Next-Generation Textiles: Advancements in Functional Polymers for Sustainable, Smart and Health-Enhancing Fabrics
Date: May 31, 2024
The role of textiles in occupational safety and health is pivotal, especially in the domain of personal protective equipment (PPE). Across diverse fields such as healthcare, the oil and gas industry, extreme weather operations, firefighting, and military service, the demand for advanced textiles that can provide enhanced protection against specific occupational hazards is increasing. These hazards range from exposure to harmful particulates and toxic gases in firefighting to biological threats in healthcare settings, and extreme environmental conditions faced by military personnel. The effectiveness of PPE, including garments, gloves, and masks, depends significantly on the functional properties of the textiles used in their construction.
This Special Issue "Next-Generation Textiles: Advancements in Functional Polymers for Sustainable, Smart and Health-Enhancing Fabrics," invites researchers to contribute original research articles, reviews, and case studies on the latest developments in functional polymers for textiles. The focus is on innovative materials that offer smart solutions, such as self-decontaminating surfaces, temperature regulation, and improved mechanical durability, while also prioritizing sustainability and environmental friendliness. Contributions may explore the synthesis and application of novel polymeric materials in textiles, advancements in nanotechnology and biotechnology for textile enhancement, and the development of smart fabrics that respond to environmental stimuli with applications in occupational safety and health.
Summertime is Heating Up
Date: May 31, 2024
As summer weather starts to heat up and people are spending time out in the sun, the question of what to wear becomes prevalent. There are many factors to consider when looking for the perfect ensemble from fabric to fit to the accessories that you choose. Dr. Guowen Song gave his expertise on the subject, advocating for people to consider how their clothing choice will aid the evaporation process as it will help them stay cool. The TIME article further details the different avenues that a person can look at when dressing for the heat, including the need to consider every layer that is added even down to your undergarments. To read more of the article, click here.
Frontiers Research Topic: Challenges and Emerging Issues on Firefighter’s Toxic Chemical Exposure
Written by Karthika Suresh Kumar
Research Focus: Firefighter Health and Hazard Mitigation
This study addresses critical aspects of firefighter health, focusing on:
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Mechanisms: Investigating contamination mechanisms, effective decontamination, and prevention strategies.
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Chemical Characterization: Examining smoke chemicals, including PFAS, and their impact on PPE contamination.
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Decontamination Effectiveness: Assessing the effectiveness of decontamination protocols to minimize health risks.
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PPE Interaction and Health Effects: Understanding how contaminants interact with PPE systems and their effects on firefighter safety and health.
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New Technologies: Exploring innovative technologies for improved understanding and prevention of hazardous exposures.
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Applications and Control Measures: Studying practical applications and control measures to safeguard firefighters from long-term health risks.
Date: May 16, 2024
In the tearoom, students avoid burning things — a stark contrast to the fiery experiments conducted in Guowen Song’s teaching and research labs. As the Noma Scott Lloyd Chair in Textiles and Clothing and professor in apparel, events, and hospitality management, Song oversees a team of researchers developing protective clothing primarily for health care workers and firefighters.
Song’s research has garnered national attention and millions in funding from federal agencies. Among other projects, he is leading a multi-university team of scientists developing next-generation personal protective equipment (PPE) for health care workers. The project is supported by a $1.8 million grant from the Centers for Disease Control.
Mazyar Etemadzadeh, a graduate student in apparel, events, and hospitality management, read about Song’s work and immediately “wanted to join his research group to improve PPE.”
Recent epidemics — COVID-19 and raging wildfires, specifically — have elevated pressing challenges in occupational health and safety. Song and his team are addressing such concerns, developing groundbreaking fabrics that better protect workers from harmful toxins. Imagine nurses wearing PPE that kills viruses on contact; or firefighters in uniforms that block exposure to toxins that put them at risk for cancer.
