Fluorescent red high arc protection fabric and preparation method thereof

Abstract

The invention relates to a fluorescent red high-arc protection fabric and a preparation method thereof. The fabric adopts a back-embedded single-layer fabric structure with six satin weaves and 1 / 5 twill weaves, and is formed by interweaving three kinds of functional yarns: surface layer A yarns adopt fibers which are rapidly expanded when encountering high temperature, and are expanded and thickened at the high temperature of an electric arc to form a heat insulation structure; the yarn B is formed by blending fibers capable of absorbing ultraviolet light and is used for converting strong light generated by the electric arc into heat energy and forming a hollow heat insulation layer under the expansion extrusion of the yarn A; the weft yarn C is made of high-thermal-conductivity fibers, so that heat is quickly guided out to prevent accumulation. The whole fabric is dyed to be fluorescent red, and the high-visibility standard is met. The fabric has the advantages of high arc protection, high visibility and good breathable comfort, and overcomes the defects that the traditional protective fabric is heavy and poor in breathability.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This invention belongs to the field of special protective textile technology, specifically relating to a fluorescent red high-arc protective fabric and its preparation method. Background Technology

[0002] In specific working environments such as electrical operations, electric arc discharge can instantly generate high temperatures and intense light radiation, posing a serious threat to the personal safety of workers. If skin or ordinary fabrics are exposed to the high temperatures and light radiation generated by the arc, burns and other injuries are highly likely. Therefore, workers must wear professional arc-resistant protective clothing. In complex working environments, to ensure safety and timely location of personnel, the protective clothing fabric usually needs to have high visibility, such as a bright fluorescent red color, so that workers are clearly visible even in low light or smoke-filled conditions. However, current high-arc-resistant protective fabric technologies mainly focus on improving protective performance, such as by combining different fiber materials, using multi-layer composite structures, or adding flame-retardant / heat-insulating coatings to the fabric surface to enhance arc resistance and flame retardancy.

[0003] In some existing solutions, the fabric consists of an independent three-layer structure, or a waterproof and comfort layer is added to a multi-layer composite structure. While these measures improve the protective effect to some extent, the multi-layer composite structure or heavy coating significantly reduces the breathability and wearing comfort of the fabric. Moreover, current research and patents on high arc protection fabrics rarely involve light-colored fabrics or even highly visible colors like fluorescent red. This is because, under the same technical conditions, the arc protection index of light-colored fabrics is often lower than that of dark-colored fabrics. Even if some light-colored arc protection fabrics have improved their arc protection performance through special means, they are mostly achieved using multi-layer composite structures, resulting in bulky clothing and poor breathability. Therefore, existing technologies cannot simultaneously meet the following requirements: a single-layer structure, high arc protection performance, and compliance with the fluorescent red EN20471 high visibility standard. Based on this, it is necessary to provide a new technical solution that achieves a high level of arc protection with a single-layer structure, while possessing the high visibility and good comfort of fluorescent red protective fabric. Summary of the Invention

[0004] The purpose of this invention is to address the aforementioned shortcomings of the existing technology by providing a fluorescent red high-arc protective fabric and its preparation method, which achieves excellent arc protection performance and high visibility warning effect simultaneously with a single-layer fabric structure, and improves the comfort of protective clothing.

[0005] To solve the above-mentioned technical problems, the present invention adopts the following technical solution: A fluorescent red high-arc protective fabric is made of a woven six-end satin weave with a 1 / 5 twill backing structure, composed of three different functional yarns: A yarn, B yarn, and C yarn. A yarn, serving as the warp surface, is made of a fiber material that expands when exposed to high temperatures. When an electric arc discharge generates high temperatures, A yarn rapidly expands, thickening the fabric's surface layer, closing its pores, and compressing the fabric more tightly, forming a preliminary thermal barrier that effectively prevents the heat from the arc from penetrating. B yarn, also a warp yarn, is mainly distributed on the back of the fabric and is a blend of light-absorbing fibers. Its components can effectively absorb the strong light radiation (especially various ultraviolet bands) generated by the arc discharge and convert it into heat energy. The heat energy generated by B yarn after absorbing strong light is confined within the fabric. Simultaneously, due to the expansion of A yarn, multiple tiny closed air pockets appear within the fabric, creating a hollow structure that buffers and isolates the heat energy, preventing direct heat conduction to the skin. C yarn, the weft yarn, is made of a fiber material with high thermal conductivity and excellent heat dissipation properties. When the heat generated by the electric arc is blocked by yarn A and absorbed by yarn B, the remaining or retained heat in the fabric can be quickly conducted through yarn C and dissipated into the surrounding environment, reducing the fabric temperature and preventing heat accumulation within the fabric. Through the above design, yarns A, B, and C each perform their respective functions and work together, enabling the fabric of this invention to provide high protective performance comparable to multi-layer structures in an electric arc environment with a single-layer structure. At the same time, the fabric uses easily dyeable fibers as the surface yarn, allowing the entire fabric to be dyed a bright fluorescent red, thereby meeting the requirements of the EN20471 high visibility standard, facilitating the identification and warning of wearers in complex environments.

