Cleanroom Garments and Their Use Environment
A cleanroom garment system (cleanroom suit) is a set of protective measures established for individuals working in a cleanroom to remove the large amount of dust particles generated by cleanroom workers and reduce contamination of the cleanroom. It generally consists of a coverall, boots, protective gloves, a hood, face shield, and eye protection. The garment system protects both personnel and the process and products; therefore, the materials used must meet the following requirements: comfortable to wear while providing sufficient barrier between the wearer and the environment; washable and durable; suitable performance; and containing antistatic fibers to reduce static electricity hazards.
Basic Requirements and Fabric Characteristics of Cleanroom Garment Systems The purpose of using a cleanroom garment system is to minimize dust contamination generated by the human body. This requires that the garment itself not be a dust source, while also preventing the generation of dust from the body and preventing static electricity. To achieve this protective effect, the fabrics used to manufacture cleanroom garments have special requirements. Cleanroom antistatic fabrics, also known as antistatic ultra-clean fabrics, differ from ordinary antistatic fabrics.
It must simultaneously possess the following characteristics:
A. It must have anti-static properties to prevent the clothing from attracting dust and being difficult to clean. This anti-static performance must be durable and highly efficient, not diminishing with daily washing and friction.
B. The fabric itself must not generate dust. Since it is worn in a cleanroom, the fabric must not be a source of dust in the cleanroom. This dictates that only chemically synthesized long fibers can be used in its production; natural fibers such as cotton, linen, and silk cannot be used in ultra-clean fabrics.
C. It must have good dust filtration properties. Dust particles in cleanrooms mainly come from the circulating air and moving human bodies. Once the equipment conditions are determined, improving cleanliness means maximizing the containment of tiny dust particles generated by the human body within the clothing, preventing them from dispersing into the air. This is what is meant by maximizing the dust filtration rate. However, increasing the dust filtration rate comes at the cost of sacrificing fabric and breathability; therefore, loosely woven fabrics are unsuitable for cleanrooms.