FDIC International 2024
Date: May 16, 2024
With over 35,000 attendees and 800 exhibitors, FDIC International is an expansive conference that focuses on firefighters and fire service. During this conference, the NexGenPPT team traveled to Indianapolis where they were able to collect data and talk to key stakeholders about our AI-SAFEHAND initiative. Photos and 3D scans of firefighters were taken by Dr. Rui Li, Yulin Wu, Fan Zhou, Badrinath Balasubramaniam, and Leslee Weible (ISU doctoral students) alongside Tse-Hsun Kuo (University of Minnesota master’s student) during the exhibition event. The data was collected utilizing the University of Minnesota’s handheld 3D scanner and a scanner developed by ISU’s High Dimensional Optical Sensing Laboratory (HDOSL) and operated by Badrinath Balasubramaniam. Interacting with firefighters and fire service organizations brings light to the impact that this research will have on the community and highlights the importance of continued work within this field.
Fire Industry Education Resource Organization (FIERO) 2024
Date: May 16, 2024
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The NexGenPPT team traveled to the Fire Industry Education Resource Organization (FIERO) PPE Symposium from March 17-20th. This symposium focuses on educating the community about research and current fire service practices, bringing awareness to the hazards and advancements being made to mitigate them. The team was able to attend many of these sessions and learn more about the hazards and research endeavors that are prevalent in the fire service industry while finding resources to enhance our own work.
Dr. Rui Li, Dr. Guowen Song and Dr. Mengying Zhang, a postdoctoral researcher, presented AI-SAFEHAND Revolutionizing Gear Selection: An AI App for Gloves. Their presentation covered the challenges surrounding current firefighting gloves and the conference goers’ perception of the as well as ISU’s current grant funded project, an initiative creating an app that will use AI to take a photo and help the firefighter using the app to obtain the correct size and fit for their glove. NexGenPPT presented more of their research in another FIERO session, this time focusing on smoke production and its interactions with PPE. Dr. Rui Li and Dr. Guowen Song were joined by Yulin Wu, an ISU doctoral candidate, to present their findings around PPE contamination, decontamination, and the creation of consistent smoke for research. These presentations helped to inform and bolster attendees to seek further information and participate in research at the NexGenPPT booth. ISU Ph.D. students, Fan Zhou and Leslee Weible, and University of Minnesota Masters student, Tse-Hsun Kuo, utilized the exhibition time given at FIERO to collect hand images and 3D scans to help inform the development of the AI-SAFEHAND app.
Overall, FIERO provided vital insights into research within the industry and allowed for strong connections to be made that will further current and future research endeavors.
Written by Joseph A. Cole, Joel Hewett, M.S.
Date: January 17, 2024
Over the past 20 years, the landscape of threats posed to U.S. forces by chemical and biological (CB) weapons agents has grown in both complexity and scope. While the CB protective overgarments currently issued to Warfighters are routinely improved upon and updated, they remain bulky, are cumbersome to wear, impose a high level of thermal strain on the wearer, and reflect decades-old technology. This state-of-the-art report surveys recent innovations made by government, military, academic, and commercial entities in producing the next generation of CB protective clothing, namely using a class of “functionalized materials” known as metal-organic frameworks. This report particularly outlines a line of innovation that has resulted in the testing of a CB protective ensemble that can be worn as a standard duty uniform, not a bulky overgarment, helping to unencumber the Warfighter from the added thermal strain and weight burden.
Building on NASA’s Storied History
Written by Janet Preus and Cathy Jones
Date: November 27, 2023
NASA has a long history of backing the research necessary to deliver fabrics that could withstand the extraordinary rigors of Space. Evelyne Orndoff is the Soft Goods Development and Testing Lead, Crew and Thermal Systems Division, for NASA. In her presentation at the Emerging Technologies Conference at ATA’s Expo, she discussed these historical fabrics, explaining how and why some are still in use, and some are not.
Faced with its current challenge—the South Pole of the Moon—the agency is looking for the next generation of history-making fabrics. About the Moon’s South Pole, Orndoff says, “This is the worst place to go. Nothing is round. [The regolith] is like glass, and it’s sharp down to the micron scale.” [...]
Research Presentation at the 2023 ITAA Conference
Written by Karthika Suresh Kumar
Date: November 9, 2023
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Bahar Hashemian Esfahani, a third-year Ph.D. student in Apparel, Merchandising, and Design at Iowa State University, under the support and mentorship of Dr. Song and Dr. Rui Li, presented her groundbreaking research on "Evaluating Radiant Heat Resistance for Firefighters' Hood Materials" at the 2023 International Textile and Apparel Association (ITAA) conference in Baltimore, Maryland.
