Original Fabric Research Articles

The Evolving Definition of “Historic Preservation”: More Complex, More Inclusive

The Evolving Definition of “Historic Preservation”:More Complex, More Inclusive Susan West Montgomery (bio) With some 50 years of federal preservation law and policy in place and decades more of individual and collective action to save places, you’d think we’d have a clearer definition of what we mean when we say “historic preservation.” Instead, it is as though the more time that goes by the more complex the meaning becomes, the more diverse the motivations that lead us to it, and the more wide ranging the actions we take in its name. The effort to find a clear and common definition is also muddied by how others define the concept for us. As we look to the future of preservation, we should understand and own this complexity and be deliberate in pointing out preservation everywhere we see it. One way to look at the discipline known as historic preservation is as a continuum that flows from the micro to the macro and back again. When I spackle mortar on brick to repoint a wall, or hammer a nail to repair a joist, I am engaging in historic preservation. When I survey and document a set of resources and nominate them to the National Register of Historic Places I am engaging in historic preservation. When I acquire a vacant manufacturing building, save some of its original fabric, but adaptively reuse it as a hotel and retail space I am engaging in historic preservation. When I work to enact a design review ordinance in a historic district I am engaging in historic preservation. When I develop a comprehensive marketing plan and recruit new businesses to open on Main Street in rehabbed older buildings I am engaging in historic preservation. What all these examples have in common is they revolve around a building or buildings, but historic preservation can also be the act of saving a landscape. We might preserve a farmstead, for example, with its particular arrangement of fences, fields, trees, hedgerows and ruins; or a Native American trail, still discernible after decades of disuse. Even a stretch of riverbank with its telltale [End Page 34] scars and manmade topographical features can reveal an industrial past and be worthy of preservation. Click for larger view View full resolution Supporting traditional cultural activities is also an aspect of historic preservation, especially when that helps to promote continued use of places where those activities are best experienced. Traditional dances of the Chamorro people were featured at a celebration of Pågat, one of the last ancient village sites still publicly accessible on Guam. PHOTO BY BRIAN TURNER Moving even further away from physical fabric, we may find ourselves preventing new building on a site even when there are few or no historic remnants on the property. Even places that seem empty and unused can be inextricably tied to a people or an event that is best experienced and interpreted in that open space. We have also learned that historic preservation can be the act of uncovering the names, experiences and actions of individuals even where no tangible history remains, as is the case with the narratives of so many enslaved and working-class people. Our work to protect sacred and cultural traditions—dance, sport, music, language, food ways—is also historic preservation when it recognizes, honors and encourages the continued use of the traditional cultural places where such activities occur. Historic preservation then is essentially rooted in the concept of “saving” something, whether a building, place or landscape; or, in its wider applications, a story, cultural practice or tradition associated with a place. We generally consider something saved when a place, story, practice or tradition is able to continue to exist for some time to come. In a way, it is the antithesis of consumption, when a building, place, landscape or other resource is used up or used in such a way that it loses its value over time. Preservation is all about retaining value, even enhancing it. Every action we take that adds value—including continued use, continued practice, [End Page 35] revival, restoration, rehabilitation, reuse, interpretation—can in its own way fall under the rubric of historic preservation. If you...

Adaptive Reuse Practice in Tower Houses of Old City Sana’a Yemen

The study aims to identify the existing practices of adaptive reuse of Sana’a heritage tower houses and their application to the new building use and interventions on the original fabric. A case study on Dawood Hotel was undertaken with the following instruments: 1) Structured interviews with the Building Authorities; 2) On-site observations of the building conditions; 3) Literature search on the previous conservation projects reports. The finding suggests improvements on conservation practices by highlighting the discrepancies of the existing heritage building control procedures and requirements. It facilitates the local building authorities to formulate new systematic and transparent conservation guidelines.

