Glass fibres:
Glass is an inorganic, and the
oldest of performance fibres. They are the first man made fibre, with the
techniques of heating and drawing glass into fine fibres practiced for thousands
of years. Despite its existence and usage, their application in the textile
industry is very recent. It is widely used as insulation material in homes such
as glass batts, and in industries as insulation in mats. Normally, silicon
dioxide, calcium oxide, baron oxide, and aluminum oxide are used to make glass
fibres.
Glass fibres do not absorb dirt,
does not shrink or swell, and is not affected by sunlight while other fibres
get weak and bleached. Certain glass fibres resist heat upto 7200°C. Glass
fibres are used for reinforcing electrical insulation, home furnishings, making
apparels and garments, and reinforced plastics.
Polybenzimidazole (PBI):
Polybenzimidazole (PBI) is a
fibre which has a very high melting point and does not readily ignite, due to
its exceptional chemical and thermal stability. The fibre consists of
conjugated aromatic structures that produce a high level of thermal resistance.
The structure of the polymer further increases the ability. PBI fibres are used
in high performance protective garments such as firefighter turnout coats,
aircraft wall fabrics, astronaut space suits, protective gloves, race driver
suit, welders apparel, and braided packing.
The fibre blends well with other
fibres such are aramids and carbon and is used in most of the textile
equipments. PBI fibres impart an orange hue which cannot be removed through
bleaching. It also tends to be very expensive both in terms of raw material,
and manufacturing costs.
Melamine:
Melamine fibre is a synthetic
polymer composed of 50% by weight of a cross-linked melamine polymer. Due to the
cross linked structure, and low thermal conductivity of the melamine resin, these
fibres posses high stability. It displays inherent thermal resistance and heat
blocking abilities in direct flame applications. The fibre has variable denier
and staple length, less tensile strength and is difficult to process. Due to
this, it is generally blended with stronger fibres such as aramids.
There are still many other heat
resistant fibres available, which offer numerous advantages over traditional
methods. High tensile strength, light weight, and flame retardant abilities are
some prominent features of these fibres. They have a lucrative future
especially in the field of protective clothing. The field will bring new
opportunities for high performance fibres and create a new line of products.
References:
- "High Temperature
Resistant Fibers", Textile Excellence, Vol 6, No: 16, February 16-28,
2009.
- http://www.fibersource.com
- http://en.wikipedia.org
- http://www.intexa.com
- http://pslc.ws/