Bahar's research investigated the effects of sweating and moisture absorption on burn injuries in firefighter hood materials, employing a specially designed Sweat Simulation RPP tester. The results revealed that moisture content and active sweating reduced radiant heat protection compared to dry conditions. Increasing moisture content from 40% to 80% led to a significant rise in heat transfer in both materials, resulting in diminished protection. Surprisingly, increased active sweating from 5g to 10g resulted in decreased heat transfer and enhanced protection for firefighters. This research marks a significant step toward developing improved firefighter hoods, ensuring enhanced protection and comfort.
Congratulations to Bahar for her impactful presentation and dedication to advancing in-depth studies on improving firefighter hoods for enhanced comfort and protection!
Written by Karthika Suresh Kumar
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AESHM warmly welcomed the Ames Quilt Guild and ISU Block Builders to Iowa State University on Friday, the 13th, offering an engaging and informative tour of our innovative work and dynamic workspaces. The day commenced with a presentation by Dr. Linda Niehm, providing insights into the department's remarkable growth. Subsequently, the group delved into the intricacies of current textile research led by Dr. Chunhui Xiang and Dr. Rui Li. A delightful meal in the Tea Room provided the perfect setting to digest the newfound knowledge.
Post-lunch activities included an extensive tour of three labs: the DATs Lab, Comfort Lab, and Hazards Lab. Participants witnessed the diverse array of tools and equipment available at AESHM, from industrial sewing machines for hands-on learning to hazard simulation capabilities and comfort-testing apparatuses like thermal manikins.
The tour culminated in two distinct experiences, with some members venturing to the renowned ISU Creamery while others concluded their visit at the Student Innovation Center. Here, attendees could explore the meticulously designed workshops and spaces tailored to foster student success in academic and personal endeavors. Notably, the visit showcased two student-run AESHM initiatives, the Sparks Café and Innovate 1858, serving as vibrant hubs for creative innovation and collaboration.
Seed Grant Awarded
June 20, 2023
Dr. Mengying Zhang, a postdoctoral fellow in the Department of Apparel, Events, and Hospitality Management, mentored by Dr. Guowen Song, has been awarded the 2023 Postdoctoral Seed Grant Award from Iowa State University. These grants provide postdoctoral scholars research funding in the role of a principal investigator while giving them an opportunity to develop independent research.
Dr. Zhang's research project focuses on developing an automatic hand anthropometric measurement tool using artificial intelligence (AI). This AI-based approach aims to improve the accuracy of hand measurements by reducing the potential for human error and decreasing the time and effort typically required for data collection. The tool will help compile detailed hand size data across various fields, supporting research that leads to better-fitting and more ergonomic gloves, tools, and equipment, enhancing occupational safety and work efficiency. The techniques developed could also be adapted for measuring other body parts, improving the overall fit and performance of personal protective equipment.
Congratulations to Dr. Zhang on her award and the promising work ahead.
Iowa Board of Regents Visit
Written by Billie Flaming
Last week our team hosted Board of Regents Member JC Risewick in a lab tour of our facilities. Every year, members of the Board of Regents meet with faculty to gain a better appreciation of the various roles faculty have at Iowa State University and establish connections with faculty. This also allowed the LABS to showcase the programs, research, and notable activities present at the university.
Regent Risewick was able to tour two different labs and have a conversation with Dr. Song and other team members about our work researching personal protective technology and equipment, as well as our plans for the future. The next generation of PPT is just ahead, and we're looking forward to sharing it and making the world a safer, more prepared place for workers across industries.
Internationally Distinguished Speaker
Written by Billie Flaming
The third International Conference on Functional Textiles and Clothing took place in New Delhi, India February 2023, and NexGenPPE's Dr. Guowen Song was honored as a distinguished speaker for the event. The only speaker based in either of the Americas, Dr. Song joins leaders from across the globe as they drive developments in the field of textile materials as well as the apparel production process, bringing the next generation of PPE ever closer to the present.
