Abstract
The breathable fabric and membrane application in protective clothing designed for protection against flame, radiation, hot liquid and steam are vital in thermal protective performance and thermal comfort. Four kinds of laminated membrane-fabrics were selected to investigate the influence of configuration and properties of the fabric on thermal protective performance under a pressurized steam hazard simulation. Surface morphology, water repellency, air permeability, water vapor permeability and other characteristics were evaluated to explore their impact on the mechanism of heat and moisture transfer in laminated fabric. It is found that the configuration critically affects the thermal protective performance. The thickness, mass and moisture regain of laminated fabric exhibit different levels of positive correlation with thermal protective performance of two configurations. Additionally, absorptive and porous membranes have different modes of water vapor transmission, while heat conduction and steam condensation in two kinds of membranes are both key influential factors in producing skin burn under steam hazard. Therefore, effective protection against steam hazard is achieved by decreasing the penetration and storage of steam within protective clothing.
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