Three-Dimensional Heat and Moisture Transfer Analysis for Thermal Protection of Firefighters’ Gloves with Phase Change Materials

Details

• Personal Author:
  Pollard J ; Xu SS ; Zhao W
• Description:
  Transient three-dimensional (3D) heat and moisture transfer simulations were conducted to analyze the thermal performances of the entire phase change material (PCM) integrated into firefighters' gloves. PCM was broken down into several segments to cover the back and palm of the hand but to avoid finger joints to keep hand functions. Parametric studies were performed to explore the effects of PCM melting temperatures, PCM locations in the glove and PCM layer thicknesses on the overall thermal performance improvement of firefighters' gloves. The study found that PCM segments could extend the time for hand skin surfaces (areas covered or not covered by PCM) to reach second-degree burn injury (60 degrees C) by 1.5-2 times compared to conventional firefighters' gloves without PCM. Moreover, PCM segments could help mitigate the temperature increase on hand skin and glove surface after fire exposure. [Description provided by NIOSH]
• Subjects:
  Firefighters Occupational Health Personal Protective Equipment Safety Textile Industry
• Keywords:
  3D Heat Transfer Modeling 3D Heat Transfer Simulations Author Keywords: Structural Firefighters' Gloves Fire Fighters Gloves Heat Exchange Phase Change Material Protective Equipment Textiles Thermal Properties Thermal Protective Performance

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• ISSN:
  1080-3548
• Document Type:
  Text
• Genre:
  Journal Article
• Place as Subject:
  Dallas Region [OSHA] ; Oklahoma ; Pennsylvania ; Philadelphia Region [OSHA]
• CIO:
  National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH)
• Division:
  NPPTL - National Personal Protective Technology Laboratory
• Topic:
  Workplace Safety & Health
• Location:
  North America
• Pages in Document:
  214-230
• Volume:
  31
• Issue:
  1
• NIOSHTIC Number:
  nn:20070369
• Citation:
  Int J Occup Saf Ergon 2025 Mar; 31(1):214-230
• Email:
  mxu9@cdc.gov
• Federal Fiscal Year:
  2025
• Peer Reviewed:
  True
• Source Full Name:
  International Journal of Occupational Safety and Ergonomics
• Collection(s):
  National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health
• Main Document Checksum:
  urn:sha-512:03b0523c80560309980c7e5225bca5a11369b69d29597398e7f44431d5b8f1b592fa0652030a7d8c9c39b3ea7cdb0b282c2d76fd7defef4c76890495fd308db6
• Download URL:
  https://stacks.cdc.gov/view/cdc/208600/cdc_208600_DS1.pdf
• File Type:
  [PDF - 6.81 MB ]