NexGenPPE at the FIERO Symposium
Written by Billie Flaming
Firefighters' capacity to do their job well is deeply related to their PPE and how safe they are when entering dangerous environments. The practices around contamination and decontamination and protective glove fit are the center of NexGenPPE's funded grants. Attending the FIERO 2023 Conference allowed our team to discuss and learn from fire service members directly about these issues.
The Fire Industry Education Resource Organization had many presenters, and our own Dr. Rui Li presented two different sessions to firefighters and members in the industry. He introduced the basis of NexGenPPE's research and plans for the future and our continued relationships with FEMA, NIOSH, and fire departments around the country. His presentations were well received, and the team was able to connect further with the conference attendees at the NexGenPPE exhibitor's booth.
The exhibitor's booth gave our team the chance to introduce our research and also father data. Bringing along our handheld 3D scanner, we were able to get three-dimensional scans of firefighter's hands, valuable pieces of data to have as our glove fit project moves forward. Postdoctoral researchers Mengying Zhang, and Fan Zhou and Ph.D. students Bahar Hashemian Esfahani, Farhad Aghasi, Karthika Suresh Kumar, and Yulin Wu, all attended the conference and took the time to connect with fire service members and gather high-quality hand scans.
The connections we made, and things we learned at the FIERO Symposium will have a strong impact as we move forward with our research and will keep the firefighters, the end users and beneficiaries of this research, as the foundation of why we continue to learn and better this field of study.
Startup Factory
The NexGenPPE team recently completed a semester of study and learning as a part of Startup Factory, graduating with the rest of Cohort XII. The team gained skills in business management and valuable insights they will carry forward in their continued research and collaborations with industry leaders and collaborators.
The NexGenPPE team is accepting proposals for their yearly seed grant of $10,000. The last recipient of the seed grant was Dr. Rachel Eike, whose work on smart socks was impressive and valuable for filling knowledge gaps in the PPE area. More than one proposal can be submitted.
The deadline is 5:00 pm on Tuesday, December 20, 2022.
Submit Now!
Our goal is to secure and improve the quality of life through research that promotes an understanding of disaster risk exposure, sensitivity to hazards created by extreme weather conditions, and the adaptive capacity of the PPE.
Know More...
NexGenPPE Takes Next Steps in Las Vegas
Written by Billie Flaming
This October, the NexGenPPE team attended the American Chemical Society's Western Regional meeting in Las Vegas, Nevada. Several team members presented at the conference and attended the various panels, growing their connections and understanding of this important pillar of science in the field of PPE.
Along with attending the conference, the team also visited ECMS, a Verified Independent Service Provider (ISP) who cleans, inspects, and repairs firefighter turn-out gear in accordance with NFPA 1851, the guiding standards that direct the care of firefighter's PPE. The team was given a tour of the facilities and was able to ask questions about the cleaning process as it currently works within the ECMS system. The lessons learned by our team are detailed below.
1. The fire departments are the ones who decide when to send contaminated PPE in for cleaning. As such, there are few similarities between different firehouses in the frequency of cleaning and repairs.
2. The moisture barrier is washed with the thermal liner to maintain the integrity of the garment's shape.
3. ECMS uses conventional wet cleaning to balance cost, efficiency, and personal training.
4. An experienced worker determines the specific cleaning program for each gear set according to their assessment of the PPE's contamination level.
5. There is a concern for the ECMS team about the working environment's exposure to chemicals, detergents, and harmful particles from the PPE.
6. PPE cleaning is a heavy-labor business relying on wet cleaning methods; new clean techniques such as ultra-sonication or liquid CO2 are not widely accepted due to the cost and time-consuming nature of the techniques.
7. Currently verification method from NFPA 1851 can support the cleaning efficiency for a limited representative level. It can also provide contaminant removal based on data. However, physical methods to prepare contaminated samples are limited by smoke-lacking simulation and the selection of representative chemicals.
8. ECMS passes the NFPA 1851 for inspection, cleaning, drying, and repair functions. They not only return clean PPE to different fire departments but also know about PPE maintenance and contamination to increase the understanding of danger within a smoky fire situation.
It was valuable for the NexGenPPE team to see first-hand the methods and challenges currently facing the people who live with the borders drawn by the NFPA 1851 standard. As our team looks to the future and next generations of standards, it is important to keep in mind the fire safety personnel who will be wearing the PPE and the safety of the professionals tasked with its cleaning and repair.
