from the conferences organized by TANGER Ltd.
Textiles perform an important function of protecting humans from extreme conditions. For this function, the efficacy of the fabric is a very important parameter. To improve the thermal properties of textiles, different fabrics and coating materials need to be evaluated. The thermal properties of nanofibers and their potential protection against cold environments are relatively unknown. It is possible to decrease the weight and bulk of current thermal protective clothing by incorporating nanofibers in thermal insulation battings. Such a modification will also increase the mobility of the wearer. In this paper, the mechanisms of heat transfer through fibrous insulation where the fiber diameter is less than 1 micrometer (μm) was evaluated. Using electrospinning process, flexible electrospun PUR and PVDF nanofibers embedded with silica aerogel was produced. A detailed study of thermal properties of the electrospun nanofiber embedded with SiO2 aerogel was conducted. The microscopic examination confirmed presence of aerogel. The results were statistically analyzed. The samples showed enhancement of thermal insulation by increasing the number and the weight per unit area of both nanofibrous layers. The results also confirmed that embedding silica aerogel in nanofibrous layers leads to increased thermal insulation. Based on the results, nanofibers embedded with aerogel were found to be good for thermal insulation at extreme conditions.
Keywords: Nanofiber, aerogel, thermal Insulation, conduction, heat transfer© This is an open access article distributed under the Creative Commons Attribution License which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited.