idw – Informationsdienst Wissenschaft
Nachrichten, Termine, Experten
Nachrichten, Termine, Experten
Surface coating sets new standards for personal protective equipment (PPE)
BÖNNIGHEIM (sre) What does a graphite or lead pencil have to do with a spectacular
discovery in the world of materials research? Graphene is a single layer of carbon just
one atom thick, in the form of a honeycomb lattice made up of hexagons (see Text
box 1). This layer, just a few nanometres thick, can only be seen under a scanning
tunnelling microscope and holds within it the technology of tomorrow. The material is
multifunctional: ultra-thin and therefore transparent, an extremely efficient conductor
of electricity and heat, with higher tensile strength than steel, yet flexible and abrasionresistant
and impermeable to gases.
These outstanding properties of graphene mean that it has many potential uses in
industry. While research is making rapid progress especially in the field of conductivity,
the use of graphene in the textile sector has so far been somewhat overlooked.
This is where a research project run by scientists at the Hohenstein Institut für
Textilinnovation gGmbH in Bönnigheim, in partnership with the companies IoLiTec
Ionic Liquids Technologies GmbH from Heilbronn and FUCHSHUBER TECHNOTEX-
GmbH from Lichtenstein, and Belgian project partners Centexbel and Soieries
Elite, comes in. The team led by Project Manager Dr. Roshan Paul is working within
the EU research funding programme "M-era.Net" on the German sub-project called
"GRAFAT – Using graphene for the surface modification of textiles in heat protective
clothing" (sponsorship ID 03X0157A). "Over the next three years, the consortium will
be investigating to what extent the surface of textiles can be changed using graphene
modifications (see Text box 2), in particular with a view to later applying the process
to heat protective clothing. Graphene has all kinds of positive properties which would
revolutionise this sector. This research makes us world leaders in using graphene
modification on textile surfaces," says Dr. Paul. The transformation of the various
graphene modifications into stable aqueous dispersions is being carried out by Iolitec.
The aim of the Hohenstein research team is to develop stable techniques for applying
aqueous graphene dispersions, so that they can be used as a permanent coating on
different textile surfaces. A range of different graphene modifications (e.g. graphene
oxide, "multi-layer graphene") are being considered, since they each have different
properties. The newly developed surface modifications for the various textiles will then
be analysed for their suitability for heat protective equipment. In the research work,
the company FUCHSHUBER TECHNO TEX has the task of converting the application
formula that has been developed to an industrial scale and ensuring that the treated
textiles can be cleaned and processed. The aim is to produce a demonstrator model.
Using graphene to modify the surface can significantly improve the flame-retardant
properties of a textile. Graphene can act as a physical barrier, effectively preventing
the penetration of heat and gases. At the same time, graphene also has the potential
to prevent the thermal decomposition of the textile. Another benefit of graphene is its
resistance to abrasion and rupture, about 200 times higher than that of steel. These
qualities also make graphene extremely interesting for applications in the field of
personal protective equipment.
Normally, the functionalisation of textiles for PPE requires a multi-stage process. This
may no longer be necessary if graphene can be applied in a single-stage process. The
material used for PPE could then be thinner and therefore lighter. This in turn increases
the wearer's mobility.
"If their functionality can be successfully proven, textiles with graphene-modified
surfaces could find many uses in the PPE sector, especially in heat protective clothing,"
says Dr. Paul. This would open up a new market segment for the use of graphene,
further enhancing the economic success of innovative companies and the industry in
general.
Text box 1:
Graphene is a layer of pure carbon, just one atom thick. A distinction is made
between single-layer and multi-layer graphene and graphene with more than 10
layers, which is called graphite (pencil lead). Even though the structure is the same,
the different numbers of layers result in different properties.
A graphene layer is about 0.3 nanometres thick, just one hundred-thousandth of the
thickness of a human hair. Each carbon atom in the layer is bonded to three more
carbon atoms, creating a two-dimensional honeycomb-like layered structure.
Text box 2:
Graphene and oxygen can be converted into graphene oxide which can contain
different amounts of bound oxygen. By linking or functionalising it with other
molecules or atoms, different chemical properties can be produced in the material.
Graphene, which comes with up to 10 layers, is an expensive "all-rounder". It is not a natural resou ...
© Wikimedia.org /wikipedia © Hohenstein
None
Graphene has outstanding properties as a fire-resistant material: it prevents the diffusion of heat, ...
© Hohenstein Institute ®
None
Graphene, the wonder material, goes textile
Merkmale dieser Pressemitteilung:
Journalisten, Studierende, Wirtschaftsvertreter, Wissenschaftler
Biologie, Chemie, Werkstoffwissenschaften
überregional
Forschungsprojekte, Kooperationen
Englisch
Sie können Suchbegriffe mit und, oder und / oder nicht verknüpfen, z. B. Philo nicht logie.
Verknüpfungen können Sie mit Klammern voneinander trennen, z. B. (Philo nicht logie) oder (Psycho und logie).
Zusammenhängende Worte werden als Wortgruppe gesucht, wenn Sie sie in Anführungsstriche setzen, z. B. „Bundesrepublik Deutschland“.
Die Erweiterte Suche können Sie auch nutzen, ohne Suchbegriffe einzugeben. Sie orientiert sich dann an den Kriterien, die Sie ausgewählt haben (z. B. nach dem Land oder dem Sachgebiet).
Haben Sie in einer Kategorie kein Kriterium ausgewählt, wird die gesamte Kategorie durchsucht (z.B. alle Sachgebiete oder alle Länder).
