Design and Preparation of Porous Meta-Aramid Fibers Filled with Highly Exposed Activated Carbon for Chemical Hazard Protection Fabrics

Chemical hazard protection safety and wear comfort of chemical protective clothing (CPC) are vital for the chemical personnel involved. Unfortunately, low air permeability and poor durability of adsorbate loading from conventional protective textiles coated with porous substances still cause tremendous threats to health and reduce working efficiency. Herein, to solve these limitations, highly exposed activated carbon (AC) nanoparticles are locked inside the chamber of porous meta-aramid fibers (PMIAs) from physical blending and wet-spinning as well. By controlling the pore parameters of PMIA fibers via adjusting the coagulation conditions (bath temperatures and bath composition) during the nonsolvent phase separation (NIPS) process, not only the inner AC is exposed highly but also the adsorption capability of AC-filled meta-aramid fibers to hazardous gases and corresponding mechanical properties is optimized. The resultant fiber (with 20 wt % AC) demonstrates a high adsorption capacity for benzene (102.26 mg/g), sufficient tensile strength (1.82 cN/dtex), and is recyclable. Finally, the further developed fabric from this composite fiber also offers a higher air permeability (11.4 cm3 s–1 cm–2) and a firmer loading of AC compared to commercial CPC (FFF02). This work should serve as a source of inspiration for improving the comfort and safety of CPC.