel it as a ressitance to a change in motion.
• The layers of a space suit:
1. Micrometeroid tear protection layer
2. Super insulation layers
3. Second micrometeroid layer
4. Pressure restraint layer
5. Pressure bladder
6. Liquid cooling and ventilation garment
7. Body comfort lining
8. Pressure restraint system
9. Gloves
 SUITS USED INSIDE THE SHUTTLE

• Astronauts wear traditional garments

including FR flight suits, trousers, lined zipper
jackets, knit shirts, sleep shirts, soft slippers
and underwear inside the shuttle.
 SUITS FOR ASCENT AND ENTRY

• The suit consists of a partial pressure suit, a

parachute harness assembly, and a parachute
sack. The suit conssits of a helmet,
communication assembly, torso, gloves, and
boots. The suit provides counterpressure and
antiexposure functions in an emergency situation
if the crew has to parachute from the orbiter. The
suit has inflatable bladders that fill with oxygen
from the orbiter. If the suit does not apply
pressure on the abdomen and legs, the blood
would go to the lower part of the body and cause
the astronaut to black out.
 TEXTILES FOR SPACE STATION

• The space station is a habitable, artificial sattelite

in low earth orbit (the 2000 km from the earth
surface). These suits (named Mark III and AX-5)
will be used during the space station program.
Specially designed static-free fabrics will be used
in the space station. The Mark III is a combination
of soft and hard elements, the AX-5 is a hard all-
metal suit. Both suits are designed to operate at
8.3 psi pressure.
• Antistatic garments and materials are also critical
for the space programs.
 ELECTRICAL PROTECTIVE CLOTHING
(MAGNETIC AND ELECTROSTATIC)
• Humans are sensitive to electrical energy because
of their nerve system.
• Harm to the body is a function of the amount of
current (I= V/R). Higher voltage allows for the
production of higher, more dangerous currents.
• "It's not voltage that kills, its current!"

• 1) Electromagnetic protection
• 2) Electrostatic protection
 1) Electromagnetic protection
• Workers working close to power lines and
electrical equipment may be exposed to
electric shocks and acute flammability
hazards.
• Rubber gloves, dielectric hard hats and boots,
sleeve protectors, conductive Faraday cage
garments, rubber blankets, non-conductive
hot sticks, and live line buckets are used.
 CONDUCTIVE PROTECTIVE CLOTHING
• It is necessary for people working close to
high-voltage electrical equipment.
• Conductive protective clothing must be:
• 1) conductive
• 2) flame resistant
• 3) wear resistant
• 4) comfortable
• Conductive protective clothing (also called live
line clothes) is made by closely weaving metal
and natural or synthetic fibers were
introduced in 1970s.
• A mixture of fire retardant textile fibers and
stainless steel fibers having 8-10 micron
diameters are used in a woven typical electric
protective clothing.
 FARADAY SUITS
• It was proved that ‘Faraday suits’ made of:
• 25% stainless steel fiber and 75% wool blend
or;
• 25% stainless steel fiber and 75% aramid
blend
• Were effective to electromagnetic field
generated at voltages up to 400 kV. These
clothes are not effecitve to direct contact with
high voltage lines.
 2) Electrostatic protection
• Static electricity is an electric charge at rest that is
generated by the transfer of electrons. The
transfer of these electrons between objects with
different electrostatic potentials (or ground) can
cause elecrostatic discharge.
• This discharge can damage an electronic part,
cause an explosion in a hazardous atmosphere,
and can cause an involuntary reflex leading to
injury.
• Antistatic garments and materials are also critical
for the space programs.
 TRIBOELECTRIC EFFECT (STATIC
EFFECT)
• The generation of static electricity caused by
rubbing teo materials together is called the
triboelectric (static) effect.
• As a result of triboelectric effect, materials can be
ranked in order of positive to negative charging.
(Positive to negative charging examples: acetate
(+), glass (+), human hair (+), nylon (+), wool (+),
paper, cotton, wood, rubber (-), acrylic (-),
polystyrene (-), polyurethane (-), polyethylene (-),
polypropylene (-), PVC (-), teflon (-).)
 VOLTAGE GENERATION DURING LIFE
• During daily life:
• -walking on carpet
• -sliding on auto seat
• -wearing synthetic fiber apparel
• -sitting on vinyl upholstered chair
• Can generate 1500 volts at 65-95% relative
humidity; and up to 35000 volts in 10-20%
humidity.
 STATIC ELECTRICITY CONTROL
• Electronic parts can be damaged by electrostatic discharge
voltages of 100 volts or less, so static control is extremely
important for the electronics industry.
• ANTISTATIC FABRIC EXAMPLES USED
• -Blended metal and textile fibers is an effective way of
controlling static buildup.
• -A blend of 65% polyester, 32.5% cotton and 2,5% stainless
steel fabric. Metal fiber content varies between 1-5%
depending on the hazard level of application.
• These garments dissipate, the static generated by the
wearer before it reaches dangerous levels. They are also
used in electronics manufaturing in clean rooms. Antistatic
fabrics are also used in emergency chemical response,
chemical clean up, fuel handling operations and general
chemical process industry as well as in space suits.
 CLEAN ROOM TEXTILES
• Clean room (anticontaminant) textiles protect the
environment from the wearer.
• The human body sheds one billion skin cells every day,
the body and clothes carry a good amount of dust,
ions, hair, textile lint, cosmetics, all of which are
incompatible with high-tech production methods.
• Clean rooms are used to prevent contamination of
items such as food, pharmaceuticals, microelectronics,
semiconductor industry, aerospace components, optics
and automotive components.
• Clean room textiles should be lint-free, antistatic, and
resistant to human contamination such as from hair or
dead skin.
 FABRICS FOR CLEAN ROOMS
• Fabrics made of natural and staple yarns are never
used in clean room applications because they generate
a great amount of lint.
• Woven, nonwoven or laminate fabrics migt be used as
clean room fabrics. Their properties are:
• -Filtration efficiency
• -Air permeability
• -Moisture vapor transmission rate
• -Abrasion resistance
• -Static decay
• -Control of electrostatic discharge
MATERIALS FOR CLEAN ROOM FABRICS
• -Continuous filament polyester
• -Tyvek® (spunbond olefin (polyethylene) fiber
produced by Dupont)
• -Gore-tex® (coated and laminated fabric)
• -Cleanguard ® (spunbond/meltblown/spunbond
heat-fused polypropylene laminate)
• -inherently antistatic fibers
• Conductive yarns such as carbon, nickel or
aluminum can be woven into clean room fabrics
for static control.
 RADIATION PROTECTION
• Radiation protection is necessary for:
• nuclear plant employees
• X-ray proffessionals
• Workers in cancer treatment centers
• Places subject to ionizing radiation

