Antibacterial moisture-conducting aramid fiber fire-fighting fabric and preparation method thereof

Abstract

According to the antibacterial moisture-conducting aramid fiber fire-fighting fabric and the preparation method thereof, high-wicking-property yarn serves as oblique weft yarn, super-hydrophobic antibacterial aramid fiber yarn serves as inner-layer warp yarn, hydrophilic aramid fiber yarn serves as warp yarn, and hydrophilic aramid fiber yarn serves as surface-layer warp yarn; a three-layer common weft angle interlocking structure is adopted to manufacture the fire-fighting aramid fabric with good moisture conductivity. The method comprises the following steps: firstly, treating the surfaces of aramid yarns by a plasma method to prepare aramid yarns with different hydrophilicity and hydrophobicity, and designing the arrangement mode of the aramid yarns to form the three-dimensional angle interlocking woven fabric with excellent moisture conductivity. Meanwhile, good washing fastness and wear fastness and excellent flame retardance and mechanical properties are achieved. The antibacterial moisture-conducting aramid fiber fire-fighting fabric prepared by the method has good hand feeling and wearing comfort, the operation process is simple, the treatment process is green, environment-friendly and pollution-free, and industrialization is easy.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present application relates to the field of textile fabrics, and in particular to an antibacterial, moisture-conducting aramid fire-fighting fabric and a preparation method thereof. Background Art

[0002] With the development of science and technology, fires caused by electrical appliances, gas, and other household items are becoming increasingly common. Coupled with global climate change and the frequent occurrence of natural disasters caused by extreme environments, the number of firefighting and rescue operations is increasing year by year. As one of the most important pieces of equipment, the safety and comfort of firefighting uniforms are crucial to the efficiency of firefighting and rescue operations, as well as the safety of firefighters.

[0003] The firefighting and rescue environment is highly humid and hot. Due to the special properties of aramid fiber itself, the current firefighting uniforms are generally thick, have poor moisture conduction properties, and are prone to odor due to bacterial growth, which seriously threatens the health and safety of firefighters.

[0004] To address this issue, researchers are working to improve the comfort of firefighter uniforms by blending flame-retardant fibers such as flame-retardant nylon and flame-retardant viscose with aramid fibers. However, this method can reduce the flame retardant properties of firefighter uniforms to a certain extent. Furthermore, the fibers' poor moisture release properties can also encourage bacterial growth. Therefore, it is necessary to modify the aramid fibers to increase their moisture absorption and impart certain antibacterial properties without changing their inherent flame retardant properties. This functional fabric not only improves the comfort of firefighters but also enhances their safety, and therefore has promising application prospects. Summary of the Invention

[0005] In view of the deficiencies in the prior art, the technical problem to be solved by the present invention is to provide an antibacterial and moisture-conducting aramid fire-fighting fabric and a preparation method thereof.

[0006] The present application provides an antibacterial, moisture-conducting aramid fire-fighting fabric and a preparation method thereof, which adopts the following technical solutions: A method for preparing an antibacterial and moisture-conducting aramid fire-fighting fabric comprises the following steps: (1) Aramid fiber is selected as raw material, and a hydrophilic modification agent is used to perform plasma surface grafting modification treatment, and the amount of hydrophilic group grafting is controlled to prepare hydrophilic aramid yarn and super hydrophilic aramid yarn. The wicking performance of the hydrophilic aramid yarn and super hydrophilic aramid yarn is lower than that of the high wicking yarn; (2) A mixture of low surface energy polymer and antibacterial material was selected as raw material, and the surface of aramid fiber was treated with hydrophobic antibacterial treatment to produce superhydrophobic antibacterial aramid yarn; (3) Highly absorbent yarn is used as the bias weft yarn, super hydrophobic antibacterial aramid yarn is used as the inner warp yarn, hydrophilic aramid yarn is used as the middle warp yarn, and super hydrophilic aramid yarn is used as the surface warp yarn. A three-layer and one-weft interlocking structure is adopted to make an aramid fabric for firefighting with good moisture conductivity.

