Teijin Limited has developed two new fabrics in its Twaron and Technora para-aramid fibers range that can protect facilities such as lodges and evacuation shelters from airborne volcanic fragments up to 10 cm.
Teijin developed the para-aramid-fiber fabrics in consultation with the Japanese Cabinet Office, the National Defense Academy and the Mount Fuji Research Institute of in accordance with the Cabinet Office’s new regulations for strengthening evacuation facilities located near volcanoes.
Protecting evacuation facilities and other structures from large airborne fragments is an important issue in Japan, one of the world's more active volcanic regions. While materials such as reinforced concrete and steel offer required levels of strength and durability, transporting heavy materials and large equipment to highlands can lengthen the construction period and raise construction costs. The deteriorating effect of severe weather on steel is another problem.
In simulation tests, the fabrics demonstrated their capacity to withstand fist-sized airborne fragments similar to those produced during the September 2014 eruption of Mount Ontake, located some 200 kilometers west of Tokyo. The country’s Ministry of the Environment is now using the fabrics to refurbish the roof of the Ebino Eco Museum Center in Kirishima-Kinkowan National Park on the island of Kyushu in southern Japan.
Teijin says that Twaron offers six times more tensile strength than steel of the same weight, as well as improved heat resistance and elastic modulus. Technora also has increased tensile strength and resistance to impact, fatigue and chemicals.
This story uses material from Teijin Limited, with editorial changes made by Materials Today. The views expressed in this article do not necessarily represent those of Elsevier.
