Design and Evaluation of Improved Barrier Fabrics for Protection Against Toxic Aerosols and Biological Agents

The structure of nine fabrics, their resistance to aerosol penetration, and their pore size distributions were evaluated to determine their suitability as barrier fabrics for protection against aerosols. A main objective is to gain insight and knowledge which will be useful for designing fabrics that will provide better protection with minimum discomfort. Aerosol penetration was assessed using fluorescent polystyrene latex spheres ranging in diameter from 0. 6 to 4.5 um at a face velocity of 1.8 cms. The maximum penetration occurred for 1.01 micrometers diameter spheres. Fabric pore size distributions were measured by liquid extrusion and microscopical image analysis, and the maximum pore size was also measured by liquid critical breakthrough pressure. Results obtained by all three techniques were fairly consistent. The best correlation between fabric structure and particle penetration at this time is between fabric density and weave type, with penetration decreasing with increasing fabric areal density and being lower for plain weave fabrics than for twill weaves. Biological aerosols, Chemical protective clothing, Biological agents, Fabrics, Aerosol penetration, Aerosols, Pore size