Characterization of Heat Protective Aerogel-Enhanced Textile Packages

The aim of this study was to investigate the effects of aerogel application on the thermal properties of textile packages intended for use in protective clothing. The packages were prepared in the form of removable inserts filled with aerogel, differing in terms of fabric and design. The developed packages were tested for resistance to the three major types of heat: radiant, convective, and contact. The package variant with superior thermal performance was also evaluated for water vapor resistance. The package after incorporation of aerogel was found to approximately double radiant and convective heat resistance, with an approx. eightfold improvement for contact heat at the highest test temperature 250℃. Threshold time increased from (17.7±0.7) s to (139.9±4.9) s for the optimum aerogel-enhanced package variant with the greatest number of pouches, which met the criteria of the highest performance level. The thermal conductivity and thermal resistance of three fabrics selected for testing were tested in order to determine their basic thermal insulation properties. In general, packages containing a larger number of narrower pouches exhibited higher thermal protective performance. The results show that the developed textile packages with aerogel can be successfully used in thermal protective clothing.