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The protective textiles market is growing due to increasingly rigorous requirements for human safety, rising liability concerns and the need for higher levels of clothing performance. This study provides comprehensive analysis of fibres, materials and manufacturing methods used to make protective textiles for use in protection and safety applications. It details natural and synthetic fibres and their manufacturing methods, woven and nonwoven production processes, as well as surface treatments. The study addresses regulations and testing of protective textiles, key performance requirements in various end-use applications, and gives examples of products currently in the market. It also analyses the future of textile development over the next ten years.
Find out about:
- Emerging fibres and textile production processes being developed for producing new high-performance fabrics
- Protection demands from key end uses such as chemical, biological, electromagnetic, nuclear, thermal and ultraviolet
- Major companies actively involved in the protective textiles market
Contents
Executive Summary
Introduction
- High-performance fibres for protection
- Natural fibres
- Wool
- Cotton
- Man-made fibres
- Regenerated fibres
- Synthetic fibres
Production processes
- Methods of fibre manufacture
- Nonwovens
- Woven fabrics
- Knitted fabrics
- Surface treatments
Applications for protective textiles
- Chemical, biological, nuclear and radiological (CBNR) protection
- Medical fabrics
- Thermal, i.e. heat and fire
- Electromagnetic radiation protection
- Electrostatic protection
- Ultraviolet radiation protection
- Cold store and cold weather protection
- Rain protection
- Ballistic protection
- Knife cuts and stab protection
- Blunt trauma impact protection
- Chainsaw protection
- Electric arc protection
- High visibility garments
Outlook for protective textiles
- Smart or intelligent materials
- Improved comfort
- Wearer monitoring, external monitoring, warning and simultaneous protection
- Self detoxification
- Materials developments
- Nanomaterials
- Active materials for cold protection
- Reactive heat and flame protection
- Coating with a shear thickening liquid
- Super oleophobic coated textiles
- High tenacity polyethylene naphthalate (PEN) fibres
- Trends in regulations and testing
Tables and Figures
- Simplified classification of fibres with some examples
- Flame and heat-resistant fibres ranked by LOI
- Fibres for ballistic protection
- Warfare agents
- Performance standards for protective clothing
- NFPA 1994 Classification of CBRN protective ensembles
- US EPA levels of protection for chemical protective clothing
- Test methods referred to in EN 469:2005
- UPF ratings and corresponding protection categories
- NIJ performance criteria
- Dyneema fabric variants
- Stab-resistant body armour classification
- Chain saw protection classification
- Hazard risk categories for arc flash
- Typical clothing systems for arc flash protection
- STEPO: Self-contained Toxic Environment Protective Outfit
- Remploy's MkIVa CBRN suit
- Geomet's DTAPS Level A suit
- Geomet's Improved Agent Protective Ensemble
- Tyvek Classic chemical protective suit
- Level 2 medical gown
- Fire-Dex proximity jacket
- Bristol Classic fire coat and trousers
- Chemical protective suit which also provides electrostatic protection
- Shirt with UV protection
- Arc flash protection garment
- High visibility jacket