Hohenstein Institute leads new research on protective clothing for welders

In a joint German Federation of Industrial Research Associations (AiF) research project, the Deutsches Textilforschungszentrum Nord-West gGmbH (DTNW) in Krefeld and the Hohenstein Institute in Boennigheim studied new finishes for protective clothing for welders that would be repellent to splashes of molten metal.

The goal was to improve the protective effect and the comfort, while retaining resistance to washing in industrial textile care conditions. Existing protective clothing for welders typically consists of tightly woven cotton material that has a high weight per unit area and poor breathability. The splashes of molten metal that occur during welding can be at temperatures higher than 1600°C, damaging the fibers of the protective clothing. The heavier the fabric, the more effective the barrier against molten metal; however, the heavy, stiff materials that are used are not comfortable for welders to wear.

The researchers investigated the effect of coatings based on inorganic-organic hybrid polymers and the use of hollow microspheres and ground carbon fiber as additives in organic coatings. As well as improving the protective effect, they also demonstrated that the newly-developed finishes do not affect the wearing comfort of the fabric.

Source: Hohenstein Institute