Aging of fire protective textile materials in service

对于消防员和其他有高温和火焰暴露风险的人来说，防护服通常是最后一道防线，比如石油和天然气行业的工人。为此，在过去的50年里，已经开发了高性能的材料和设计来制造防火服装：表现出高机械性能的纤维，以及耐化学、耐热和耐火的纤维；不透水但透气的纺织层压板；以及在保持舒适性的同时提供抗危险的三层结构。然而，随着时间的推移，这些材料在衣服使用期间暴露在各种条件下会降低它们的性能。例如，破坏性测试通常在肉眼可见任何损坏迹象之前记录相当大的性能损失。然而，到目前为止，还没有可用的非破坏性技术来评估材料在使用中的剩余性能。因此，工人们无法知道他们的衣服是否仍然能够保护他们免受与任务相关的危险。此外，关于可以模拟长期服役损害影响的加速老化条件的知识仍然缺乏。*研究计划的总体目标是开发知识、方法和工具，以最终确定防火材料的剩余性能何时因使用而达到不安全极限。通常用于防火的纺织材料将在各种条件下进行加速老化处理，以更好地了解温度、紫外线、水分、磨损和洗涤等老化因素的作用机理和相互之间的协同作用。我们还将从使用过的或退役的防护服中收集相同材料的样本，以便能够识别模拟使用寿命影响的加速老化计划。基于这些数据，我们将能够开发与典型使用条件相关的防火纺织品材料的预测老化模型。*这项研究基于申请人及其新部门与防火织物/服装制造商和用户之间的密切关系。它将在材料老化这一相当被忽视但关键的领域培训HQP，并产生关于材料老化行为的新知识。此外，该研究计划将改善可能暴露在高温和火焰中的工人的安全。最终，研究计划中产生的知识将为加拿大纺织制造商创造产品开发机会，例如，新的织物混纺可提供更好的抗服务老化性能，嵌入式传感器可根据老化过程中材料化学的变化监控织物的剩余性能。

Protective clothing is most often the last line of defense for firefighters and others at risk of heat and flame exposure such as workers in the oil and gas industry. For that purpose, high performance materials and designs have been developed over the last fifty years for the manufacturing of fire protective clothing: fibres that display high mechanical properties and are chemical-, thermal-, and fire- resistant; impermeable yet breathable textile laminates; and 3-layer structures that provide resistance to hazards while maintaining comfort properties. However, the various conditions the materials are exposed to during the lifetime of the clothing will reduce their performance over time. For instance, destructive testing generally records considerable loss in performance before any sign of damage is visible to the naked eye. Yet, there is no non-destructive technique available so far to assess the residual performance of the materials while in service. Thus, workers have no way of knowing if their clothing is still able to protect them from the hazards associated with their tasks. In addition, knowledge is still missing regarding the accelerated aging conditions that could simulate the effect of long-term service damage.******The general objective of the research program is to develop knowledge, methods, and tools to ultimately allow determining when the residual performance of fire protective materials reach the unsafe limit as a result of use. Textile materials typically used for fire protection will be subjected to accelerated aging treatments under various conditions to better understand the mechanisms of action of and synergies between the aging agents: temperature, UV, moisture, abrasion, and laundering. We will also collect samples of the same materials from used or retired protective garments so that accelerated aging programs simulating the effect of service life can be identified. Based on these data, we will then be able to develop predictive aging models for fire protective textile materials that are relevant to typical service conditions.******This research draws on the very close relationship of the applicant and her new department with fire protective fabric/clothing manufacturers and users. It will train HQPs in the rather neglected, yet critical field of materials aging as well as generate new knowledge on materials aging behavior. In addition, the research program will lead to improved safety for workers potentially exposed to heat and flame. Ultimately, the knowledge generated in the research program will create product development opportunities for Canadian textile manufacturers, for instance with new fabric blends offering better resistance to service aging and embedded sensors monitoring the residual performance of the fabrics based on changes in the material chemistry resulting from the aging process.