A study of the thermal protective performance of the outer fabric material for fire proximity suits

Abstract

The thermal performances such as thermal conductivity, radiant heat reflection, X-ray diffraction spectra, thermogravimetric data, and thermal protection performance (TPP) of three types of outer fabric materials for fire protection suits were compared. Three types of fire proximity suits’ outermost fabrics are high silica glass fiber fabrics (A1), high silica glass fiber fabrics (B1), and continuous basalt fiber fabrics (XW). The explanation and analysis of the reasons for the difference in thermal protective performance among the three types of materials were carried out, one by one, from the perspective of the microscopic molecular architecture of the yarn and macroscopic fabric structure. The sizes of the influence for related indicators of all types of thermal performances on the TPP value of the fabric were calculated. According to the analysis and calculation results, it can be concluded that the thermal conductivity of the fabric is the decisive factor influencing the size of the TPP value for the fabric. Therefore, reducing the thermal conductivity of the fabrics and improving the thermal insulation efficiency of the fabric is the best way to improve their thermal protective performance.