Ultra-Low Grammage Nanocellulose-Coated Woven Fabric with Improved Aerosol Particulate Filtration Performance

Developing advanced textiles and fabrics that offer protection against aerosolised chemical and biological hazards is of tremendous interest and is indispensable to the safety of the military personnel. Unfortunately, the extensive protection offered by protective clothing is often accompanied by a reduction in moisture vapour permeability, which increases physiological burden on the user (i.e., transport of sweat away from the body). This study shows that an enhancement in aerosol particulate filtration of a woven textile fabric can be achieved without impeding its water vapour transmission rate through the application of an ultra-low grammage nanocellulose coating using a simple papermaking approach. Aerosol particulate filtration is realised in the nanocellulose coating through a size-exclusion mechanism and the filtration efficiency doubled even at a nanocellulose grammage of 0.25 g m⁻². As nanocellulose is hygroscopic, water vapour transmission rate remained unchanged compared to the uncoated woven fabric, regardless of the types of nanocellulose coating applied. The work also reports the mechanical robustness of the nanocellulose network fabricated, which is typically the concern in low-grammage nanofibrous coating.