Vinitkumar Singh

Atmospheric pressure plasma treatment and breathability of polypropylene nonwoven fabric

Atmospheric pressure plasma treatment is a surface modification technique, which can be used for surface finishing and pretreatment of textiles using a broad range of reactive gases. In this study, atmospheric pressure plasma was created using a mixture of nitrogen and oxygen and was applied to polypropylene spunbond fabric. Physical properties like moisture vapor transport, pore size distribution and tensile strength were evaluated to understand the effect of the plasma treatment on spunbond polypropylene. Chemical composition of the fabric before and after plasma treatment was analyzed by Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy. The spectra showed that oxygen and nitrogen containing groups were generated on the surface of the plasma-treated fabric. Scanning electron microscope was used to observe the surface morphology of the substrate. It is evident from the capillary flow porometer results, pore size increased after plasma treatment resulting in enhanced moisture vapor transport rate. No significant decrease in breaking load was observed after the plasma treatment.

Nanomaterials for Defense Applications

Nanotechnology has found a number of applications in electronics and healthcare. Within the textile field, applications of nanotechnology have been limited to filters, protective liners for chemical and biological clothing and nanocoatings. This chapter presents an overview of the applications of nanomaterials such as nanofibers and nanoparticles that are of use to military and industrial sectors. An effort has been made to categorize nanofibers based on the method of production. This chapter particularly focuses on a few latest developments that have taken place with regard to the application of nanomaterials such as metal oxides in the defense arena.

Advances in materials for chemical, biological, radiological and nuclear (CBRN) protective clothing

Abstract: Chemical, biological and nuclear (CBN) threats are still a major challenge faced by civilized nations. As these threats have become unconventional these days, solutions to tackle them should also be unconventional in nature. In other words, it is not possible for a single discipline to come up with a solution to counter CBN threat agents. In the CBN defense program, there are three main aspects, which include: 1) sensing the threat agents; 2) protection from the threat agents; and 3) preserving after attacks. Fibrous materials can be involved in all three aspects of CBN counter-measures. This chapter briefly discusses the characteristics of the CBN threat agents and their counter-measure strategies involving textile materials. New developments such as dry decontamination wipes and nanotechnology-based protective materials are highlighted in this chapter.