Modeling and Analyzing for Thermal Protection of Firefighters’ Glove by Phase Change Material

Details

• Personal Author:
  Pollard J ; Xu SS ; Zhao W
• Description:
  Firefighter injures caused by burns and thermal stress occupies around 5%-10% of the total injuries annually. Glove is the thinnest/weakest components among the firefighter turnout gear, which can put firefighters, are at risk of severe wrist and hand burns during fire calls. Burns can occur quickly and enhancing the thermal protective performance of firefighters' gloves will prevent these burns. One-dimensional (1D) heat transfer modeling and simulations were performed through the COMSOL Multiphysics software to investigate the improvement of thermal protective performance when integrating a Phase Change Material (PCM) layer into a conventional structural firefighting glove. Parametric studies were conducted to explore the effects of PCM thermal properties, layer thickness, and location in glove structure on hand protection. It was found that a PCM with a higher density, specific heat, and latent heat of fusion had a larger heat capacity and thermal inertia, resulting in better thermal protective performance. The optimum melting point of PCM was found to be in the range of 80 degrees C-140 degrees C. A PCM layer with a thickness of 0.5 mm-1.0 mm showed sufficient thermal protection. The location of the PCM layer should be close to the inner glove surface for high-heat situations. Overall, modeling suggests that the addition of a PCM layer could significantly enhance the thermal protective performance of firefighters' gloves, with results showing increased time (2-4 times as long) for skin to reach second-degree burn temperature when compared to the conventional glove without PCM. [Description provided by NIOSH]
• Subjects:
  Burns Firefighters Occupational Health Personal Protective Equipment Protective Clothing Safety Temperature Textile Industry
• Keywords:
  1D Heat Transfer Modeling And Simulations Author Keywords: Structural Firefighting Gloves Fire Fighters Gloves Hand Protection Materials Testing Novel Material PPE Protective Clothing Textiles Thermal Effects Thermal Protective Performance

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• ISSN:
  2684-3269
• Document Type:
  Text
• Genre:
  Journal Article
• Place as Subject:
  OSHA Region 3 ; OSHA Region 6 ; Pennsylvania ; Texas
• 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:
  118-127
• Volume:
  12
• Issue:
  2
• NIOSHTIC Number:
  nn:20066705
• Citation:
  J Environ Occup Health 2022 Mar; 12(2):118-127
• Contact Point Address:
  Susan S. Xu, Department of Occupational Safety and Health, National Personal Protective Technology Laboratory, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA
• Email:
  mxu9@cdc.gov
• Federal Fiscal Year:
  2022
• NORA Priority Area:
  Public Safety
• Peer Reviewed:
  True
• Source Full Name:
  Journal of Environmental and Occupational Health
• Collection(s):
  National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health
• Main Document Checksum:
  urn:sha-512:d803819c3afa15136a96ddfba97c84e9df6d7c328e053d5dc1fcb0663cbe4a2618fc2f8dab108c223e5d1f00bcda0cb06148d9a156417131ed7213918b6e6e50
• Download URL:
  https://stacks.cdc.gov/view/cdc/230867/cdc_230867_DS1.pdf
• File Type:
  [PDF - 1.19 MB ]