[0006] In summary, this invention, through a special combination of organizational structure and fiber functions, not only overcomes the shortcomings of poor breathability and comfort of existing multi-layer protective fabrics, but also achieves a balance between high protective performance and high visibility in a single-layer fabric. Compared with existing technologies, the beneficial effects of this invention are as follows: ① Highly efficient arc flash protection capability—Under the high temperature and strong light of an arc flash, yarn A expands upon heating to form a physical heat insulation barrier, yarn B absorbs the energy of the arc flash light, and yarn C dissipates heat rapidly. The three work together to effectively block the high temperature and strong light generated during arc discharge from harming the human body; ② Good heat dissipation performance—The high thermal conductivity of yarn C allows the fabric to dissipate absorbed heat in a timely manner, preventing the fabric temperature from becoming too high, thereby improving continuous protective performance; ③ Significant fluorescent warning effect—The fabric is entirely fluorescent red, remaining highly visible in low light conditions during the day, insufficient lighting at night, and in smoky environments, significantly improving the visibility of personnel at the work site and ensuring safety; ④ Comfortable and durable—This invention uses a single-layer six-end satin weave + twill backing with a tight weave, ensuring a certain thickness and weight to meet protective requirements while maintaining good softness and breathability. Subsequent shaping and finishing processes improve the fabric's dimensional stability, hand feel, and washability and abrasion resistance, making it suitable for long-term repeated use. Therefore, this invention provides an arc flash protection fabric with outstanding advantages in both safety protection performance and wearing comfort. Attached Figure Description

[0007] Figure 1 This is a schematic diagram of the fluorescent red dyeing process for acrylic chlorofiber (A yarn material); Figure 2 This is a schematic diagram of the fluorescent red dyeing process for flame-retardant polyester fiber (one of the components of yarn B); Figure 3 This is a schematic diagram of the fluorescent red dyeing process for flame-retardant polyamide fibers (one of the components of yarn B); Figure 4 This is a schematic diagram of the fabric structure of the fluorescent red high-arc protective fabric of the present invention, wherein... Indicates the weave point of the warp yarn. Indicates the weft yarn's stitch point; Figure 5 This is a schematic diagram of the fluorescent red high-arc protective fabric of the present invention, which expands under the high temperature of arc discharge to form a hollow heat insulation structure. Detailed Implementation

[0008] The present invention will be further described below with reference to the accompanying drawings and specific embodiments, but the present invention is not limited to these embodiments.

