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The human body constantly produces thermal electromagnetic radiation with a maximum of about 10 μm. This thermal radiation has a number of positive effects on the human body and, in addition, allows the insulation under clothing to be improved under extreme climatic conditions, causing a significant reduction in ambient temperature. With so-called far-infrared (FIR) textiles, it is possible to ensure the reflection of thermal radiation back to the human body. In the first part of this review, the generation of heat by the human body and its propagation by radiation through the skin are comprehensively explained. The thermal characteristics of the individual skin layers as an emitter of infrared radiation are given. The second part discusses the basic preparation methods of FIR textiles. Suitable particle systems are described based on metals and their oxides, porous carbon, and special ceramics. Modification of the fiber phase (especially the fineness of the fibers and the porosity of the fabric) in combination with the surface coating of metals is also used for their health-promoting effects. The main manufacturers of FIR textiles and their typical products are mentioned.

Spacer fabrics consist of three layers of fabrics which have ability to complement and maximize the essential thermal clothing comfort for various applications. Clothing comfort is also defined by the tactile sensations felt by a subject through the mechanical interactions between the body and the garment. In this research work, the thermal and compression properties of polyester/polypropylene and polyester/polypropylene/Lycra blended knitted spacer fabrics have been studied in relation to density, thickness, stitch density and type of spacer yarns (monofilament or multifilament). The objective of this study was to determine the influence of spacer fabric factors such as the constituent fibres, density, thickness, stitch density, type of spacer yarns and knit characteristics on the fabrics properties such as air permeability, relative water vapour permeability, thermal conductivity and work of compression. The experiment results show that the thermal conductivity and effusivity are closely related to the fabric characteristics such as the raw materials, type of spacer yarn, density, thickness and tightness of surface layer. Also, this study established that the compression resilience of the fabric made up of monofilament spacer yarn was better than that of the multifilament spacer yarn in spacer knitted fabrics. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The air flow and conjugate heat transfer through the fabric was investigated numerically. The objective of this paper is to study the thermal insulation of fabrics under heat convection or the heat loss of human body under different conditions (fabric structure and contact conditions between the human skin and the fabric). The numerical simulations were performed in laminar flow regime at constant skin temperature (310 K) and constant air flow temperature (273 K) at a speed of 5 m/s. Some important parameters such as heat flux through the fabrics, heat transfer coefficient, and Nusselt number were evaluated. The results showed that the heat loss from human body (the heat transfer coefficient) was smallest or the thermal insulation of fabric was highest when the fabric had no pores and no contact with the human skin, the heat loss from human body (the heat transfer coefficient) was highest when the fabric had pores and the air flow penetrated through the fabric.

This paper analyzes the relationship between technological parameters of spinning of 100% CV Vortex yarns of different counts and its selected geometrical parameters (a lead of helix of wrapping fibre ribbon, yarn diameter) as well as yarn properties. The number of twist of wrapping fibre layer is determined. The effect of the yarn delivery speed, hollow spindle diameter, and the main draft on the hairiness, mass irregularity, tenacity, elongation, resistance to abrasion and bending rigidity of Vortex yarn is observed. The yarn properties are compared with the properties of open-end rotor spun yarns. Slivers of the same spinning lot were used for the production of both kinds of yarn. The results showed that the delivery speed in combination with spindle diameter affects yarn diameter, hairiness and abrasion resistance. Mass irregularity and imperfections of yarn is mainly affected by the main draft of drafting unit. Technological parameters of spinning do not affect the level of bending rigidity of the Vortex yarn. Tested rotor spun yarns had a larger diameter, higher hairiness, lower tenacity and higher elongation, lower mass irregularity and number of imperfections, higher abrasion resistance and lower bending rigidity compared to tested Vortex spun yarns.

Flex fatigue behaviour of plastic optical fibres (POFs) with the diameters of 0.2 and 0.3 mm under different pretensions is measured with fatigue life curve by flexometer. The fatigue sensitivity coefficient is calculated by the linear fitting curve of normalised stress versus logarithm of bending cycles. The residual modulus is investigated during the flex fatigue processes. The results exhibit the exponential relationship between applied pretension and numbers of bending cycles at break. It is indicated that the flex fatigue of POFs might be sensitive with high swing angle or swing speed. There is an evident loss of modulus for two POFs with pretensions of 4 and 10% of ultimate tensile strength during 10-times bending cycles. The values of residual modulus of two POFs almost keep constant after 10-times bending cycles.

