No description available.

No description available.

No description available.

No description available.

The safety of healthcare workers (HCW) has become a serious concern; therefore, a need for protection against bacterial penetration and transmission is realized. The purpose of this research is to examine whether antibacterial finishes can effectively reduce the presence of bacteria that have the potential for penetration and transmission on healthcare workers uniforms (HCWU). The specific objective of this research is to compare the antibacterial properties (i.e., bacterial reduction), two descriptive properties (i.e., fabric weight, fabric thickness), and one durability property (i.e., breaking strength loss due to abrasion) of a 65/35% polyester/cotton blend fabric treated with two commercially available antibacterial agents (i.e., 3-trimethoxysilylpropyldimethyloctadecyl ammonium chloride) or AEGIS Microbeshield, (AMS) and polyhexamethylene biguanide (PHMB) or Reputexâ · before laundering and after 5, 10, and 25 laundering cycles. The independent variables were the treatments (i.e., AMS, PHMB, no treatment) and the laundering cycles (i.e., 0, 5, 10, 25). The dependent variables were the four fabric properties: (a) antibacterial properties against Staphylococcus aureus (S. aureus) and Klebsiella pneumoniae (K. pneumoniae) bacteria, (b) fabric weight, (c) fabric thickness, and (d) breaking strength loss due to abrasion. Multiple Analysis of Variance (MANOVA) and Two-way Analysis of Variance (ANOVA) were used to examine the effects of the independent variables and their interaction on each dependent variable. The results showed PHMB treated specimens had a significantly higher log reduction against both S. aureus and K. pneumoniae before laundering and after 5, 10 and 25 laundering cycles than AMS treated specimens and the no treatment specimens. Initially, AMS had some reduction against S. aureus and K. pneumoniae before laundering; however after laundering, the reductions against both bacteria were diminished greatly. As expected, the no treatment specimen had no reduction against S. aureus or K. pneumoniae before and after laundering. The addition of PHMB and AMS increased the fabric weight of 65/35% polyester/cotton fabric and kept the fabric thickness throughout 25 laundering cycles. The untreated specimens became thicker after 25 laundering cycles. In addition, the breaking strength loss due to abrasion indicated that treatments had no effect on fabric strength. In conclusion, adding antibacterial agents do have some influence on bacterial reduction for both Gram-positive and Gram-negative bacteria as well as descriptive properties (i.e., fabric weight, fabric thickness). However, there was no influence on durability property (i.e., breaking strength loss due to abrasion). More studies are needed to test both agents on other types of fabrics such 100% cotton and nonwoven to incorporate more treated HCWU in the marketplace. / Ph. D.

This research has investigated the effects of a dilute urea solution, an acid-simulated perspiration solution, and distilled water on a polyurethane-coated fabric. Investigations were made into the feasibility of using the Glass Plate Method, where treated samples were heated between glass plates and the LaunderOmeter® Method where samples were treated with solutions in an enclosed system in a constant temperature bath. The degradative effects of the solutions, when used with the Glass Plate Method, were measured by flex and surface abrasion and the degradative effects of the solutions, when used with the LaunderOmeter® Method, were measured by surface abrasion. The pH was observed before and after treatments in the LaunderOmeter® . It was found that the urethane film of the test fabric could be completely decomposed with all three solutions when treated at 95°C for six hours in the LaunderOmeter®. However, those samples treated with urea had higher abrasion resistance and appeared less decomposed visually. This was in conflict with reports that the addition of urea to distilled water would increase the rate of hydrolysis, and could be used to simulate perspiration. This is assuming that the effects of the solutions were indeed causing hydrolysis. The LaunderOmeter® Method was found to be more controllable than the Glass Plate Method. Replications of treatments at 72°C for two hours were carried out on the polyurethane synthetic leathers using the LaunderOmeter® Method. Again, the urea-treated samples demonstrated a higher abrasion resistance. Distilled water and the acid-simulated perspiration solution gave comparable results. / Master of Science

This study compared the creasing qualities of two types of 65/35% polyester/cotton broadcloth fabrics. The wash-wear fabric (pink) had been finished by a conventional pre-cure method and the permanent-press fabric (white) by a post-cure or delayed-cure method which requires a final oven-cure after fabrication. Equal numbers of creased and non-creased specimens from both fabrics were evaluated for crease retention, Accelerator abrasion resistance, and breaking strength. These specimens were evaluated in the original form and after one, three, and nine launderings. The crease appearances were rated by a panel of three judges and it was found that all creases of both fabrics whether new or laundered were very similar. The samples for both fabrics were abraded for 0, 1, 1-1/2, and 2 minutes. The wash-wear fabric had significantly better abrasion resistance than did the permanent-press. The initial abrasion, abrasion up to 1 minute in duration; caused greater effects on the original wash-wear and permanent-press samples in relation to breaking strength than did successive abrasion periods. More changes occurred in the first minute of abrasion when the fabric was softened and the cotton fibers were beginning to be abraded or teased. The breaking strengths of the two fabrics were significantly different only at the .05 level which tends to indicate the permanent-press fabric may be weaker than the conventional wash-wear fabric of a similar weight. The laundering cycles tended to cause a decrease in breaking strength of the test specimens. The permanent-press fabric's strength was more affected than was that of the wash-wear fabric. / Master of Science

The union of electronics and textiles to form electronic textiles (e-textiles) provides a promising substrate upon which motion analysis applications can be developed and implemented. Familiarity with clothing allows sensors and computational elements to be naturally integrated into garments such that wearability and usability is preserved. The dynamics of the human body and the wide variety of sensor and processing choices render the typical prototype-based design methodology prohibitively difficult and expensive. Simulation of e-textile systems not only reduces these problems but allows for thorough exploration of the design space, faster design cycles, and more robust applications. Gait analysis, the measurement of various body motion parameters during walking for medical purposes, and context awareness, the recognition of user motions, are two immediate applications that e-textiles can impact and emphasize the feasibility of e-textiles as a medium for sensor deployment on the human body. This thesis presents the design of a simulation environment for wearable e-textile systems and demonstrates the use of the simulation via a prototype pair of e-textile pants. / Master of Science

Call number: LD2668 .T4 1963 K66 / Master of Science

published_or_final_version / abstract / Industrial and Manufacturing Systems Engineering / Doctoral / Doctor of Philosophy