Manufacturing and Properties of Fire-Retardant and Thermal Insulation Nonwoven Fabrics with FR-Polyester Hollow Fibers

Abstract

Abstract In this study, nonwoven fabrics were manufactured using flame-retardant polyester (PET) hollow fibers (FR-PET fibers) and low-melting-temperature PET fibers (low- Tm fibers) for use as thermal insulation. Four nonwoven fabrics with different process routes were utilized to manufacture loose nonwoven fabric (LNF), thermal pressed nonwoven fabric (PNF), needle-punched and thermal pressed nonwoven fabric (NPNF), and needle-punched and through-air thermal bonded nonwoven fabric (NTNF). Thermal conductivity of these four nonwoven fabrics was assessed. Furthermore, LNFs were created using various thermal pressing temperatures (100, 120, 140, 160, 180, and 200°C), low- Tm fiber contents (10, 20, 30, 40, and 50%), and number of layers of nonwoven fabrics (1, 2, 3, 4, and 5 layer) to assess tensile strength, thermal conductivity, and the limiting oxygen index (LOI). Experimental results demonstrate that LNF had a low thermal conductivity of 0.5962 W/mK and the LOI of LNF was 35%.