[0009] (1) Raw material selection: Functional fiber raw materials were selected according to the above technical scheme to prepare yarn A, yarn B and yarn C. Yarn A needs to meet the characteristic of rapid expansion at high temperature. This invention uses expandable acrylonitrile chlorofiber, and adopts in-situ polymerization-blending spinning method combined with gradient thermal crosslinking post-treatment. By introducing nano-dispersed compound expandable flame retardant (ammonium polyphosphate APP / pentaerythritol PER / melamine MEL, mass ratio 3:1:1) during the copolymerization of acrylonitrile and vinyl chloride, and using a double diffusion coagulation bath (DMAC / water system) to regulate the porous structure of the fiber, the flame retardant components are uniformly anchored in the fiber matrix. At 220℃, APP decomposes and triggers the reaction. In the range of 280-350℃, PER dehydration and carbonization and MEL gas source work synergistically to form a volume expansion of 8-12 times, which is much higher than the expansion rate of less than 3 times of ordinary flame retardant fibers. The "honeycomb-closed-cell" composite carbon layer generated during the expansion process has a thermal conductivity as low as 0.05 W / (m·K), which is 4 times more efficient than ordinary flame-retardant fiber carbon layers (0.2 W / (m·K)). It can also dynamically thicken to 3.5 mm (500℃), allowing the fiber to rapidly expand and foam under high temperatures, thus providing excellent heat insulation and flame retardancy. Yarn B needs to absorb strong light (especially ultraviolet light), and is preferably obtained by blending three types of flame-retardant fibers: first, flame-retardant polyester fiber containing nano-sized zinc oxide (ZnO) or titanium dioxide (TiO2) to absorb long-wave ultraviolet light from electric arcs; second, flame-retardant polyamide fiber containing flame retardants to absorb mid-wave ultraviolet light; and third, flame-retardant modified bamboo fiber to absorb short-wave ultraviolet light. Flame-retardant polyester fiber containing inorganic ultraviolet shielding agents nano-sized zinc oxide (ZnO) or titanium dioxide (TiO2) has a strong absorption effect on long-wave ultraviolet light with wavelengths less than 380 nm through the semiconductor band structure of ZnO or TiO2. The incident ultraviolet photon energy is greater than the band gap of ZnO or TiO2, causing electrons to transition from the valence band to the conduction band, thereby effectively absorbing ultraviolet light and safely releasing its energy as heat, significantly reducing the ultraviolet transmittance of the fiber. The flame-retardant polyamide fiber (e.g., flame-retardant nylon 6 or nylon 66) selected in this invention contains an amide bond structure, possessing a natural absorption capacity for ultraviolet light (especially mid- and short-wave ultraviolet light in the 200-300 nm wavelength range). The flame-retardant bamboo fiber described in this invention contains abundant lignin and plant polyphenols. The aromatic benzene rings and conjugated structures in these associated components can effectively absorb short-wave ultraviolet light, thus giving the bamboo fiber itself good ultraviolet absorption performance. Blending the above three fibers in the following proportions—35 wt% flame-retardant polyester fiber containing an inorganic ultraviolet shielding agent, 35 wt% flame-retardant polyamide fiber, and 30 wt% flame-retardant bamboo fiber—allows the B yarn to absorb ultraviolet light of all wavelengths generated by an electric arc.C-yarn needs to possess high thermal conductivity and high-temperature resistance, and is preferably made from a composite of two fibers: one is high thermal conductivity carbon fiber, which can quickly conduct and dissipate heat; the other is graphene-modified flame-retardant Tencel fiber (i.e., fiber obtained by adding graphene to regenerated cellulose filaments and undergoing flame-retardant modification), which has good heat resistance and flame retardancy, as well as certain electrical and thermal conductivity. Carbon fiber and graphene flame-retardant Tencel are combined in a ratio of 40% carbon fiber and 60% graphene flame-retardant Tencel by mass into the same weft yarn (this can be achieved through covered spinning or twisting), resulting in C-yarn that combines high thermal conductivity and flexibility. Through the above raw material selection, A-yarn, B-yarn, and C-yarn that meet the functional requirements are obtained.