CO2 laser treatment can increase the surface roughness of plastic optical fibres (POFs) with the diameter of 0.5 mm and enhance the input intensity and attenuation coefficient accordingly, which is supposed to weaken the side emission of POFs in long distance above 375 mm. TiO2 particles were applied to improve the increasing optical loss of POFs by laser treatment. POFs were first modified with fine TiO2 particles and then treated by CO2 laser with the pixel time from 30 to 120 ìs. The surface morphology was observed by scanning electron microscopy to investigate the changes of micro-structure before and after laser treatment and the distribution of TiO2 particles. The illumination intensity and attenuation coefficient were calculated and compared in two methods. It is visible that the evaluation by model LLF2 with two parts is more suitable for the fitting of experimental data and shows higher input intensity and lower attenuation than that by standard power function. Both the evaluation methods exhibit that the utilization of TiO2 particles could play an active role in the enhancement of side emission of POFs treated by CO2 laser.

Air permeability is one of the most important properties of non-woven fabrics in many applications. This paper aims to investigate the effects of thickness, porosity and density on the air permeability of needle-punched non-woven fabrics and compare the experimental values with two models which are based on hydraulic radius theory and drag theory, respectively. The air permeability of the samples was measured by an air permeability tester FX3300. The results showed that the air permeability of non-woven fabrics decreased with the increase in thickness and density of samples, increased with the increase of porosity, and the air permeability was not directly proportional to the pressure gradient. Meanwhile, the prediction model based on hydraulic radius theory had a better agreement with experimental values than the model based on drag theory, but the values were much higher than the experimental results, especially for higher porosity and higher pressure gradient.

Effective thermal conductivity (ETC) is a very important index for evaluating the thermal property of heterogeneous materials, which include more than two different kinds of materials. Several analytical models were proposed for predicting the ETC of heterogeneous materials, but in some cases, these models cannot provide very accurate predictions. In this work, several analytical models and numerical simulations were studied in order to investigate the differences among them. In addition, some factors which would influence the ETC of heterogeneous materials were investigated by numerical simulation. The results demonstrated that the numerical simulation can provide very accurate prediction, indicated that different analytical models should be selected to predict specific problems based on their assumptions, and suggested that more variables need to be considered in order to improve these analytical models, such as inclusion shape, inclusion size, distribution of inclusions and contact area. Besides, numerical method could be an effective and reliable way to obtain the ETC of heterogeneous materials with any kind of complicated structures.

This research provides an in-depth assessment of two paper yarn variants, examining their structural, functional, and performance characteristics. These yarns demonstrated favorable properties, including suitable linear density, twist, typical cellulosic functional groups as confirmed by Infrared spectroscopy, minimal hairiness, moisture transfer, and creditable mechanical strength. These yarns have flat layered cross-sections and grooved longitudinal surfaces. In addition, a low hairiness index (1.3-1.33) further acknowledged their smooth surface. Their remarkable evenness (15.86% and 7.08%) supported their effective wicking properties. Despite average breaking strength (0.77 cN/dTex and 1.05 cN/dTex) and moderate elongation, these yarns exhibited exceptional water-washing resistance and retained over 89% breaking strength after 15 washes. This study ranks these paper yarns as highly suitable for durable clothing fabrics, providing promising sustainable alternatives in the textile industry., Competing Interests: The authors declare that they have no known competing financial interests or personal relationships that could have appeared to influence the work reported in this paper., (© 2024 The Authors.)

Expanded graphite (EG) has been used to store phase change materials (PCM) to enhance thermal conductivity and avoid leakage. However, systematic investigation on physical structure of various embedded PCMs in EG is not reported. Besides, the effect of environment on thermal behavior of PCM/EG composites has not been investigated yet. In this work, three common PCMs (including myristic acid (MA), polyethylene glycol (PEG) and paraffin wax (PW)) were embedded in EG and three PCM/EG composites were obtained. As a result, capillary force between EG and PCMs supported encapsulation of PCMs in EG. PCM/EG composites had narrower phase change range while supercooling degree values were different when various PCMs were used. Besides, the hot and humid environment had a side effect on thermal energy storage of PCMs and PCM/EG composites. The inherent hydrophilicity of PCMs was essential for resistance against side effect of moisture on thermal energy storage., (© 2023 Wiley-VCH GmbH.)

