Mohanapriya Venkataraman

Thermodynamics of aerogel-treated nonwoven fabrics at subzero temperatures

Nonwoven fabrics and aerogel have complementary properties required for good thermal insulation. In this work, the polyester/polyethylene nonwoven thermal wraps treated with amorphous silica aerogel are studied and characterized with regard to thermodynamical properties at subzero temperatures. The characterization of physical structure was done by scanning electron microscope. C-Therm TCi thermal conductivity analyzer was used to measure thermal properties like conductivity, resistance, and effusivity at subzero temperatures. Heat transfer caused by convection through the thermal wraps was measured by particle image velocimetry technique, which allows obtaining information about the current distribution of velocities in two-dimensional array in a flowing fluid. Vector and scalar maps of the fluid flow were caused by thermal convection. The samples were studied for different temperature gradients. On scientific evaluation of results, thermal conductivity and thermal effusivity were found to be differing with respect to different temperatures and fabric density. Thermal resistance showed an increase as the fabric thickness increases. It was observed that fabric density and the aerogel present in the structures have a significant effect on thermal properties of aerogel-treated nonwoven fabrics. The findings in this study are significant and can be used for further research in aerogel-treated nonwoven fabrics.

Aerogel based nanoporous fibrous materials for thermal insulation

In this research work, the thermo physiological properties of polyester/polyethylene nonwoven composite wraps of varying thicknesses impregnated with aerogel were studied and compared. The SEM images were also taken to compare the physical configuaration of the aerogel based fibrous composites. Specific thermal properties like thermal conductivity, thermal resistance, thermal diffusivity and thermal absorptivity were measured using alambeta instrument. The air permeability of the thermal wraps was measured in air permeability tester. The relative water vapor permeability and absolute water vapor permeability was measured in Permetest. These tests were conducted to understand thermal properties, air and water vapor permeability of flexible aerogel based composites with nanoporous structure. The results of the experiments were statistically analyzed and found to be within confidence intervals.

Novel techniques to analyse thermal performance of aerogel-treated blankets under extreme temperatures

The thermal properties of polyester/polyethylene non-woven blankets of varying thicknesses impregnated with aerogel were studied and compared. The SEM images were also taken to study the physical configuration of the aerogel-based fibrous webs. Specific thermal properties like conductivity, resistance and effusivity were measured using C-Therm TCi thermal conductivity analyzer. One major objective was to understand the potential of a newly fabricated equipment to study the thermal properties of non-woven textile fabrics treated with aerogel at sub-zero temperatures. Thermal conductivity was calculated using the empirical relation in Fourier’s law. The relationship between the thermal conductivity and thermal resistance of the samples was studied at various environmental temperatures (which was set in the climatic temperature system between (+25°C and −25°C). The newly fabricated equipment was found to be suitable for thermal measurements at sub-zero temperatures. The results were statistically analysed and compared. It was found that fabric thickness and density have a significant effect on the thermal properties and permeability of the aerogel-treated non-woven fabrics. The results also showed that the selected polyester and polyethylene non-woven fabrics were suitable for usage as thermal insulators during construction of buildings and for insulation of oil and gas pipelines.