[0010] (2) Dyeing process: In order to make the fabric appear fluorescent red, yarns A and B are subjected to fluorescent dyeing treatment. The specific dyeing process is as follows (see Figure 1 The A-yarn was dyed fluorescent red using cationic dyes. Taking acrylic SI fiber as an example, a dye bath was prepared at room temperature by adding dye auxiliaries (1% owf of cationic 10GFF fluorescent yellow dye, 0.6% owf of cationic 5GN red dye, 0.5% owf of BAC fluorescent whitening agent, 2 g / L of glacial acetic acid, and 0.5 g / L of cationic leveling agent), and the mixture was circulated for 10 minutes. Then, the temperature was increased to 70℃ at 1℃ / min and held for 5 minutes, then increased to 80℃ at 0.8℃ / min and held for 10 minutes, and finally increased to 100℃ at 0.5℃ / min and held for 60 minutes to ensure the dye fully coats the fiber. After dyeing, the temperature was lowered to 70℃ at 2℃ / min to drain the dye bath. Acrylic soap was added and the yarn was washed at 75℃ for 15 minutes. Finally, the yarn was washed with cold water to obtain fluorescent red A-yarn. For yarn B, since it is a blend of three different fiber materials, the flame-retardant polyester fiber and flame-retardant polyamide fiber need to be dyed separately before being blended with flame-retardant bamboo fiber. First, the flame-retardant polyester fiber is dyed (see...). Figure 2 A disperse dye bath (2% owf of disperse fluorescent red B dye, 0.8% owf of disperse fluorescent orange 2GFL dye, and 2 g / L glacial acetic acid) was prepared at room temperature. Flame-retardant polyester fibers were added to the dye bath, and the temperature was increased to 70°C at 2°C / min, then the heating rate was slowed down to 1.5°C / min to 90°C and held for 10 minutes. Then, the temperature was increased to 130°C at 1°C / min and held for 60 minutes to ensure the fluorescent dye fully penetrated the fiber. The dye bath was then cooled to 80°C at 2°C / min and drained. Sodium hydrosulfite was added for a 15-minute reduction wash to remove unfixed dye. Acid washing and rinsing with water were then performed to obtain fluorescent red flame-retardant polyester fibers. Next, the flame-retardant polyamide fibers were dyed (see...). Figure 3The process involves: 1) Adding 2 g / L of acidic leveling agent at room temperature and circulating for 5 minutes to ensure uniform pre-swelling of the fiber; then adding acidic fluorescent dye auxiliaries (1% owf of N-8G fluorescent yellow dye and 0.8% owf of NG fluorescent red dye), circulating for 10 minutes, followed by adding 2 g / L of glacial acetic acid and continuing circulation for 20 minutes to ensure the dye solution fully penetrates the fiber. Next, the temperature is increased to 55℃ at 0.3℃ / min and held for 20 minutes, then increased to 80℃ at 0.3℃ / min and held for 10 minutes, and finally increased to 100℃ at 0.5℃ / min and held for 30 minutes to fix the fluorescent dye onto the polyamide fiber. After dyeing, the dye solution is cooled to 70℃ at 2℃ / min and released, and the fiber is washed with clean water. Following these steps, the flame-retardant polyamide fiber is dyed fluorescent red. Finally, fluorescent red flame-retardant polyester fiber, fluorescent red flame-retardant polyamide fiber, and flame-retardant bamboo fiber are blended and spun in a set ratio to produce B yarn, which is fluorescent red overall. Through the above dyeing process, both A yarn and B yarn exhibit a bright fluorescent red color, laying the foundation for the high visibility of the final fabric. C yarn, because it uses black carbon fiber and dark graphene flame-retardant Tencel, generally does not require dyeing, and since it mainly functions as weft yarn in the fabric, it does not affect the fluorescent red appearance of the fabric surface.

[0011] (3) Weaving process: The treated A yarn, B yarn and C yarn are used for the machine weaving process. A six-end satin weave plus 1 / 5 twill backing weave is selected for weaving: A yarn, as the warp yarn, is mainly exposed on the surface of the fabric in a six-end satin weave, forming a smooth and tight surface layer; B yarn, as the warp yarn, is hidden on the underside of the fabric in a 1 / 5 twill weave, that is, backed on the reverse side of the fabric; C yarn, as the weft yarn, interweaves with the warp yarn and runs through the entire thickness of the fabric, connecting and locking the warp yarn layer. Specifically, on the loom, according to the jacquard process of six-end satin weave + twill backing weave, the warp yarns are arranged alternately with A yarn and B yarn, of which most of every 6 warp yarns (e.g., 5) are A yarn and a small part (e.g., the 6th) is B yarn, so that the A yarn forms a satin float on the surface of the fabric, and the B yarn mainly floats on the reverse side of the fabric; all weft yarns are C yarn. As weaving progresses, yarns A and B together form a double-layered warp system (above layer is yarn A, bottom layer is yarn B), while yarn C connects the two warp systems into a single-layer fabric structure in the weft direction. The resulting fabric has a tight, uniform thickness, and due to the single-layer backing structure, its thickness and weight are effectively controlled, resulting in a softer hand feel compared to traditional double-layer fabrics of the same weight. This special weaving technique ensures that the fabric meets the required weight for protection while maintaining good strength and stability.

[0012] (4) Finishing process: The woven fabric undergoes finishing treatment. First, the fabric is pre-shaped and dried under suitable temperature and tension to eliminate stress during weaving, so that the fabric has stable dimensions and a smooth surface. Then, as needed, softening and other functional finishing processes can be performed to improve the hand feel and wearing performance. For example, silicone film emulsion can be used for padding and drying to give the fabric a soft and breathable hand feel, and pre-shrinking can be performed to reduce the shrinkage rate of the fabric. After setting and finishing, the finished fluorescent red high arc protection fabric of the present invention is obtained. The finished fabric has a weight of about 220±10 g / ㎡, a thickness of 0.5 mm to 0.6 mm and is uniform, and a striking fluorescent red color. It has been tested and has good arc protection performance. According to standard testing (ASTM F1959 standard), the ATPV value reaches more than 10 cal / cm², and the flame retardant performance and wash fastness meet the requirements of relevant safety protective clothing fabric standards.