A textile material's electromagnetic interference (EMI) shielding effectiveness mainly depends on the material's electrical conductivity and porosity. Enhancing the conductivity of the material surface can effectively improve the electromagnetic shielding effectiveness. However, the use of highly conductive materials increases production cost, and limits the enhancement of electromagnetic shielding effectiveness. This work aims to improve the EMI shielding effectiveness (EMSE) by using an ultrathin multilayer structure and the air-permeable textile MEFTEX. MEFTEX is a copper-coated non-woven ultrathin fabric. The single-layer MEFTEX SE test results show that the higher its mass per unit area (MEFTEX 30), the better its SE property between 56.14 dB and 62.53 dB in the frequency band 30 MHz-1.5 GHz. Through comparative testing of three groups samples, a higher electromagnetic shielding effect is obtained via multilayer structures due to the increase in thickness and decrease of volume electrical resistivity. Compared to a single layer, the EMI shielding effectiveness of five layers of MEFTEX increases by 44.27-83.8%. Due to its ultrathin and porous structure, and considering the balance from porosity and SE, MEFTEX 10 with three to four layers can still maintain air permeability from 2942 L/m 2 /s-3658 L/m 2 /s.

In the current research, we present a single-step, one-pot, room temperature green synthesis approach for the development of functional poly(tannic acid)-based silver nanocomposites. Silver nanocomposites were synthesized using only tannic acid (plant polyphenol) as a reducing and capping agent. At room temperature and under mildly alkaline conditions, tannic acid reduces the silver salt into nanoparticles. Tannic acid undergoes oxidation and self-polymerization before the encapsulating of the synthesized silver nanoparticle and forms silver nanocomposites with a thick capping layer of poly(tannic acid). No organic solvents, special instruments, or toxic chemicals were used during the synthesis process. The results for the silver nanocomposites prepared under optimum conditions confirmed the successful synthesis of nearly spherical and fine nanocomposites (10.61 ± 1.55 nm) with a thick capping layer of poly(tannic acid) (~3 nm). With these nanocomposites, iron could be detected without any special instrument or technique. It was also demonstrated that, in the presence of Fe 3+ ions (visual detection limit ~20 μM), nanocomposites aggregated using the coordination chemistry and exhibited visible color change. Ultraviolet-visible (UV-vis) and scanning electron microscopy (SEM) analysis also confirmed the formation of aggregate after the addition of the analyte in the detection system (colored nanocomposites). The unique analytic performance, simplicity, and ease of synthesis of the developed functional nanocomposites make them suitable for large-scale applications, especially in the fields of medical, sensing, and environmental monitoring. For the medical application, it is shown that synthesized nanocomposites can strongly inhibit the growth of Escherichia coli and Staphylococcus aureus . Furthermore, the particles also exhibit very good antifungal and antiviral activity.

The fabrics with electromagnetic interference (EMI) have been used in various fields. However, most studies related to the EMI fabrics focused on the improvement of the final electromagnetic shielding effectiveness (EM SE ) by adjusting the preparation parameters while the breathability of the EMI fabrics was affected and the visible surficial patterns on the EMI fabric was limited. In this work, the two samples based on the Song Brocade structure were fabricated with surficial visible pattern ''. One was fabricated with silver-plated polyamide (Ag-PA) yarns and the silk yarns, the another with polyester (PET) yarns and the silk yarns. The weaving structure of the two samples were investigated by scanning electronic microscopy (SEM) and laser optical microscopy (LOM). The resistance against the EM radiation near field communication (NFC) and the ultraviolet (UV) light was also evaluated. Besides, the surface resistance, the air permeability and the water evaporation rate were investigated. The results revealed that the '' appeared successfully on the surface of the two samples with stable weaving structure. The Ag-PA yarn-incorporated Song Brocade fabric had the EMI shielding effectiveness value around 50 dB, which was supported by the low surface resistance less than 40 Ω. The excellent NFC shielding of the Ag-PA yarn-incorporated Song Brocade was also found. The ultraviolet protection factor (UPF) value of the Ag-PA yarn-incorporated Song Brocade fabric was higher than 190. The air permeability and the evaporation rate of the Ag-PA yarn-incorporated Song Brocade fabric was higher than 99 mm/s, and 1.4 g/h, respectively. As a result, the Ag-PA yarn-incorporated Song Brocade fabrics were proposed for both the personal and the industrial scale utilization.

COVID-19, classified as SARS-CoV-2, is causing an ongoing global pandemic. The pandemic has resulted in the loss of lives and has caused economic hardships. Most of the devices used to protect against the transmission of the novel COVID-19 disease are related to textile structures. Hence, the challenge for textile professionals is to design and develop suitable textile structures with multiple functionalities for capturing viruses, passivating them, and, at the same time, having no adverse effects on humans during the complete period of use. In addition to manufacturing efficient, biocompatible, and cost-effective protective face masks, it is also necessary to inform the public about the benefits and risks of protective face mask materials. The purpose of this article is to address the concerns of efficiency and efficacy of face masks by primarily reviewing the literature of research conducted at the Technical University of Liberec. The main focus is on the presentation of problems related to the specification of aims of face mask applications, mechanisms of capture, durability, and modes of sterilization. The recommendations, instead of conclusions, are addressed to the whole textile society because they should be leading players in the design, creation, and proper treatment of face masks due to their familiarity with the complex behavior of textile structures and targeted changes of structural hierarchy starting from polymeric chains (nano-level) and ending in planar textile structures (millimeter level) due to action by mechanical, physical and chemical fields. This becomes extremely critical to saving hundreds of thousands of lives from COVID-19.