Microfacies, depositional environment and diagenetic evolution controls on the reservoir quality of the Permian Upper Dalan Formation, Kish Gas Field, Zagros Basin

The Upper Permian Upper Dalan Formation contains one of the largest gas reservoirs in the world. The formation consists of carbonates with some evaporite intercalations that developed on a gently sloping homoclinal carbonate ramp facing the Late Permian Paleo-Tethys Ocean. This study focuses on the Kish Gas Field (Zagros offshore basin situated between Iran and Qatar), and is based on a 222-m-thick continuous core. Based on the integration of core- and wireline-log data coupled with petrographic analyses of 580 thin sections, three major depositional environments (facies belts) with 11 carbonate microfacies are identified. These include (1) sabkha to tidal flat (laminated to massive anhydrite, dolomudstone with anhydrite nodules, dolomudstone, and intraclastic dolowackestone), (2) lagoon and leeward shoals (bioclastic wackestone/dolowackestone to packstone, and peloid dolopackstone and peloid–bioclastic dolopackstone), and (3) mobile (windward) sand shoal (ooid–peloid dolograinstone, ooid dolograinstone, ooid–intraclast dolograinstone, ooid–bioclast dolograinstone–packstone, and coarse bioclast–intraclast dolograinstone). Diagenetic evolution of the Upper Dalan Formation is associated with evaporative marine, shallow-water normal-marine, meteoric, and burial diagenetic environments. Common diagenetic effects include dolomite and calcite cementation, mechanical and chemical compaction, dissolution, dolomitization, and evaporative (anhydrite) mineralization.Reservoir quality is strongly affected by variations in the original rock fabrics and subsequent diagenetic alterations. The most common pore types include interparticle, moldic, and connected vug (fracture and cavernous). The interparticle porosity–permeability relationship for the studied facies suggests that the reservoir quality is not affected by different crystal sizes and most samples plot in the low porosity and low to high permeability field, or display Lucia class 1 or 2 petrophysical relationships. The study shows that the pervasive pore-filling anhydrite mineralization lead to a significant decrease in porosity and permeability; poikilotopic anhydrite cement reduced matrix porosity, but the pore size was less affected.

Enigmatic carbonates of the Ombombo Subgroup, Otavi Fold Belt, Namibia: A prelude to extreme Cryogenian anoxia?

The Ombombo Subgroup of the Otavi Fold Belt, Kaokoveld, Namibia preserves a succession of clastic and carbonate sediments with unusual sedimentary features. The stratigraphy of these units is discussed here in detail for the first time since their initial definition, with particular emphasis on the sedimentology of carbonate units. Early Neoproterozoic shales of the Beesvlakte Formation, equivalent to the Zambian Katangan Copperbelt's Lower Roan Formation, host evaporitic lithologies and minor copper mineralisation. The overlying, dolomitic ~760Ma Devede Formation contains carbonate platformal lithologies which are in many ways dissimilar to Phanerozoic shallow-water carbonates. This includes unusual “curl breccias”, sheet cavities, carbonate shrubs, and tepee carbonate lithologies which contain large quantities of fibrous cements. “Curl breccias” are defined here as distinctive, curled intraclasts of laminated dolomite that often have shrinkage cracks in their margins, and are cemented by fibrous dolomite cements. Fibrous cements take on two forms: an early, length-fast fascicular-optic dolomite and a later length-slow phase with unit extinction. The presence of overlying internal sediments, the fibrous habit of these first-generation cements, as well as their preserved cathodoluminescent and optical character, suggests that these cements originally precipitated as calcite and dolomite marine cements respectively. After this initial marine calcite precipitation, all components of Devede Formation carbonates have been mimetically dolomitised, preserving original depositional fabrics. Combined with the presence of marine dolomite cements, this style of dolomitisation is suggested to be syn-sedimentary, similar to that of some Cryogenian dolomites, suggesting unusual ocean conditions during the Early Neoproterozoic. In particular, the presence of dolomite marine cements, which have been linked to ocean anoxia and high seawater Mg/Ca conditions, suggests that the onset of marine anoxia in the Neoproterozoic may have occurred during the growth of the Devede Formation carbonate platforms, prior to the Sturtian glaciation. This implies that glaciation may not be the sole cause for the development of marine anoxia during the Neoproterozoic. It is possible that marine anoxia in this southern African ocean basin may have contributed to a build-up of metals in seawater, perhaps pre-enriching basinal fluids for large-scale stratabound copper mineralisation.