[0013] In summary, this invention cleverly combines expandable fibers, light-absorbing fibers, and high thermal conductivity fibers into the same fabric, and employs specific weaving structures and processes to achieve a single-layer protective fabric that combines high arc protection, fluorescent warning effects, and comfort. Those skilled in the art can modify or alter this invention based on the above disclosure; any solution that does not depart from the principles of this invention should fall within the protection scope of this invention.

Claims

1. A fluorescent red high-arc protective fabric, characterized in that: The fabric is a woven six-end satin weave with a 1 / 5 twill backing, composed of three different functional yarns: yarn A, yarn B, and yarn C. Yarn A is a fluorescent red dyed surface yarn made from fiber materials that expand to 8-12 times their original volume at 300°C. Yarn B is a fluorescent red dyed light-absorbing yarn made from a blend of fiber materials capable of absorbing strong electric arc light. Yarn C is a heat-dissipating yarn made from a weft yarn of high thermal conductivity fiber materials with a thermal conductivity greater than 200 W / (m·K).

2. The fluorescent red high-arc protective fabric according to claim 1, characterized in that: The woven six-end satin weave plus 1 / 5 twill backing weave refers to a composite weave structure in which the warp yarns are displayed on the surface of the fabric in a six-end satin weave, and the 1 / 5 twill weave is embedded on the back of the fabric.

3. The fluorescent red high-arc protective fabric according to claim 1, characterized in that: The A yarn is made of acrylonitrile chlorofiber, and when the temperature reaches above 150°C, the diameter of the acrylonitrile chlorofiber expands to more than 1.5 times its original diameter.

4. The fluorescent red high-arc protective fabric according to claim 1, characterized in that: The B yarn is composed of a blend of various light-absorbing fibers, including flame-retardant polyester fiber, flame-retardant polyamide fiber, and flame-retardant bamboo fiber containing inorganic ultraviolet shielding agents, to absorb long-wave, medium-wave, and short-wave ultraviolet light, respectively.

5. The fluorescent red high-arc protective fabric according to claim 1, characterized in that: The C yarn is composed of carbon fiber and graphene-modified flame-retardant Tencel fiber to improve the thermal conductivity and heat dissipation performance of the fabric.

6. The fluorescent red high-arc protective fabric according to claim 1, characterized in that: The fabric is fluorescent red after being dyed.

7. The method for preparing the fluorescent red high-arc protective fabric according to any one of claims 1-6, characterized in that, Includes the following steps: (1) Prepare the raw materials for yarn A, yarn B and yarn C; (2) The A yarn is dyed with fluorescent red, and the flame-retardant polyester fiber and flame-retardant polyamide fiber raw materials of the B yarn are dyed with fluorescent red and then blended with flame-retardant bamboo fiber. (3) The A yarn, B yarn and C yarn are interwoven into the main body of the fabric using a machine-woven six-end satin weave plus 1 / 5 twill back weave structure; (4) The main body of the fabric is shaped, softened and pre-shrinked to improve the dimensional stability, comfort and durability of the fabric.

8. The fluorescent red high-arc protective fabric according to claim 1, characterized in that: The A yarn is selected from expanded acrylic fiber, expanded aramid fiber, or expanded PBO fiber.

9. The fluorescent red high-arc protective fabric according to claim 1 or 8, characterized in that: The B yarn is composed of at least two of the following fibers blended together: flame-retardant polyester fiber containing an inorganic UV shielding agent, flame-retardant polyamide fiber, flame-retardant bamboo fiber, flame-retardant modified regenerated cellulose fiber, or flame-retardant aramid fiber containing UV absorption function.

10. The fluorescent red high-arc protective fabric according to claim 1 or 8, characterized in that: The C yarn is made of high thermal conductivity carbon fiber, graphene-modified flame-retardant Tencel fiber, carbon nanotube fiber, or a composite fiber of the above materials.

11. The fluorescent red high-arc protective fabric according to any one of claims 1-10, characterized in that: In addition to the six-end satin weave plus 1 / 5 twill backing, the woven structure can also use other composite structures formed by combining satin and twill weaves to ensure that the fabric surface is smooth and that the back has a functional fiber embedded structure.

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