Analysis of Polyester and Aramid Based Woven Fabric for Protective Clothing

ABSTRACT The outer fabric of any protective clothing serves as the primary barrier against external hazards to the wearer. The outer fabric is an essential component in the design and functionality of protective clothing. Fabrics made from aramid and polyester with multifunctional properties has been engineered for the outer layer of protective clothing. At a pressure head of 125 Pa, polyester exhibits higher air permeability of 201 cc/cm 2 /s, while aramid shows lower permeability of 95.1 cc/cm 2 /s. In terms of breaking strength, aramid fabric demonstrates stronger results of ~73 kgf in the warp direction and ~47 kgf in the weft direction, compared to polyester ~51 kgf and ~28 kgf, respectively. Both fabrics achieve a rating of 5 for color fastness to washing and perspiration. Aramid fabric is inherently flame resistant, while polyester does not possess flame‐retardant properties. Aramid fabric (0.63% wt. loss) also exhibits better resistance to abrasion than polyester fabric (2.63% wt. loss) after 8000 cycles, which makes it an appropriate material for the outermost layer of a protective clothing system. The water vapor transmission rate of aramid fabric (154.12 g/m 2 /24 h) is marginally higher than that of polyester fabric. Thus, aramid can provide better comfort to the wearer. The properties of these fabrics have been evaluated using FESEM, XRD, RAMAN, TGA, DSC, and XPS. Physical parameters have been assessed, and a comprehensive comparison of the findings with the existing literature is provided in this research paper.