Fabrication of asymmetrically superhydrophobic cotton fabrics via mist copolymerization of 2,2,2‐trifluoroethyl methacrylate

ABSTRACTWe report here a simple strategy for fabricating asymmetrically superhydrophobic cotton fabric via a mist copolymerization of three monomers, 2,2,2‐trifluoroethyl methacrylate (TFMA), 2‐isocyanatoethyl methacrylate (IEM), and divinylbenzene (DVB). The copolymer layer on the cotton surface was confirmed by X‐ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) analysis and attenuated total reflection (ATR) accessory, and the nanoscale hierarchical structures in the polymeric layer were demonstrated by observation of field emission scanning electron microscope (FE‐SEM). Surface characterization reveals that the modified surface is superhydrophobic, but the opposite side of the modified cotton fabric has the hydrophilic nature of cotton. More experimental data suggest that the good water adsorptivity and vapor transmissibility of the original cotton fabric were inherited after the surface modification. These properties are of great significance in textile and medical applications. © 2015 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J. Polym. Sci., Part A: Polym. Chem. 2015, 53, 1862–1871

Hydrophilicity and Self-Cleaning Property of Kroy-Processed Wool Fabric Coated with TiO<sub>2</sub>/SiO<sub>2</sub> Composite Hydrosol Stabilized by BTCA

Kroy-processed and original wool fabric were successfully modified by TiO2/SiO2 70:30 sol with the stabilization of 60g/L 1,2,3,4-butanetetracarboxylic acid (BTCA). In order to explore the influence of Kroy-process on TiO2/SiO2 sol treatment, self-cleaning property of original and Kroy-processed wool samples coated with TiO2/SiO2 sol were investigated by a Color Measuring & Matching System. In addition, the contact angles of four kinds of wool fabric (original wool, Kroy-processed wool, TiO2/SiO2 coated original wool and TiO2/SiO2 coated Kroy-processed wool) were respectively evaluated to achieve the effect of Kroy-process on the hydrophilicity of wool fabric. The results revealed that the applying of Kroy-process is conducive to the coating of TiO2/SiO2 sols on wool fabric. The total color difference ∆E of coated wool increased 42% from 30.35 to 43.09 after the application of Kroy-process. Besides, the hydrophilicity of wool fabric was enhanced since the contact angle of Kroy-processed wool decreased to 133.5° while original wool was 140.3°. Furthermore, coated samples with Kroy-process had lower value of contact angle as compared with coated original wool fabric.

Design of composite materials with improved impact properties

Composites have been widely used in applications where there is a risk of impact, due to the excellent properties these materials display for absorbing impact energy. However, composites during impact situations typically generate an enormous number of small pieces, due to the energy absorption mechanism of these materials, a mechanism which does not include plastic deformation. This can prove dangerous in sports competitions, where the small fragments of the original structure may harm competitors.This study was designed to explore the possibility of incorporating a material which, whilst maintaining a high level of energy absorption without any plastic deformation mechanism, was able to maintain its original form, or at least significantly reduce the number of pieces generated after impact.The addition of a polyamide layer, NOMEX®, to a monolithic fabric laminate was investigated in this paper. The process of fabrication is described and the different properties of the material under consideration: interlaminar fracture toughness energy (GIC), indentation (id) and delamination after impact (Ai) and compression after impact (σCAI), were measured and compared with those of the original monolithic fabric.

