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The purpose of this paper is to investigate the effects of structural parameters of fabric on thermal insulation properties of the coated fabric.

The authors established a numerical model for the ablation of silicone resin-coated fabric under high heat flow, and the simulation results have been validated by quartz lamp ablation experiment. The model was used to investigate the effects of structural parameters of glass fiber fabrics on the heat transfer process of the coated fabric.

The numerical values were in agreement with the experimental values. The thermal insulation of the coated glass fiber fabric was better than coated carbon fabric. Thermal insulation performance of the coated glass fiber fabrics was in order plain < 2/1 twill < 3/3 twill < 5/3 stain fabric. Increasing the warp density, from 100 to 180 ends/10 cm, the temperature of the back surface of the coated glass fiber fabric was reduced from 601°C to 553°C. Thermal insulation performance dramatically increased as yarn fineness went from 129 to 280 tex, and the temperature difference was 63°C.

In the ablation process, to simplify the calculation, the combustion reaction of silicone resin was ignored, which can be added in the future research.

This paper provides the ablation model of the silicon-coated fabric based on the 3D geometry model to explore the influence of the structural parameters of coated glass fiber fabric on its thermal protection performance.

The purpose of this paper is to study the ablative behavior of the silicone resin-coated carbon fabric (coated fabric) that will swell significantly during ablation.

The ablation experiments of three coated fabrics were conducted by quartz lamp radiant. Based on the experimental analysis, a numerical model was proposed for the coated fabrics to study the ablative process in term of the energy balance, mass conservation and thermal decomposition equations.

Results showed that the average relative errors between the simulated temperatures and experimental values of back surfaces of coated fabric 1, 2 and 3 were 10.01, 7.53 and 7.32%, respectively. The average density of silicone resin of coated fabric 1 was reduced by 47.96%, and the closer the distance from the heated surface was, the more the density decreased. The thermal conductivity and specific heat capacity of silicone resin of coated fabric 1 increased with time. Before 50 s, each decomposition rate curve showed an inflection point, at which the silicone resin decomposed most intensely.

Based on experimental observations, the ablative behavior of the material with fixed expansion layer was simulated. In the further research, the moving expansion layer could be considered.

This paper provides the theoretical basis to evaluate the effectiveness of thermal protection materials that will swell during ablation.

The purpose of this paper is to develop a coated glass fiber fabric which can be used as the outer shell of firefighters' protective clothing and replace aramid fabric.

The silicone resin with excellent heat resistance was selected as the base solution. Silica nanoparticles, mica powder and ferric oxide were added into the coating solution, which was coated on the glass fiber fabrics. The vertical burning, thermal protective performance (TPP) value, second-degree burn time and water repellency of the coated fabrics were characterized.

Results showed that the dosages of the thickening filler were in the range 4%–6%; the coating solution has good viscosity. The optimal composition of fillers added in the silicone resin is silica nanoparticles 6%, ferric oxide 5% and mica powder 6%. The TPP value of the optimum coated fabric is 413 kW·s/m². The second-degree burn time is 4.98 s, which is obviously higher than that of the original glass fiber fabric (3.49 s) and that of the aramid fabric (3.82 s). The coated fabric has better thermal stability than aramid fabric.

The production cost of this coated glass fiber fabric was much lower than that of the aramid fabric.

Self-cleaning surfaces have received a great deal of attention recently, both in theoretical studies and commercial applications. Lotus flowers are a symbol of purity in Asian cultures; even though they grow in muddy waters, they remain clean and uncontaminated. The “self-cleaning” surface of their leaves is hydrophobic and rough, showing a micro- and nano-scale morphology. The micro-reliefs of lotus leaves are mimicked by using polyvinylidene fluoride (PVDF) film and the nano-scale peaks on top of the micro-reliefs are implemented by a reaction between CH₃SiCl₃ and the reactive groups of the PVDF film treated by oxygen plasma. A lotus leaf-like surface of the PVDF film is clearly observed by scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and atomic force microscopy (AFM). Elemental composition analysis by x-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) reveals that the material of the nanostructure of the PVDF film is polymethylsiloxane. The superhydrophobic property of the mimicked self-cleaning surface is validated by the water contact and sliding angles on the lotus leaf-like PVDF film, which are 165°and 4°, respectively. In this case, water drops can easily move off the PVDF surface, carrying dust away and leaving a clean surface