Aerogels for thermal insulation in high-performance textiles

ABSTRACT For many garment applications where protection is needed against hostile environments, part of the requirement is for insulation to shield the wearer from extremes of temperature. For an insulating garment to be fully effective, it needs to allow the wearer to move freely so that they can carry out their intended activity efficiently. Traditional materials achieve their insulation by trapping air within the structure thereby not only limiting heat loss by convection but also making good use of the low thermal conductivity of air to cocoon the wearer within a comfortable environment. To achieve effective protection with conventional textiles, it is usually necessary to have a thick fibrous layer, or series of layers, to trap a sufficient quantity of air to provide the required level of insulation. Several disadvantages arise as a result. For example, thick layers of insulating textile materials reduce the ability of the wearer to move in a normal manner so that the conduct of detailed manual tasks can become very difficult; the layers lose their insulating capacity when the trapped air is lost as they are compressed; the insulating capacity falls rapidly as moisture collects within the fibrous insulator – it does not have to become sensibly wet for this to happen; just 15% moisture regain can give a dramatic reduction in insulating capacity. Not surprisingly therefore, there has been continued interest in developing insulators that might be able to overcome the disadvantages of conventional textile materials and improve the mobility of the wearer by allowing the use of only a very thin layer of extremely-high insulating performance to provide the required thermal protection. One class of materials from which suitable candidates might be drawn is aerogels; their attractiveness derives from the fact that they show the highest thermal insulation capacity of any materials developed so far. Despite sporadic high levels of interest, commercialisation has been slow. Aerogels have been found to possess their own set of disadvantages such as fragility; rigidity; dust formation during working and cumbersome, expensive, batch-wise manufacturing processes. They may well have been destined to become a product of minor interest, confined to very specialist applications where cost was of little concern. However, methods have been developed to combine aerogels and fibres in composite structures which maintain extremely high insulating capacity whilst demonstrating sufficient flexibility for use in garments. Ways have been found to prevent the formation of powder as aerogel composite fabrics are worked. Most significant though, is the achievement, arising from a project supported by the Korean Government, of a simplified one-step production process developed with the express aim of providing a substantial reduction in the cost of aerogels. Suitably-priced aerogel is now available and this should provide fresh stimulus for research and development teams to engage in new product development work utilising aerogels in textiles and garments for thermal insulation. The mechanisms through which aerogels achieve their outstanding thermal insulating ability is unconventional, at least in terms of materials used in textiles. This issue of Textile Progress therefore includes detail about thermal transport in aerogels before reviewing the various forms in which aerogels can now be made, some of their applications and the research priorities that are now beginning to emerge.

Modelling and simulation of heat transfer by convection in aerogel treated nonwovens

Abstract Simulation and numerical modeling are becoming increasingly popular due to the ability to seek solutions for a problem without undertaking real-life experiments. For the problems of heat transfer, these techniques to generate relevant data by incorporating different changes to the input parameters. Heat transfer property of textile materials is a major concern since it influences comfort properties of clothing. In this paper, numerical simulation was applied to evaluate the heat flux, temperature distributions, and convective heat transfer coefficients of the fibrous insulating materials treated with aerogel. The computational model simulated the insulation behavior of nonwoven fabrics without and with aerogel. Ansys and Comsol were used to model and simulate heat transfer. The simulation was performed assuming laminar flow and since the Mach number was < 0.3, the compressible flow model with Mach number < 0.3 was used. The results of simulation were correlated to experimental measurements for validation. Furthermore, aerogel-treated fabric samples showed better thermal performance. Using this model, the heat transfer properties of the nonwoven fabrics treated with aerogel can be optimized further.

Effect of compressibility on heat transport phenomena in aerogel-treated nonwoven fabrics

The heat transport properties observed in nanostructured materials such as aerogel-treated nonwoven fabrics are promoting revolutionary breakthroughs as thermal insulators. This article is focused on the thermal transport characteristics of nonwoven fabrics treated with aerogel for potential uses in thermal protective applications. Highly efficient aerogel thermal blankets are now considered a viable option in applications such as clothing, building, and pipelines. A variety of fiber and fabric structures or finishing parameters influence the functional properties of nonwoven materials. In order to assess the thermal properties of aerogel-treated nonwoven fabrics, the KES Thermolabo II and NT-H1 (plate/fabric/plate method for thermal conductivity, qmax cool/warm feeling, and thermal insulation) was used. Fabrics of higher thicknesses show lower heat conductance and therefore higher thermal insulation properties. It has been found that thermal insulation is also related to the weight and compressional properties of the fabric. To make an insulating material effective, it should have low compression set and high resiliency to make the still air to be entrapped into the fibrous material.