Weathering processes affecting granitoid profiles of Capo Vaticano (Calabria, southern Italy) based on petrographic, mineralogic and reaction path modelling approaches

This work focuses on developing multidisciplinary research on weathering profiles of granitoid rocks related to the tectonic and landscape evolution of the Capo Vaticano area, Calabria, southern Italy. During the Pleistocene, the Mediterranean climate plays, on the already decomposed plutonic rocks, important processes of alteration, on both the highest and inland areas and the coastal areas of the Calabrian region, such as the studied area. Field observations coupled to chemical, minero‐petrographical features and geochemical modelling are used to characterize the weathering processes affecting the granitoid complex. The granitoid cut slopes show a generally simple weathering profile characterized by a progressive increase in weathering towards the top of the slopes. The completely weathered rocks (class V) and residual soil (class VI) contain a high percentage of altered minerals, microfractures, and voids. The main mineralogical changes are the partial transformation of biotite and the partial destruction of feldspars (mainly plagioclase) that are associated with the neoformation of secondary clay minerals and ferruginous products during the most advanced stage of weathering. These transformations produce a substitution of the original rock fabric. Geochemical modelling showing the precipitation of kaolinite, illite, vermiculite, ferrihydrite and calcite. These secondary solid phases are similar to those found in this natural system. Thus, the final results of the weathering process is a soil‐like material mainly characterized by mostly a sand to gravel grain‐size fractions related to microfabric changes and mineralogical and chemical variations. Copyright © 2014 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

Increased interyarn friction through ZnO nanowire arrays grown on aramid fabric

Abstract Interyarn friction is one of the primary energy absorption mechanisms in soft body armor. However, increasing the frictional sliding force between yarns of the aramid fabric in order to enhance the ballistic resistance is challenging without damaging the fibers. Here, a novel method is developed to increase the tow to tow friction in aramid fabric through the growth of zinc oxide nanowires on the fiber surface. The vertically aligned nanowires lead to ∼23 times higher energy absorption and ∼11 times higher peak load compared to neat fabrics, while retaining the full flexibility and mechanical strength of the original aramid fabrics. The interfacial mechanism of increasing friction associated with nanowires is studied and characterized using scanning electron microscopy.

Effect of TW-ZnO/SiO2-compounded shear thickening fluid on the sound insulation property of glass fiber fabric

A novel sound insulation composite was successfully fabricated by modifying glass fiber fabric with tetrapod ZnO whisker (TW-ZnO)/SiO2-compounded shear thickening fluid (STF). The rheological properties of the compounded STF were evaluated using a high-speed rotational rheometer. The microstructure and sound-insulating properties of the STF-treated glass fiber fabric (STF-fabric) were characterized using a scanning electron microscope and a two-channel acoustic analyzer, respectively. The shear thickening effect of TW-ZnO/SiO2-compounded STF can be better than that of SiO2-monodispersed STF. The sound insulation performance of the STF-fabric, which was superior to that of the original fabric, was related to the fabric weaving structure and shear thickening effect of the compounded STF.

Synthesis of a novel flame retardant phosphorus/nitrogen/siloxane and its application on cotton fabrics

A novel flame retardant containing phosphorus, nitrogen and silicon was synthesized in this study. Its structure was characterized by Fourier transformed infrared spectrometry and 1H nuclear magnetic resonance. The flammability and thermal stability of the cotton fabric treated by the flame retardant was systematically evaluated by the limiting oxygen index (LOI) method, vertical combustion method and thermogravimetric analysis (TGA). The breaking strength, tearing strength and wrinkle recovery angle (WRA) of the treated fabric were also investigated to analyze the effects of the flame retardant on the original cotton fabric. The optimal parameters of the anti-flame finishing process conditions were flame retardant phosphorus/nitrogen/siloxane of 200 g/L, catalyzer of 25 g/L, curing temperature of 170℃, curing time of 3 min, pH 5.The results showed that the treated fabric was an excellent flame retardant, LOI was improved from 18.0 to 27.1 and its anti-crease property was obviously improved, as WRA increased from 80° to 98°. The TGA curves also suggested that the flame retardant had a good ability of char formation due to the synergistic effect of phosphorus, nitrogen and silicon. Through the wash fastness analysis, the LOI value of the treated sample remained at 23.3 compared with 18.0 of the untreated sample, which meant a durability flame-retarding effect.

