Influence of fineness, length and hollow section of fibers on acoustic absorption

A fibrous material is characterized by its fineness, flexibility and high length/fineness ratio and it is used to reduce noise in indoor rooms due to their porous structure. The aim of this work is focused on investigating the structure of two different fibers (acrylic and polyester) from the analysis of the macrostructural parameters, such as fineness, length and cross-section (solid or hollow). Furthermore, the degree of influence of these parameters on the average sound absorption has been investigated. The sound absorption coefficient of fibers is measured at normal incidence in the impedance tube. In acrylic fibers, results showed that the fineness of the fiber has a significant influence on the sound absorption compared to the length of the fiber. In polyester fibers, hollow fibers have a better acoustic behavior compared to solid fibers.

Grafting of Acrylic Membrane Prepared from Fibers Waste for Dyes Removal: Methylene Blue and Congo Red

Dyes are a type of pollutant that have been discharged into water streams by various industries and had harmful effects on the environment and human health. Therefore, present work was directed to recycle acrylic fibers waste to be used as an adsorbent to exclude dyes such as methylene blue (MB) and Congo red (CR) from dyes-polluted wastewater. Acrylic fibers waste was converted into membrane followed by chemical grafting with p-phenylenediamine monomer to form functional modified membranes. Afterwards, some characterization analyses; Fourier transform-infrared, scanning electron microscope, swelling behavior, and porosity properties were performed for the acrylic fiber grafted membrane (AFGM). For obtaining the best conditions that permit the highest adsorption capacity of the AFGM, some preliminary experiments followed by general full factorial design experiments were displayed. Langmuir, Freundlich isotherms and kinetic studies evaluations were applied. Results revealed that, the adsorption capacities of the AFGM were 61% for Methylene blue and 86% for Congo red that stated the high affinity of the AFGM to the anionic dyes. The reusability of the AFGM membranes in different cycles for 3Rs processes “Removal, Recovery, and Re-use” indicated the efficiency of the AFGM to be used in wastewater treatment.

Color-Variable Photodynamic Antimicrobial Wool/Acrylic Blended Fabrics

Towards the goal of developing scalable, economical and effective antimicrobial textiles to reduce infection transmission, here we prepared color-variable photodynamic materials comprised of photosensitizer (PS)-loaded wool/acrylic (W/A) blends. Wool fibers in the W/A blended fabrics were loaded with the photosensitizer rose bengal (RB), and the acrylic fibers were dyed with a variety of traditional cationic dyes (cationic yellow, cationic blue and cationic red) to broaden their color range. Investigations on the colorimetric and photodynamic properties of a series of these materials were implemented through CIELab evaluation, as well as photooxidation and antibacterial studies. Generally, the photodynamic efficacy of these dual-dyed fabrics was impacted by both the choice, and how much of the traditional cationic dye was employed in the dyeing of the W/A fabrics. When compared with the PS-only singly-dyed material, RB-W/A, that showed a 99.97% (3.5 log units; p = 0.02) reduction of Staphylococcus aureus under visible light illumination (λ ≥ 420 nm, 60 min), the addition of cationic dyes led to a slight decrease in the photoinactivation ability of the dual-dyed fabrics, but was still able to achieve a 99.3% inactivation of S. aureus. Overall, our findings demonstrate the feasibility and potential applications of low cost and color variable RB-loaded W/A blended fabrics as effective self-disinfecting textiles against pathogen transmission.

An Overview of Acrylonitrile Production Methods: Comparison of Carbon Fiber Precursors and Marketing

Acrylonitrile is a key precursor in the production of a wide range of products in the chemical industries. The major products of acrylonitrile include acrylonitrile butadiene styrene resin, acrylic fibers, and adiponitrile. The demand for the roduction of acrylonitrile is affected by the global economy but because of the development of living standards; the demand for producing acrylonitrile and its derivations are significantly increasing. So in 2016, China alone produced 32% of the world’s acrylonitrile, and its production is expected to have a 55% increase in 2021. Acrylonitrile and its derivations have wide applications in different industries like car manufacturing, electronics, aerospace, and textile. Considering the importance of the acrylonitrile precursor in the current world, in this study, we discuss and investigate its production processes, the obtained copolymers, and polyacrylonitrile production and its application in the carbon fibers and compare it with other carbon fiber precursors such as mesophase pitch and cellulose. We also focus on its marketing in the world.

Studies of Polylactic Acid and Metal Oxide Nanoparticles-Based Composites for Multifunctional Textile Prints

A novel approach toward the production of multifunctional printed technical textiles is reported. Three different metal oxides nanoparticles including titanium dioxide, magnesium oxide, and zinc oxide were prepared and characterized. Both natural wool and synthetic acrylic fibers were pretreated with the prepared metal oxide nanoparticles followed by printing using polylactic acid based paste containing acid or basic dyestuffs. Another route was applied via post-treatment of the targeted fabrics with the metal oxide nanoparticles after running the printing process. The color strength (K/S) and colorfastness properties of pretreated and post-treated printed fabrics were evaluated and compared with untreated printed fabrics. The presence of nanoparticles on a fabric surface during the coating process was found to significantly increase the color strength value of the coated textile substrates. The increased K/S value depended mainly on the nature and concentration of the applied metal oxide, as well as the nature of colorant and fabric. In addition, the applied metal oxide nanoparticles imparted the printed fabrics with good antibacterial activity, high ultraviolet protection, photocatalytic self-cleaning, and improved colorfastness properties. Those results suggest that the applied metal oxide-based nanoparticles could introduce ideal multifunctional prints for garments.