An investigation of thermal comfort properties of Abaya woven fabrics

Abaya is a traditional Muslim woman’s outer garment. It is black in colour, and must be worn over the normal day-to-day clothing according to Islamic law. It is mandatory to wear Abaya in Arabian Gulf countries irrespective of the outside environmental temperature, which can be up to 50°C. Having many layers of clothing including Abaya makes it extremely uncomfortable for the wearer in a hot environment. Thermal comfort performance is, therefore, essential for fabrics used for Abaya. This study investigated some commercially available woven Abaya fabrics for thermal resistance, air permeability, thermal comfort, vapour resistance and fabric structural and surface properties. The results indicated that the Abaya fabrics with different weave structures, fibre composition and fabric weight have greater influence on the fabric thermal comfort performance.     

Airbags

In recent years, safety systems such as seat belts and airbags have been one of the fast-growing sectors within the automotive industry. Seat belts and airbags have made driving substantially safer since their introduction. Airbags are safety systems used to cushion the driver or passenger during a collision and reduce bodily injuries. The technology involved in the manufacturing and working of airbags is complex. Since the early stages of development, airbag technology has been undergoing continual evolution in terms of design, materials and performance. Airbags are typically made from woven fabric, which may be coated or uncoated but must be impermeable to gases and flame resistant. In terms of their operation, modern airbags are smart restraint systems, which can tailor the deployment of the airbag according to the crash severity, body size of the occupant and proximity of the occupant to the airbag system prior to deployment. The future of airbags is extremely promising because there are many diverse applications ranging from motorcycle helmets to aircraft seating. In this article, an outline is given of the historical development of airbags and their value in saving lives is illustrated by supporting statistical data. The essential parameters required for airbag yarn and fabric components are discussed in detail. In addition, the processes involved in the manufacture, assembly and testing of airbag systems are explained. The mechanisms and chemical reactions involved in the deployment of different types of airbags are also discussed, and recent developments in airbag design and their possible future applications are reported.     

Stab resistance and thermophysiological comfort properties of boron carbide coated aramid and ballistic nylon fabrics

This research presents the stab resistance and thermo-physiological comfort properties of the fabrics prepared from high-performance fibres of aramid (i.e. Kevlar®) and ballistic nylon. The fabric samples were coated with boron carbide to improve the stab resistance properties. The quasistatic stab tests were performed using NIJ 0115.00 standard knife (P1) on the Instron tensile testing machine. The thermo-physiological comfort properties of the fabric samples were evaluated by measuring the air permeability, water-vapour resistance and thermal resistance. It was observed that the application of the coating significantly increased the stab resistance properties of the fabrics. Furthermore, the air permeability was significantly reduced; whereas, the water-vapour resistance and thermal resistance were significantly increased with the application of coating. Hence, the coated fabrics will have to compromise the comfort aspects to achieve the desired protection level, which is the prime requirement for the stab resistant textile materials.