Dynamic Characterisation of Industrial Textiles Using an Environmental Scanning Electron Microscope

The fundamental understanding of individual fibers and fiber assemblies has driven innovations in industrial textiles. The use of new tools is of importance in this innovation process. The use of Environmental Scanning Electron Microscope (ESEM) for characterization of industrial textiles under dynamic conditions has been explored in this study. We have developed different techniques for examining and imaging industrial textiles under varying conditions. The dynamic experiments of wetting, absorption, loading deformation, and thermal bonding of industrial textiles were performed in the Philips XL 30 FEG-ESEM. ESEM provides new approaches to dynamic studies of industrial textiles. The relative humidity in the ESEM chamber was raised up to 100% by controlling the specimen's temperature and the chamber pressure to produce the condition for dynamic wetting and absorption tests. The tensile testing was carried out on a tensile stage that was placed in the ESEM chamber. The thermal bonding process was imaged on a hot stage in the ESEM. Studies under dynamic conditions have given new insight into the kinetics of structure formation, rearrangement, and breakdown that are important for processing and product development of industrial textiles.