The production, characterization and applications of nanoparticles in the textile industry

Nanosized particles can exhibit unexpected properties different from those of the original bulk material. The basic premise is that properties can dramatically change when a substances size is reduced to the nanometre range. The applications of nanoparticles, e.g. carbon black or some finishing agents in the textile industry, have a long tradition but are in fact not part of nanotechnology. A typical feature of nanotechnology in textiles is to use nanoparticles with some systematic arrangements. In this manuscript, the main features of nanotechnology are summarized. A core part is devoted to the description of the nanoparticle behaviour arising from their small dimensions. The problem of nanoparticle stabilization is denoted. Selected applications of nanoparticles in the textile field are reviewed.

Dynamic heat flux measurement for advanced insulation materials

Odour formation in the textile is a serious and embarrassing problem for an individual. The axilla born bacterial species are noted as the main reason for odour formation in axilla. In this research an attempt has been made to identify the odour generating compounds on the textile material after wear trial using gas chromatography and mass spectrum (GC-MS). The result indicates that the worn textile material consisted steroidal fractions of 5a-androst-16-ene-3-one and cholesterol, the major odour forming source from axilla. The results also identified the other important odour forming fatty acids and alcohols like lauric acids, diethyl esters of 1,2-benzenedicarboxylic acid, methyl esters of tetradecanoic acid, 3- methylhexanoic acid, Tetradecanol and acetic acid in axilla worn textile. These components were the derivatives of axilla specific odourous components like phthalic acid, myristic acid, isobutric acid and alcohols. The effect of Terminalia chebula extract finish on the odour formation also analysed and the results shows a considerable reduction in odour causing short chain volatile fatty acids (VFAs) in the worn textile compare to the untreated textile. The analysis also identified more amounts of active components of Terminalia chebula on the fabric surface instead of the odourous components from axilla.

Application of silver nanoparticles to industrial sewing threads: Effects on physico-functional properties & seam efficiency

In this study, the role and impact of silver nanoparticles on industrial sewing threads have been investigated. Study of nanocoating on industrial sewing threads may be useful especially in the areas where skin comes in contact with the garments where anti-bacterial properties may be very useful. Silver particles are considered to have excellent anti bacterial properties. To understand the impact on sewability, investigation was focused to changes at the structural level, changes in physical and surface properties, tensile properties and anti-microbial properties of the nanotreated sewing threads. The structure and morphology of the silver nanoparticles on the sewing threads was observed by scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and quantitatively confirmed by fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FT-IR). A number of experimental methods and mathematical formulae were used to test individual threads. Custom designed fixtures were used for the study. All the results have been statistically analyzed and found to be significant. The effect of silver nanoparticles on physical properties, functional properties and seam efficiency was illustrated. The difference of the impact of silver nanoparticles on cotton and polyester sewing threads has been compared. It was found that silver nanotreatment leads to a significant reduction of tensile strength. The warp-way seam strength increased where as weft-way seam strength decreased due to damage of yarn. Deformation properties of the threads are not influenced significantly by nanotreatment. The nanotreatment of threads improves its frictional properties significantly. The threads also acquire effective anti-microbial properties with silver nanotreatment. Study of the impact of nanotreatment on the properties of cotton and polyester samples showed a bigger impact on cotton samples than polyester samples. The effect was durable even after several laundering treatments.

Investigation on sound absorption properties of aerogel/polymer nonwovens

Abstract This paper presents an investigation on sound absorption performance of aerogel/polymer nonwoven fabrics. Polyester/polyethylene nonwovens embedded with hydrophobic amorphous silica aerogel were chosen for sound absorption measurements. The sound absorption coefficient (SAC) of single and laminated layers of aerogel nonwovens blankets was tested by Brüel and Kjær impedance tube, the noise reduction coefficient (NRC) was used for numerical analysis. A sound absorption index was developed to analyze the effect of aerogel content on sound absorption ability. The effect of air-back cavities on SAC of single-layer aerogel/polymer nonwoven fabrics was investigated. The results show that there is a decrease in SAC with the increase of aerogel content. It is observed that the NRC linearly increased with the increase of layers for all the samples. It was also found that the air-back cavities result in resonance phenomenon, as the increase in thickness of air-back cavities the peak values of SAC shift toward lower frequencies.