Abstract: Through mechanics, high-temperature thermal insulation test and finite element simulation analysis, we compared the change rule of tear strength of aramid base fabrics with four different fabric organizations before and after composite with silicone rubber foam layer, and explored the thermal insulation performance and heat conduction mechanism of aramid plain fabrics composite with different thicknesses of silicone rubber foam. The results showed that the introduction of silicone rubber foam increased the overall tear strength of plain fabrics and significantly improved the thermal insulation properties of the fabrics, effectively slowing down the heat shrinkage phenomenon. After comprehensive evaluation, it can be seen that the 5 mm thickness silicone rubber foam composite aramid plain fabric performs the best in balancing the relationship between heat insulation and heat dissipation, with a back temperature reduction in the contact heat environment and the convective heat environment. In addition, the finite element simulation analysis method was adopted in this study. The simulation results show a good degree of agreement with the experimental data, with an error within 10%, verifying the reliability of the model. This research can provide basic technical support for the research and development of high-performance composite fabrics and the optimized design of personal protective equipment.

Key words: silicone rubber foam, composite fabric, thermal insulation, finite element simulation