Cotton fabric finishing with TiO2/SiO2 composite hydrosol based on ionic cross-linking method

Cotton fabric was successfully modified by 3-chloro-2-hydroxypropyl trimethyl ammonium chloride (CHTAC), 1,2,3,4-butanetetracarboxylic acid (BTCA) and TiO2/SiO2 sol. Self-cleaning characteristic was investigated using a Color Measuring & Matching System with 6h sunlight irradiation. And the stability of TiO2/SiO2 coatings was explored by measuring the washing fastness and wrinkle resistance of treated cotton samples. In addition, whiteness index, crease recovery angle and tensile strength retention (%) of treated samples were evaluated. Moreover, the morphology, structure change and crystallinity of samples were observed by scanning electron microscopy (SEM), Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR) and X-ray diffraction (XRD), respectively. The results revealed that the samples treated with CHTAC had lower value of whiteness index as compared with original cotton fabric. It was also found that samples treated with BTCA achieved higher crease recovery angle and lower tensile strength. Moreover, the treatment of CHTAC and BTCA had adverse effect on the crystallinity of cotton samples, as treated samples had lower crystallinity in comparison with raw cotton fabrics. Nevertheless, the stability of self-cleaning coatings was better for samples treated with ionic cross-linking treatment (CHTAC+BTCA+TiO2/SiO2) than samples treated with TiO2/SiO2 sol alone. Furthermore, compared with original samples the UV-blocking property of ionic cross-linking treated samples was obviously enhanced.

Study on Preparation of Modified Cotton with Collagen

The surface modification process for cotton fabric which was oxidized first, and then crosslinked with collagen was studied. The optimum oxidation process was as follows: concentration of sodium periodate 0.6g/L, time 2.5h, temperature 40°C, ratio of water and cotton fabric was 100:1. The method for surface modification of cotton fabric was determined from comparative analysis, and the optimum process: collagen solution concentration 6%, glutaraldehyde concentration 5%, reaction 40min at 30°C, ratio of water and cotton fabric was 100:1. Compared with original cotton fabric,the breaking strength and elongation of collagen modified cotton fabric decreased, while the dyeing percentage with acid dyes was increased and this means the surface of modified cotton fabric was covered with a large component of collagen.

Combination effect of ultrasound and shake as a mechanical action for textile cleaning

The ultrasonic cleaning of artificially soiled fabrics with and without shake was carried out in an aqueous anionic surfactant solution. The polyester, cotton and polyester/cotton (65/35) fabrics were soiled with oleic acid or carbon black as a model soil, and cleaned together with their original fabrics with applying ultrasound for 5min. The detergency and the soil redeposition were determined from the change in the Kubelka–Munk function of the soiled and original fabric surfaces due to the cleaning. For any fabric, the removal of oleic acid and carbon black from the soiled fabric and their redeposition onto the original fabric increased with increasing electric power consumption of ultrasound. When ultrasound and shake were applied at the same time, the detergency further increased for any electric power consumption. The maximum detergency obtained with combination of ultrasound 340W and shake 160spm was compared with detergency obtained with Wascator, a horizontal axis drum type washer. It was found that the ultrasound/shake combination cleaning enabled efficient removal of both soils from any fabric and the detergency of the polyester fabrics was comparable to that with Wascator. The mechanical action during the washing was evaluated by two mechanical action test pieces commercially available, which indicated that the ultrasound/shake combination cleaning provided gentle mechanical action to the fabric in comparison with the drum type washer. The SEM observations showed the damage of the fabric and fiber surfaces was negligibly small after the ultrasound/shake combination washing.

