X-ray-protective organic/inorganic fiber – along the textile chain from fiber production to clothing application

Abstract

High X-ray absorption and, therefore, excellent X-ray protection properties are related to heavy chemical elements. Therefore, a composite fiber for X-ray protection applications was developed consisting of an organic cellulose part and an inorganic part. Whereas the preceding part provides the common properties connected to fibers and the latter part ensures the X-ray protection effect. The treatment of this composite fiber along the whole textile chain is presented and the possible usage as a common textile fiber in spinning and knitting processes is impressively demonstrated. Textile properties such as air permeability and abrasion stability are successfully tested. Furthermore, the microscopic structure is characterized by means of optical and scanning electron microscopy. The X-ray protective properties are determined by transmission experiments. The realization of a textile product is shown by production of a glove, where protective properties are impressively shown by 3D X-ray tomography. Altogether, the complete production process of X-ray protective textile products using organic/inorganic composite fibers is introduced. Immanent to the presented material are the broad opportunities for developing textile products for X-ray protective applications in medicine, security technology, or materials analytics.