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Development of graphene-based end-of-life sensors for fire-protective fabrics
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The protective clothing industry and workers at risk of exposure to heat and flame can rely on some high performance materials developed over the last fifty years to provide the protection needed while allowing some level of comfort. This includes a series of inherently thermal- and fire-resistant fibres such as para- and meta-aramids. However, if these materials exhibit exceptional performance when new, the various conditions they are exposed to during the lifetime of the clothing will reduce their performance over time (1). In addition, these large losses in performance may occur before any sign of damage is visible to the naked eye (2). Finally, the current increase in the laundering frequency of the protective clothing resulting from the discovery that smoke particles and combustion-generated carcinogenic chemicals can penetrate firefighters’ protective clothing (3), will make obsolete the current retirement directives. To tackle this critical issue, a graphene-based textile end-of-life sensor has been developed to allow
monitoring the condition of the fire-protective clothing over its lifetime. The sensor will be stitched at a few strategic locations on the fire-protective clothing. The residual conductivity of the sensor will be measured using a simple multimeter as part of the regular assessment that firefighters and other workers at risk of heat and flame exposure are required to do of their protective equipment. Based on the values measured, they will be warned if their protective clothing has experienced a level of exposure to aging conditions that may have decreased its performance below the safe range and thus needs to be replaced. -
- Date created
- 2023-05-11
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- Subjects / Keywords
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- Type of Item
- Conference/Workshop Presentation