[0007] Preferably, the high-wicking yarn in step (1) is one or a blend of Wellkey and Coolmax yarns; the hydrophilic modification agent is one or more of polyethylene glycol (PEG), polyacrylic acid, dopamine, and sodium alginate; and the plasma is atmospheric pressure dielectric barrier discharge plasma, jet plasma, or low-pressure capacitively coupled discharge plasma.

[0008] Preferably, the specification of the high-wicking yarn in step (1) is 10-30 s / 2, the specification of the inner layer super-hydrophobic aramid yarn and the surface layer hydrophilic aramid yarn is 10-40 s / 2, and the specification of the middle layer hydrophilic aramid yarn is 20-60 s / 2.

[0009] Preferably, the plasma treatment parameters in step (1) are: the discharge power supply is a radio frequency, pulse or DC discharge power supply, the working gas is one or more of argon, helium, oxygen, nitrogen and hydrogen, the discharge power is 50~500 W, and the action time is 10~300 s.

[0010] Preferably, in step (2), the low surface energy polymer is Dow Corning 184 polydimethylsiloxane, and the antibacterial material is one or more of nano ZnO, Ag, Cu, antibacterial microcapsules, etc.

[0011] Preferably, in step (2), the coating method of the mixed functional monomer of the antibacterial material and polydimethylsiloxane on the surface of the aramid yarn is spray coating, and the spraying parameters are: spraying pressure of 10~400 kPa, spraying distance of 0~30 cm, and spraying time of 1~20 s.

[0012] Preferably, in step (3), the three-layer common weft angle interlocking process is to combine the upper, middle and lower layers of yarn together along the direction of the middle warp yarn on the loom.

[0013] Preferably, in step (3), the warp density and diagonal weft density of the fire-fighting aramid fabric are 15-30 yarns / cm and 10-20 yarns / cm, respectively.

[0014] An antibacterial and moisture-conducting aramid fire-fighting fabric comprises the antibacterial and moisture-conducting aramid fire-fighting fabric prepared by the above-mentioned preparation method.

[0015] In summary, this application includes at least one of the following beneficial technical effects: (1) The aramid yarn used in the present invention can be selected from two different specifications of aramid yarns according to the different properties of the post-processed fibers, and arranged and combined according to the requirements to weave a three-layer, one-weft interlocking fabric with excellent moisture conductivity. The moisture conductivity of the fabric is good in water washing resistance and abrasion resistance, and it also has excellent mechanical strength and flame retardant properties.

[0016] (2) The fabric of the present invention has an excellent wettability gradient effect. From the outside to the inside, the super-hydrophilic aramid, hydrophilic aramid and super-hydrophobic aramid layers form a structure with a gradient wettability effect. In addition, the Z-direction weft yarn with high wicking performance gives the three-dimensional angle interlocking fabric a stronger moisture-conducting performance.

[0017] (3) During use, the three-dimensional angle-interlocked aramid fabric of the present invention allows sweat to spontaneously permeate from the inner layer to the surface of the fabric, but it is difficult for surface moisture to penetrate the inner layer. Therefore, the side closest to the human skin can maintain a certain degree of dryness, thereby ensuring the thermal and hygroscopic comfort of the fabric. Compared with ordinary aramid fabrics, the increased moisture permeability can effectively prevent the accumulation of sweat on the inner side of the fabric, which would reduce human comfort.

[0018] (4) The yarns used in the present invention are all aramid, which has very high mechanical properties. The plasma performs super-hydrophobic and antibacterial treatment on the inner layer of aramid fabric, which can effectively prevent the growth of bacteria caused by sweating and the decrease in comfort caused by the fabric touching the skin due to sweat absorption, thereby improving wearing safety and further improving wearing comfort.

[0019] (5) The polydimethylsiloxane low surface energy polymer and antimicrobial agents such as nano-ZnO, Ag, Cu, and antimicrobial microcapsules used in the present invention are inexpensive and readily available. The three-dimensional angle interlocking structure has a high degree of automation and can be mechanized for efficient production. The plasma surface treatment process is simple, rapid, easy to operate, and environmentally friendly, effectively reducing the number of traditional chemical processes.