Characterization of granitoid profiles in the Sila Massif (Calabria, southern Italy) and reconstruction of weathering processes by mineralogy, chemistry, and reaction path modeling

This paper concerns the development of a multidisciplinary research on weathering profiles of granitoid rocks in the Sila Massif (Calabria, southern Italy), based on field investigations, chemical and minero-petrographic data, and geochemical modeling. It aims at evaluating modes and degree of weathering and focuses on the main transformation processes of the parent rock, integrating information obtained by direct observations/analyses on samples with results of simulations of pertinent water–rock interaction processes, carried out through the reaction-path-modeling approach. Physical responses to geological hammer hitting and morphological weathering features were used to characterize increasing weathering grade (I–VI weathering classes) of a representative weathering profile. Also, the main microfabric and minero-petrographic features were observed in thin sections; XRPD and SEM-EDS were used to identify primary minerals and neoformed products. Progressive dissolution of the granitoid rock was simulated using the software package EQ3/6, 8.0 and a modified version of the thermodynamic database data0.ymp.R5. A kinetic mode under closed-system conditions was applied with respect to a defined set of secondary solid phases, which are allowed to precipitate. The partial transformation of biotite and the partial destruction of feldspars, associated with the neoformation of secondary minerals and a substitution of the original rock fabric are the main mineralogical changes observed. Neoformed clay minerals and ferric products replaced feldspars and biotite during the most advanced weathering stage. Microfractures and morphological variations occur on the original rock. The final result of weathering process is a soil-like rock characterized by sand-gravel grain-size fraction. Results of geochemical modeling suggest that the chemical weathering processes occurring in the study area are relatively close to an iso-chemical transformation of the original granitoid rock, based on the small predicted changes in the concentrations of solutes from the initial to the final state of the simulation. The CO2-controlled dissolution of albite-rich plagioclase is the most important reaction, followed by the dissolution of K-feldspar, biotite, chlorite, and muscovite, in order of decreasing importance. The precipitating secondary minerals are ferrihydrite, saponite, vermiculite, illite, and kaolinite in order of decreasing pH values. The order of appearance and the quantities of secondary (product) minerals depend on the setup of geochemical modeling. Based on the standard thermodynamic properties of different illite endmembers, calculated in this work, it was possible to predict the varying compositions of the illite solid solution, which resulted to be similar to those observed in natural systems.

Modification and Dyeing of Silk Fabric Treated with Tetrabutyl Titanate by Hydrothermal Method

Nano-structured TiO2 particles prepared by hydrothermal method are first immobilized on the surface of silk fiber using tetrabutyl titanate, which is dyed with C.I. Reactive Blue 19. The morphology, crystalline phase, chemical structure, thermal, and optical properties of silk fabric before and after treatment are determined by means of scanning electron microscope, X-ray diffraction, X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy, thermal gravimetric, and diffuse reflectance spectrum techniques. The UV protection, percentage of exhaustion, percentage of fixation, K/S value, and color fastness are investigated. The results indicate that when silk fabric is treated with tetrabutyl titanate aqueous solution at 110 °C for 2 h, pure anatase phase TiO2 nanoparticles of size less than 10 nm are synthesized, and then simultaneously grafted onto fiber surface. Compared with the original fabric, the thermal stability of the TiO2-coated fabric changes little. The protection against ultraviolet radiation is distinctly improved. The yellowness and whiteness values change a little. The percentage of exhaustion, fixation and K/S value are reduced to some extent due to the existence of TiO2 film. The color fastness to wet rubbing decreases slightly. The K/S value of the TiO2-coated fabric increases after being scrubbed. The color fastness to light of silk fabric after treatment is enhanced.

