Laboratories for Functional Textiles and Protective Clothing

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Awarded $1.8 Million by CDC for PPE innovation for healthcare workers

The team led by Dr. Guowen Song was awarded from CDC to develop personal protective equipment for healthcare workers. The project collaborates with UC Davis and the University of Cincinnati has an awarded budget of $1.8 million. The overall purpose of the grant is to improve PPE used in healthcare settings for infection control by incorporating functional textile materials and a new design for both gowns and respirators. Over the next several years, Dr. Song and his team are sure to make a difference in the world’s PPE strategies

Awarded a $1.5 Million Grant

Guowen Song and an interdisciplinary team awarded a Department of Homeland Security grant and work on the safety and function of heat-protection gloves.
Read more.

The Laboratories for Functional Textiles and Protective Clothing enables us to conduct multidisciplinary research and develop new textile materials and clothing systems for human safety and health. Our research is focused on ergonomics and the functionality of clothing systems to achieve maximum performance.

Our research program includes the:

• study and development of textile materials
• understanding mechanisms and model development
• simulation of hazards
• analysis and prediction of clothing performance
• development of new testing methods and standards

The fundamental approach is based on furthering understanding of the mechanisms associated with heat and moisture transfer between the human body, the clothing system (garments), and the environment, specifically, the interactions involving hazards that exist in various end use scenarios.

The research results are obtained in collaborations with industry partners and are mainly used to inform the development of textile products in the fields of occupational safety, sports, military, and medical. The team conducts interdisciplinary research collaborating with mechanical, chemical, and electrical engineers, as well as kinesiologists. In addition, this program provides students and faculty with a platform to perform innovative multidisciplinary research, education, and training that is focused on clothing comfort and protection.

The research program shares in Iowa State University’s comment and mission to create, share, and apply knowledge by effective integration of science, engineering, technology, and humanity to make the state and the world a better place.

Lab for Heat and Thermal Protection Research

Thermal hazard simulation, textile material and ensemble components and systems performance prediction, modeling, thermal degradation, off-gassing study and new material development. The instrumentation includes the Thermal Protective Performance (TPP), Radiant Protective Performance (RPP), fabric stored energy testing, immersion tester, hot liquid and steam tester, as well as cone calorimeter for thermal degradation study. Learn more.

Lab for Clothing Comfort Performance

Textile material comfort related property study, the complex heat and moisture transfer nature in textile material, clothing that interact with human body and environment. The major instrumentation includes guarded sweating hot plate (skin model), moisture vapor transmission rate, air permeability test, video-based optical contact angle measuring instrument, sweating hand, sweating manikin test etc. Learn more.

Textile Testing Lab

Fundamental textile material property testing. Learn more.

Micro/Nanoscale Thermal Science for Fiber and Fabrics Lab

Fiber, yarn and fabrics thermal property study, such as conductivity, heat capacity, emissivity and relevant modeling. Learn more.

Design and Production

Sewing machines, digital textile printer & pattern making, three-dimensional body scanning technology. Learn more.

Biomechanics and Physiology Research Lab

Human comfort, performance interactions with textiles and clothing study. Learn more.

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