Frontiers Special Issue
September 2, 2022
Dr. Guowen Song is taking part as a key editor for an upcoming special collection for Frontiers in Materials, entitled “Challenges and Emerging Issues on Firefighter’s Toxic Chemical Exposure: Smoke Chemicals, Contaminated PPE, and Off-gassing”.
Toxic chemicals, either from fire ground combustion, contaminated PPE, or off-gassing from PPE material and chemical finishing, have become the leading concern for the long-term health of firefighters. Exposure to fine smoke particles and toxic chemicals released from fire scenes can result in cancer, cardiovascular disease, and other pathological diseases, and minimizing this exposure has become a health priority for the firefighter. Firefighters face exposure to smoke at fire grounds and contaminants in fire stations, vehicles, and even their homes because of resuspended fine particles or released volatile chemicals from contaminated PPE, and our work will not only investigate this but also work to develop PPE that does not have these hazards built into the protective gear.
If you want to learn more about the collection, you may do so here: https://www.frontiersin.org/research-topics/39016/
ISU Related
Seed Grant Awarded
June 21, 2022
Dr. Ankit Joshi, a member of NexGenPPE's multidisciplinary team, is the recipient of the 2022 Postdoctoral Seed Grant Award. Congratulations, Dr. Joshi!
The aim of Dr. Joshi's research project is to develop the 3D multi-segment hand posture thermoregulation (3D-MHPT) model. The developed 3D-MHPT model will provide innovative pathways for designing and development of Next Generation (NexGen) personal protective equipment (PPE). PPE, such as gloves play a critical role in protection against exposure to extreme and hazardous environments and health issues related to it. For this specific project, we are focused on hand protection because hands are extremely vulnerable to cold weather injuries (CWI) and hand-arm vibration syndrome (HAVS) due to the nature of their anatomical geometry, anthropometry, and thermal physiology. One of the key components of 3D-MHPT model development is validating it through lab experiments and human trials.
Best wishes to Dr. Joshi's project and innovative work.
PhD Candidate
December 14, 2021
Yulin Wu is a PhD candidate of Iowa State's AESHM department, with research interests focused on the characterization of combustion emissions as well as the development of a contamination simulator. His current experiments involve utilizing a cone calorimeter and sampling contaminants with chemical analysis techniques.
Yulin intends to develop his preliminary work on combustion emissions through a contamination simulator. This simulator will be very helpful in estimating the effects of different PPE designs and decontamination methods on measure of protective performance.
Congratulations, Yulin!
Iowa Public Radio Spotlight
November 25, 2021
Dr. Guowen Song leads a team to redesign personal protective equipment. He says the pandemic has shed light on the need for PPE to be more comfortable, reusable, and safer.
Grant for improving PPE for health care workers
November 3, 2021
The team, led by Guowen Song, a professor and the Noma Scott Lloyd Chair in Textiles and Clothing at Iowa State University, received a $1.8 million grant from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention to support the work. Song says the COVID-19 pandemic has exposed weaknesses in current PPE systems, which is why the team will focus on developing biological self-decontaminating fabrics to protect against live pathogens.
PPE Books Published
Our team was involved in the recent publications of three books, each covering a different aspect of PPE, including comfort, thermal protection, and the gear and equipment used to protect firefighters.
This collection shows the current state of PPE as well as tackling the knowledge gap facing this industry.
Industry Related
NFPA Research Foundation Seminar
February 17, 2022
Dr. Bryan Ormond and Dr. Arjunsing Girase from North Carolina State University presented a seminar on "Enhanced PPE Cleaning to Reduce Firefighter Exposure to Carcinogens"
Oct 30, 2018
Studies have shown that firefighter turnout gear and PPE that gets coated with toxic agents from the fireground can continue to transfer and off-gas contaminants long after the incident has ended. This article follows firefighter gear from contamination, through doffing, transport and cleaning to identify potential areas for exposure in the gear contamination cycle.
Mar 7, 2018
Potential NFPA revisions propose more frequent cleaning of any firefighter gear worn at an active fire