Characterization of granitoid and gneissic weathering profiles of the Mucone River basin (Calabria, southern Italy)

The paper deals with the development of a multidisciplinary research on weathering profiles of granitoid and gneissic rocks related to tectonic and landscape evolution of the western Sila Grande Massif (Calabria, southern Italy). Field scale observations and petrographical and mineralogical features are used to characterize in detail the weathering processes. The weathering profiles of the granitoid cut slopes are generally simple showing a progressive weathering increase toward the top of the slopes, whereas the weathering profiles of the gneissic cut slopes are generally complex with irregularities in the spatial distribution of weathered horizons. The microfabric and petrographic analyses show that gneissic samples (classes V–VI of weathering grade) are characterized by higher percentage of altered minerals and microfracture and void rather than granitoid samples (classes V–VI of weathering grade). The main mineralogical changes concern the partial transformation of biotite and the partial destruction of feldspars (mainly plagioclases), associated with the neoformation of secondary minerals (clay minerals and Fe-oxides) and with a substitution of the original rock fabric. Neoformed clay minerals and ferruginous products replaced feldspars and biotite during the most advanced weathering stage. Referred as physical changes coupled with chemical variations, the final results of weathering process are a soil-like material characterized by sand–gravel grain-size fraction for the granitoid rocks and by both silt–clay and sand–silt grain-size fraction for the gneissic rocks. This generally produces a greater value of the SGI (Sand Generation Index) for granitoids and explains the great productivity in sandy deposits of this lithology.

Morphological, antimicrobial, durability, and physical properties of untreated and treated textiles using silver-nanoparticles

Silver nanoparticles are often applied to textiles for their strong antimicrobial activity and potential uses in various applications. The treatment of fabrics with silver nanoparticles has often involved complex or expensive processes, required surface post treatment, lacked durability and altered desirable properties related to the comfort of the fabric. In this paper, a systematic study has been performed to identify a simple yet durable and economical approach to apply silver nanoparticles on cotton fabrics with minimum alterations to the fabrics’ physical properties. An ex situ chemical and in situ photo reduction approaches of silver-nanoparticle treatment on cotton fabrics were investigated, comparing the morphology, antimicrobial, durability of the treatment after wash and physical properties. Results indicate that the in situ approach was favorable toward aforementioned requirements and could retain its properties close to the original fabric. Methodology presented here to study effects of ex situ and in situ treatments of silver nanoparticles on textiles could be of interest to other applications.

Preparation and property of TiO2/SiO2 multilayer film on the fabric by sol-gel process

The high light reflection of multilayer TiO2/SiO2 film was prepared on the fabric by the sol-gel process. The size of titania and silica particles in hydrosol was analyzed by Nanosizer, and the morphology of TiO2/SiO2 multilayer film on the fabric was characterized by SEM. The reflection spectra of the samples were tested accordingly, and it showed that the reflection of the fabric coated by multilayer film was higher than that of the monolayer film. Moreover, the reflection increased with the increase of layer number. For sunlight fastness testing, the fabric color changed less with the increase of layer number, which showed the multilayer film on the fabric can improve the light resistance of the fabric. The mechanical property, the bending property and air permeability testing results showed that there was little change for the coated fabric compared with the original fabric.

The Properties of Modified Polysulfonamide Fabrics with Lamellar Magnesium Hydroxide Crystals

Lamellar magnesium hydroxide crystals were prepared successfully on the surface of polysulfonamide fibers with carboxylic acid groups. The polysulfonamide fabrics with Mg(OH)2 crystals were characterized by Scanning electron microscopy, Inductively coupled plasma atomic absorption spectrometer X-ray diffraction, Vertical flammability test and Thermalgravimetric analysis. The vertical flammability test showed that the damaged length of original polysulfonamide fabrics was 34mm, while that of the polysulfonamide fabrics with Mg(OH)2 crystals (treated by 7.5% NaOH solutions) was 14mm. In addition, the Mg (OH)2 crystals played a critical role in the improvement of thermal stability and heat insulation of polysulfonamide fabrics.