• For alpha and beta radiation, keeping the radioactive

material away from the skin, mouth, eyes and nose will be
enough. If there is contact, goggles, respiratory protection,
gloves and lightweight protective clothing may be enough for
protection.
• For gamma radiation, the radiation energy will penetrate
deeply into the suit and wearer. The techniques used for
protection from gamma and some beta radiation are:
contamination control, time, distance and shielding.
Shielding is done by placing a heavy radiation barrier such as
lead between the radioactive dirt and the worker.
 THERMAL INSULATION
• Reducing heat loss from the body is very important,
therefore clothing must be a poor conductor of heat. Every
fabric has trapped air between the fibers, and this air is a
very poor conductive material. Thus the greater is the air
space between fibers, the greater is heat insulation.
• Fabrics that are thick and soft have large proportion of air
for heat insulation, ex: blankets, napped nylon sleepsuits.
The fabric should maintain its thickness, so fabrics that
spring after being compressed (=resilient, ex:wool) are
suitable.
• Textile fibers are good conductors compared with the air
trapped between fibers. In insulation fabrics, the fiber
forms just a small amount of the structure. So it is not
affecting the insulation of the textile.
• Primaloft® and micro fibers have large spaces in their
structure.
 HIGH VISIBILITY TEXTILES

• Reduced visibility causes padestrian accidents

especially in nights. So high visibility textiles
assist workers and pedestrians.
• 3 ways:
• 1) Reflective materials: they shine when light
strikes.
• 2) Photoluminescent materials (give yellow in
dark)
• 3) Fluoroscent materials (red-orange is visible
during the day)
1) Reflective materials: they shine
when light strikes.
2) Photoluminescent materials (give
yellow in dark)
3) Fluoroscent materials (red-orange is
visible during the day)
 METALLIZED FABRICS

• Metals and textile materials are combined to

have good abrasion, reflectivety over extended
time, wear resistance and molten metal splash
resistance. Metal covered with textile fiber, or
fiber coated for metals for the best conductivity.
• Woven, knit and nonwovens can be
coated/laminated with metal surfaces.
• Aluminized fabric (aluminum molecules
deposited on PET film) reflects 90% of radiant
heat.