Electromagnetic (EM) radiation is everywhere in this world and galaxy in different forms and levels. In some cases, human beings need to protect themselves from electromagnetic radiations and the same thing is also recommended for electronic devices as well. Lots of studies are there on the shielding of electromagnetic radiation interference using metals, polymers, and minerals. For protecting the human being, textile structures are playing the main role. In the textile material structure itself many types are there; each one is having its unique geometrical shape and design. In this work, the copper/nickel-coated ultrathin nonwoven fabric is prepared like a strip. The 3, 6, and 9 mm thick strips are prepared and laid at different gaps, angles, and layered to study the effect of factors on EM shielding effectiveness as per ASTM D4935-10 standard. The design of experiment has been done to analyze the three factors and three levels of the strip properties having an influence on electromagnetic shielding results. From the findings of the design of experiment (DoE) screening design, the factors are the thickness of the strips, the gap between the strips, and the strips laid angle having a statistically significant effect on electromagnetic shielding effectiveness.

Resistance against penetration of various rays including electromagnetic waves (EM), infrared rays (IR), and ultraviolet rays (UV) has been realized by using copper (Cu)-coated fabrics. However, the corrosion of the Cu on coated fabrics influenced the shielding effectiveness of the various rays. Besides, the metal-coated fabrics have high density and are unbreathable. This work aims to solve the problem by incorporating nickel (Ni) into the Cu coating on the ultra-light polyester fibrous materials (Milife ® composite nonwoven fabric-10 g/m 2 , abbreviation Milife) via electroless plating. The electromagnetic interference (EMI), IR test, ultraviolet protection factor (UPF), water contact angle, and air permeability of the Cu/Ni-coated Milife fabric were measured. All the samples were assumed as ultra-light and breathable by obtaining the similar fabric density (~10.57 g/m 2 ) and large air permeability (600-1050 mm/s). The Cu/Ni deposition on the Milife fabrics only covered the fibers. The EM shielding effectiveness ( SE ) decreased from 26 to 20 dB, the IR reflectance ( R infrared ) decreased from 0.570 to 0.473 with increasing w Ni from 0 to 19.5 wt %, while the w Ni improved the UPF from 9 to 48. Besides, addition of Ni changed the Cu/Ni-coated Milife fabric from hydrophilicity to the hydrophobicity by observing WCA from 77.7° to 114°.

Polytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE) is a synthetic fluoropolymer known for its excellent hydrophobic properties. In this work, samples from PTFE dispersions with different combinations of water and carbon microparticles were prepared using an electrospraying method. The morphologies and sizes of carbon particles were investigated and the properties of layers including roughness, hydrophobicity and electrical resistivity were investigated. The non-conductive carbon microparticles were selected as a model particle to check the compatibility and electrospraying ability, and it had no effect on the hydrophobic and electrical properties. Carbon microparticles in polymer solution increased the degree of ionization and was found to be beneficial for the shape control of materials. The results showed that PTFE dispersion with the composition of water and carbon microparticles produced fine sphere particles and the layer fabricated with increased roughness. It was also found that the electrical resistivity and hydrophobicity of all the layers comparatively increased. The fabricated microporous layers can be used in various applications like interlining layer in multilayer textile sandwiches.

The commercial availability of inorganic/organic precursors for sol-gel formulations is very high and increases day by day. In textile applications, the precursor-synthesized sol-gels along with functional chemicals can be deposited onto textile fabrics in one step by rolling, padding, dip-coating, spraying or spin coating. By using this technology, it is possible to provide fabrics with functional/multi-functional characteristics including flame retardant, anti-mosquito, water- repellent, oil-repellent, anti-bacterial, anti-wrinkle, ultraviolet (UV) protection and self-cleaning properties. These surface properties are discussed, describing the history, basic chemistry, factors affecting the sol-gel synthesis, progress in sol-gel technology along with various parameters controlling sol-gel technology. Additionally, this review deals with the recent progress of sol-gel technology in textiles in addressing fabric finishing, water repellent textiles, oil/water separation, flame retardant, UV protection and self-cleaning, self-sterilizing, wrinkle resistance, heat storage, photochromic and thermochromic color changes and the improvement of the durability and wear resistance properties.