[0020] (6) The yarns used in the present invention are common, readily available, and inexpensive. The three-way orthogonal weaving method is simple, environmentally friendly, and highly automated. The plasma method has wide applicability, a simple operating process, and good repeatability, which is conducive to industrialization. The problems of traditional chemical treatment methods, such as complex treatment processes, long production processes, and serious environmental pollution, are solved. Therefore, the antibacterial and moisture-conducting aramid fire-fighting fabric and its preparation method described in the present invention have significant advantages from raw material selection to preparation technology, and can achieve mechanized mass production. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0021] Figure 1 It is the overall structure and cross-sectional schematic diagram of the three-layer one-co-weft cross-linked cable structure fabric of the present invention.

[0022] Figure 2 This is the surface of the aramid fabric in Example 1 of the present invention.

[0023] Figure 3 Surface morphology of the aramid fiber before and after plasma treatment in Example 1 of the present invention.

[0024] Figure 4 The moisture conductivity of the three-dimensional angle interlocking structure fabric in Example 1 of the present invention is Figure 5 Schematic diagram of moisture permeability in Example 1 of the present invention.

[0025] Figure 6 This is a real picture of the antibacterial property of the fabric of Example 1 of the present invention.

[0026] Figure 7 The antibacterial property and durability of the fabric in Example 1 of the present invention are shown. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0027] The present application is further described in detail below with reference to Figures 1-7.

[0028] The present application discloses an antibacterial moisture-conducting aramid fire-fighting fabric and a preparation method thereof. Figure 1 , which includes the following steps: (1) Aramid fiber was selected as the raw material, and the hydrophilic modification reagent was used to carry out plasma surface grafting modification treatment to control the amount of hydrophilic group grafting to produce hydrophilic aramid yarn and super hydrophilic aramid yarn. The wicking performance of hydrophilic aramid yarn and super hydrophilic aramid yarn was lower than that of high wicking yarn. Superhydrophobic aramid yarn, hydrophilic aramid yarn and hydrophilic aramid yarn all need to be treated with plasma, and the wicking performance of high wicking yarn is better than the above three aramid yarns.

[0029] In the preferred step (1), the high-wicking yarn is one or a blend of Wellkey and Coolmax yarns; the hydrophilic modification agent is one or more of polyethylene glycol (PEG), polyacrylic acid, dopamine, and sodium alginate; and the plasma is atmospheric pressure dielectric barrier discharge plasma, jet plasma, or low-pressure capacitively coupled discharge plasma.

[0030] In the preferred step (1), the specification of the high-wicking yarn is 10-30 s / 2 (preferably 30 s / 2), the specification of the inner layer superhydrophobic aramid yarn and the surface layer hydrophilic aramid yarn is 10-40 s / 2 (preferably 35 s / 2), and the specification of the middle layer hydrophilic aramid yarn is 20-60 s / 2 (preferably 40 s / 2, more preferably 50 s / 2).

[0031] In the preferred step (1), the plasma treatment parameters are as follows: the discharge power source is a radio frequency, pulsed or direct current discharge power source; the working gas is one or more of argon, helium, oxygen, nitrogen and hydrogen; the discharge power is 50-500 W (preferably 300 W, more preferably 200 W); the action time is 10-300 s (preferably 100 s, more preferably 150 s); the low surface energy polymer is Dow Corning 184 polydimethylsiloxane; and the antibacterial material is one or more of nano-ZnO, Ag, Cu, antibacterial microcapsules and the like.

[0032] (2) A mixture of low surface energy polymer and antibacterial material was selected as raw material, and the surface of aramid fiber was treated with hydrophobic antibacterial treatment to produce superhydrophobic antibacterial aramid yarn.

[0033] In the preferred step (2), the coating method of the mixed functional monomer of the antibacterial material and polydimethylsiloxane on the surface of the aramid yarn is spray coating, and the spraying parameters are: spraying pressure is 10~400 kPa (preferably 300 kPa), spraying distance is 0~30 cm (preferably 30 cm), and spraying time is 1~20 s (preferably 20 s).

