Browsing by Author "Dr. Henry Boyter, Jr., Committee Member"

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Durable and Environmentally Friendly Flame Retardants for Synthetics
(2008-04-27) Andrae, Nathalie Janine; Dr. C. Brent Smith, Committee Co-Chair; Dr. Kristin Thoney, Committee Member; Dr. Peter J. Hauser, Committee Co-Chair; Dr. Henry Boyter, Jr., Committee Member
Flame retardants are critical to textiles by impeding and suppressing flame resulting in protection to both life and property. However, over the years the environmental and health concerns surrounding the use of halogenated flame retardants has increased. The resulting legislation and debates have made it important to look for alternatives. The main objective of the research was to find suitable substitutions for brominated flame retardants on synthetic textiles. The effectiveness of the treatment to reduce char length and the effect of the treatments on the physical properties (i.e. stiffness, tear strength) of the substrates were analyzed. The research focuses on the application of non-halogenated flame retardants applied to four synthetic substrates: a polyester woven, a polyester⁄nylon nonwoven, a nylon knit, and an acrylic woven. Ten commercially available, alternative flame retardants, nine of which were phosphorus based, were padded onto the substrates. A vertical burn test was applied, and the resulting char lengths were used to identify the most promising flame retardants. The selected flame retardants were reapplied and the samples underwent 10 and 25 wash cycles. The vertical burn test was used to determine the effectiveness and durability of the flame retardants after the various wash intervals. The ICP analysis method was used to establish the amount of phosphorus available in the flame retardant chemicals and on the treated substrates. The research found that several phosphorus based treatments were effective for the polyester substrate and that one treatment was effective on nylon. Statistical analysis demonstrated that the brominated flame retardant used to treat the polyester statistically worked better than several of the non-halognated treatments at the low wash cycles but not at the high wash cycles. The non-halogenated flame retardants padded on the acrylic and nonwoven substrates were unsuccessful in reducing the char length.
An Evaluation of Anoxic/Aerobic Treatment for the Removal of Chemical Oxygen Demand and Fiber Reactive Azo Dye Color
(2005-04-26) Pisczek, Jaime Christine; Dr. David Hinks, Committee Member; Dr. Henry Boyter, Jr., Committee Member; Dr. Brent Smith, Committee Chair; Dr. Gary Smith, Committee Member
Textile dye effluent is mainly characterized by salts, organic matter, and color and the color of water discharged by manufacturing locations may be regulated. Industry is constantly searching for more effective and economical methods for meeting these regulations. The standard method of treating textile wastes uses aerobic microorganisms to cost effectively decompose organic waste. This process is ineffective in removing color related to azo dyes. Fiber reactive azo dyes, which represent a significant market portion, were chosen for investigation in this study and four hydrolyzed dyestuffs were utilized, containing C. I. Reactive Red 198, Yellow 86, Black 5, and Violet 5. This research investigated the effectiveness of a sequential anoxic/aerobic treatment process for the removal of chemical oxygen demand (COD) and fiber reactive azo dye color from wastewater using a bench-scale treatment system. The performance of the anoxic/aerobic process was compared to a bench-scale aerobic system, which represented a conventional treatment system. A viable anoxic/aerobic biomass was developed and acclimated to a synthetic influent. Using fully acclimated biomass, kinetic rate studies were performed to determine the percent and rates of COD and color removal by the anoxic/aerobic process and the aerobic control. The rate of COD removal under aerobic conditions was twice the rate under anoxic conditions. The percent COD removal by the anoxic/aerobic process was 95% vs. 97% removal by the aerobic control. The rate of color removal was highest for Reactive Violet 5, followed by Reactive Black 5, Reactive Red 198, and Reactive Yellow 86. For each dye, the degradation rate during the anoxic phase was over ten times the rate during the aerobic phase. The percent color removal by the anoxic phase was five times the removal by the aerobic phase and by the aerobic control. Reactive Yellow 86 exhibited lower color removal and certain structural differences, as compared to the other three dyes studied. This information indicates that certain structural features prevent degradation of a dye under both anoxic and aerobic conditions. In terms of process design, the kinetic rate studies for COD and color removal indicate that the majority of the time in an anoxic/aerobic cycle should be devoted to the anoxic phase, in order to maximize color removal. Since certain products of dye degradation have been identified as toxic, the toxicity removal of the anoxic/aerobic system must be investigated before specific design recommendations can be made.
Factors Affecting Perceived Comfort of Selected Flame Retardant Cotton/Nylon Work Wear Fabrics
(2010-04-27) Jackson, Cass Farley; Dr. Rong Liu, Committee Co-Chair; Dr. Roger L. Barker, Committee Chair; Dr. Henry Boyter, Jr., Committee Member
Garment level tests show that wear comfort of a set of FR Cotton/Nylon fabrics is most influenced by perceived tactile sensation rather than by differences in breathability or moisture management. Tactile properties are associated with measurable fabric mechanical properties pertaining to stretch and flexibility. Environmental temperature and humidity is shown to be a strong influence on wear comfort. Despite measured differences in fabric air permeability in laboratory tests, these differences did not translate into differences in comfort perception for this set of work wear shirts in the wear trial. This study indicates that the sweating plate and instrumental manikin results related to heat loss are more indicative of human comfort response than measures of air permeability and moisture vapor transmission of these materials.