The aim of the study is to understand the heat transfer behavior of low-density nanofibrous layers. Understanding heat transfer through nanofibrous layers embedded with silica aerogel structures will allow us to explore the unique properties of polymer nanofibers for high performance textile applications. It was intended to study the mechanisms of heat transfer through fibrous insulation where the fiber diameter is less than 1 micrometer (m). Flexible electrospun PUR and PVDF nanofibrous layers embedded with silica aerogel was produced using electrospinning process. Further, the thermal properties of the electrospun nanofibrous layers embedded with SiO₂ aerogel was analyzed to find their application in enhanced thermal insulation. The thermal properties of the samples were evaluated and statistically analyzed. The microscopic examination confirmed presence of aerogel particles. The results showed enhancement of thermal insulation by increasing the number and the weight per unit area of both nanofibrous layers. The results confirmed that embedding silica aerogel in nanofibrous layers leads increased thermal insulation. From the study, it can be concluded that nanofibrous layers can provide efficient thermal insulation.

A novel steam simulator was employed in this study to evaluate thermal protective performance of protective clothing while exposing to steam hazard. Single- and double-layer fabric systems were selected, and different configurations of moisture barrier were exposed to steam hazard for investigating the effect of configuration of protective fabrics on the thermal protective performance. The skin bio-heat transfer and Henriques burn integral models were used to predict the required times to reach 2nd and 3rd degree skin burn. The results demonstrated that the thermal protective performance of protective clothing under steam exposure was determined by the air permeability, the thickness, the mass, and the surface properties of fabric. Even though the moisture barrier provided excellent protective performance for steam exposure, the configuration of moisture barrier presented a decisive influence on the role of moisture barrier. The findings obtained in this study provide technical data for the performance improvement of protective clothing under steam hazard.

The present paper describes the structural design and fabrication of silk fibroin (SF)/polyester (PET)- based bifurcated stent-graft (BSG) using orthogonal experimental design (OED) and range analysis (RA). An orthogonal design comprising of three factors was used, including basic weave, warp x weft density and warp x weft materials, each factor contains three different levels. As a result, nine kinds of BSGs with different weaves, densities and materials were prepared using a modified rigid rapier weaving loom. Water permeability and wall thickness were evaluated according to standard protocols (ISO 7198: 2016). Furthermore, weaving process was optimized and RA was used to detect how performance was affected by factors. The results showed that the thickness of almost all samples is near or less than 0.1 mm, which is required for BSG used in endovascular graft exclusion. Whereas, the water permeability is with a large variation compared to thickness, because BSGs made of pure SF possess significant lower water permeability than that made of pure PET or SF-PET mixed. The water permeability of sample g is only 5.19 ml/(cm² x min), which can prevent blood leakage after transplantation according to the standard. In conclusion, the SF-based BSG has better performance in terms of water permeability, which is more suitable as BSG used in endovascular exclusion.

One kind of composite membrane by combining electrospun nanofibrous membrane with fiberglass mesh was developed for air filtration. The fiber diameter, morphology of membranes, pressure drop and filtration efficiency of composite membrane were evaluated. The results revealed that the pressure drop and filtration efficiency of composite membrane decreased with the increase of winding speed (the higher winding speed is, the less of nanofibers are). The pressure drop of all samples at an airflow speed of 5 m/min was less than 25 Pa, which was much lower than the values from other reported work; and the highest filtration efficiency of sample in this work was more than 83% for particulate matters with 1.88 m.

In this paper, we first grafted the poly cysteine methacrylate (pCysMA) brush on polysulfone membrane by surface-initiated atomic-transfer radical polymerization and studied for their antifouling properties. The surface topological structure, chemical composition, and wettability of the as-prepared surface are characterized by scanning electron microscopy (SEM), X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS), atomic force microscopy (AFM), fourier transform infrared spectra (ATR-FTIR), and water contact angle (WCA) measurements. The hydrophilicity and anti-biofouling activities of the polymer brush surface were evaluated by protein adsorption test. The results displayed that the pCysMA shows better hydrophilicity and effectively resisted the adsorption of bovine serum albumin (BSA) protein.