[0034] (3) Highly absorbent yarn is used as the bias weft yarn, super hydrophobic antibacterial aramid yarn is used as the inner warp yarn, hydrophilic aramid yarn is used as the middle warp yarn, and super hydrophilic aramid yarn is used as the surface warp yarn. A three-layer and one-weft interlocking structure is adopted to make an aramid fabric for firefighting with good moisture conductivity.

[0035] In the preferred step (3), the three-layer common weft angle interlocking process is to combine the upper, middle and lower layers of yarn together on a loom by weaving the diagonal weft yarn along the direction of the middle warp yarn. The warp density and diagonal weft density of the aramid fabric for firefighting are 15-30 yarns / cm (preferably 30 yarns / cm) and 10-20 yarns / cm (preferably 20 yarns / cm), respectively.

[0036] The present invention provides an antibacterial and moisture-conducting aramid fire-fighting fabric, including the antibacterial and moisture-conducting aramid fire-fighting fabric prepared by the above-mentioned preparation method. The three-layer co-warp-angle-linked aramid fabric can be used in the field of protective clothing for harsh environments such as fire rescue and anti-drip protective clothing.

[0037] Example 1 1) Aramid yarn with a specification of 35 s / 2 was selected for PEG plasma treatment. The plasma discharge power source was a radio frequency power supply, the working gas was an argon-oxygen mixture, the treatment power was 200 W, and the treatment time was 150 s. Super-hydrophilic aramid yarn was prepared as the surface hydrophilic layer of the fabric. The PEG concentration was adjusted, and aramid yarn with a specification of 50 s / 2 was selected for plasma treatment to prepare hydrophilic aramid yarn as the middle hydrophilic layer of the fabric. 2) Aramid yarn with a specification of 35 s / 2 was selected for nano-ZnO@PDMS plasma treatment. The plasma discharge power source was a radio frequency power supply, the working gas was argon, the treatment power was 100 W, and the treatment time was 80 s. The antibacterial superhydrophobic aramid yarn was made as the inner hydrophobic layer of the fabric. 3) The treated super-hydrophilic aramid yarn was used as the surface warp yarn, the hydrophilic aramid yarn was used as the middle warp yarn, the antibacterial super-hydrophobic antibacterial yarn was used as the inner warp yarn, and the Wellkey yarn with a specification of 30 s / 2 was used as the bias weft yarn. The process parameters of warp density and bias weft density were 30 pieces / cm and 20 pieces / cm respectively, and a three-layer and one-co-weft cross-linked cable fabric was formed on a loom.

[0038] When artificial sweat was dropped onto the hydrophobic layer of a three-dimensional cross-linked cable fabric, it was found that the droplet did not spread on the fabric surface but was instead carried along the highly moisture-conductive diagonal weft yarns into the fabric's surface hydrophilic layer. Similarly, when artificial sweat was dropped onto the surface hydrophilic layer of a three-dimensional corner interlocked fabric, the droplet quickly spread and gradually dried, while the inner layer of the fabric remained dry. This phenomenon demonstrates the excellent unidirectional moisture conduction capabilities of the three-dimensional cross-linked cable fabric.

[0039] The antibacterial activity against Escherichia coli (Gram-negative bacteria, E. coli) and Staphylococcus aureus (Gram-positive bacteria, S. aureus) was determined using the disc agar diffusion method. No inhibition zone was observed on the untreated aramid fabric, but an inhibition zone (no bacterial growth) was observed around the aramid-g-PDMS@ZnO fabric. The diameters of the inhibition zones against E. coli and S. aureus were approximately 2.57 mm and 2.16 mm, respectively. After washing 100 times, the diameters of the inhibition zones of the aramid-g-PDMS@ZnO fabric against E.coil and S.aureus remained at 1.98 mm and 1.75 mm, respectively. Moreover, the inhibition rates of the aramid-g-PDMS@ZnO fabric against E.coil and S.aureus decreased from 99.89% and 99.85% to 99.36% and 99.17%, respectively, before and after 100 washes, indicating that the aramid-g-PDMS@ZnO fabric has good antibacterial activity and antibacterial durability.

[0040] In addition, aramid has excellent flame retardant properties, with a limiting oxygen index of ≥28. This feature enables three-dimensional angle interlocking structure fabrics to be used in extreme environments, such as firefighting clothing applications.

