Targeted partial finishing of barrier textiles with microparticles, and their effects on barrier properties and comfort

Woven barrier fabrics for filtration and operating room textiles feature permeable pore channels between yarn interlocking points (mesopores), which create an increased risk of penetration by contaminated fluids and particles. These pore channels can be reduced in size by high-density weaving. This, however, results in deteriorated drapability and performance characteristics. To meet the requirements made on the barrier effect without impairing the physiological properties of the textile, fluid-tight and particle-tight woven fabrics with adjustable porosity are being developed. This research aim could be realized by the targeted and partial application of microparticles into the mesopores. There, they form a meshed structure in the pores, whose size is thus reduced without them being entirely obstructed. The simultaneous retention of the micropores (pores between the individual filaments) in the woven fabric guarantees preservation of the physiological characteristics of the textile. The efficiency of the finishing was examined by an extensive physiological and physical characterization of the woven fabrics before and after particle application. Regarding the test method used to monitor the barrier effect and the channel paths, a test device was modified to simulate the demands of later, practical use.