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Nonwoven fabrics are widely used for thermal insulation and sound absorption purpose in construction and automobile fields. It is essential to investigate their thermal conductivity and sound absorption coefficient. Five cross-laid nonwoven fabrics are measured on the Alambeta device and Brüel & Kjær impedance tube. Bogaty and Bhattacharyya models are selected to predict the thermal conductivity, and Voronina and Miki models are used to predict the sound absorption coefficient. The predicted thermal conductivity shows a significant difference compared with the measured values. It is concluded that Bogaty and Bhattacharyya models are not suitable for high porous nonwoven fabric. In addition, the results of Voronina and Miki models for sound absorption prediction are acceptable, but Voronina model shows lower mean prediction error compared with Miki model. The results indicate that Voronina model can be used to predict the sound absorption of cross-laid nonwoven fabric.

Thermal performance of aerogel-embedded polyester/polyethylene nonwoven fabrics in cross airflow was experimentally studied by using a laboratory-built dynamic heat transfer measuring device in which the fabric could be applied on a heating rod. Experiments were performed with different airflow velocities and heating conditions. The temperature–time histories of different materials were collected and compared. The temperature difference and convective heat transfer coefficient under continuous heating were analyzed and discussed. Results showed that under preheated conditions, the aerogel-embedded nonwoven fabrics had very small decrease in temperature and good ability to prevent against heat loss in cross flow. As for the continuous heating conditions, the heat transfer rate of each material showed an increasing trend with increase in the Reynolds number. The aerogel-treated nonwoven fabric with the least fabric thickness and aerogel content delivered a significantly increased heat transfer rate at higher Reynolds number. Thicker fabrics with higher aerogel content could provide better insulation ability in cross flow.

Nonwoven fabrics are widely used for thermal insulation and sound absorption purpose in construction and automobile fields. It is essential to investigate their thermal conductivity and sound absorption coefficient. Five cross-laid nonwoven fabrics are measured on the Alambeta device and Brüel & Kjær impedance tube. Bogaty and Bhattacharyya models are selected to predict the thermal conductivity, and Voronina and Miki models are used to predict the sound absorption coefficient. The predicted thermal conductivity shows a significant difference compared with the measured values. It is concluded that Bogaty and Bhattacharyya models are not suitable for high porous nonwoven fabric. In addition, the results of Voronina and Miki models for sound absorption prediction are acceptable, but Voronina model shows lower mean prediction error compared with Miki model. The results indicate that Voronina model can be used to predict the sound absorption of cross-laid nonwoven fabric. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper presents the preparation of aerogel/polytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE) microporous materials via needleless electrospray technique, by using an aqueous dispersion of polytetrafluoroethylene as the basic spinning liquid. Different contents of aerogel powders were applied to the spinning liquid for electrospraying to investigate the effect on the structural characteristics and various properties of the materials. Cross-section, surface morphology, and particle size distribution of the electrosprayed materials were examined. Surface roughness, hydrophobicity, and thermal conductivity were evaluated and discussed. The results showed that the electrosprayed aerogel/PTFE layers were compact and disordered stacking structures composed of spherical particles with a rough surface. As the aerogel content increased, the electrosprayed materials demonstrated increased surface roughness and improved surface hydrophobicity with a contact angle up to 147.88°. In addition, the successful achievement of thermal conductivity as low as 0.024 (W m−1 K−1) indicated a superior ability of the prepared aerogel/PTFE composites to prevent heat transfer. This study contributes to the field of development of aerogel/PTFE composites via electrospray technique, providing enhanced final performance for potential use as thermal and moisture barriers in textiles or electronic devices. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]