[0041] The above are all preferred embodiments of the present application, and are not intended to limit the scope of protection of the present application. Therefore, any equivalent changes made based on the structure, shape, and principle of the present application should be included in the scope of protection of the present application.

Claims

1. A method for preparing an antibacterial and moisture-conducting aramid fire-fighting fabric, characterized by: Here are the steps: (1) Aramid fiber is selected as raw material, and a hydrophilic modification agent is used to perform plasma surface grafting modification treatment, and the amount of hydrophilic group grafting is controlled to prepare hydrophilic aramid yarn and super hydrophilic aramid yarn. The wicking performance of the hydrophilic aramid yarn and super hydrophilic aramid yarn is lower than that of the high wicking yarn; (2) A mixture of low surface energy polymer and antibacterial material was selected as raw material, and the surface of aramid fiber was treated with hydrophobic antibacterial treatment to produce superhydrophobic antibacterial aramid yarn; (3) Highly absorbent yarn is used as the bias weft yarn, super hydrophobic antibacterial aramid yarn is used as the inner warp yarn, hydrophilic aramid yarn is used as the middle warp yarn, and super hydrophilic aramid yarn is used as the surface warp yarn. A three-layer and one-weft interlocking structure is adopted to make an aramid fabric for firefighting with good moisture conductivity.

2. The method for preparing an antibacterial and moisture-conducting aramid fire-fighting fabric according to claim 1, characterized in that: The high-wicking yarn in step (1) is one or a blend of Wellkey and Coolmax yarns; the hydrophilic modification agent is one or more of polyethylene glycol (PEG), polyacrylic acid, dopamine, and sodium alginate; and the plasma is atmospheric pressure dielectric barrier discharge plasma, jet plasma, or low-pressure capacitively coupled discharge plasma.

3. The method for preparing an antibacterial and moisture-conducting aramid fire-fighting fabric according to claim 1, characterized in that: The specification of the high-wicking yarn in step (1) is 10 to 30 s / 2, the specification of the inner layer super-hydrophobic aramid yarn and the surface layer hydrophilic aramid yarn is 10 to 40 s / 2, and the specification of the middle layer hydrophilic aramid yarn is 20 to 60 s / 2.

4. The method for preparing an antibacterial and moisture-conducting aramid fire-fighting fabric according to claim 1, characterized in that: The plasma treatment parameters in step (1) are as follows: the discharge power source is a radio frequency, pulse or DC discharge power source, the working gas is one or more of argon, helium, oxygen, nitrogen and hydrogen, the discharge power is 50~500 W, and the action time is 10~300 s.

5. The method for preparing an antibacterial moisture-conducting aramid fire-fighting fabric according to claim 1, 2, 3 or 4, characterized in that: In step (2), the low surface energy polymer is Dow Corning 184 polydimethylsiloxane, and the antibacterial material is selected from one or more of nano ZnO, Ag, Cu, antibacterial microcapsules, etc.

6. The method for preparing the antibacterial and moisture-conducting aramid fire-fighting fabric according to claim 5, characterized in that: In step (2), the coating method of the mixed functional monomer of the antibacterial material and polydimethylsiloxane on the surface of the aramid yarn is spray coating, and the spraying parameters are: spraying air pressure of 10~400 kPa, spraying distance of 0~30 cm, and spraying time of 1~20 s.

7. The method for preparing an antibacterial and moisture-conducting aramid fire-fighting fabric according to claim 1, characterized in that: In step (3), the three-layer common weft angle interlocking process is to combine the upper, middle and lower layers of yarn together along the direction of the middle warp yarn on the loom.

8. The method for preparing the antibacterial and moisture-conducting aramid fire-fighting fabric according to claim 7, characterized in that: In step (3), the warp density and diagonal weft density of the fire-fighting aramid fabric are 15-30 yarns / cm and 10-20 yarns / cm, respectively.

9. An antibacterial, moisture-conducting aramid fire-fighting fabric, characterized by: It includes the antibacterial and moisture-conducting aramid fire-fighting fabric prepared by the preparation method described in claim 8.

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