members

Disinfection of safety shoes by plasma activated water vapour

IGF 19288 N

Safety shoes made of leather are exposed to a high entry of perspiration due to the stable construction and long wearing times, sometimes in combination with high surrounding temperatures.

Currently, there exists no suitable process to disinfect such leather shoes. Therefore, there is a strong demand for an efficient treatment process for the disinfection of safety shoes.

Thus, the aim of the research project is the development of an efficient treatment process for the disinfection of safety shoes, which allows for a disinfection and deodorization of the inner shoes by application of plasma-activated water vapour and following drying without damaging the inner shoe, the textile lining, or the safety functions.

To achieve this, a drying unit is to be developed that includes supply and exhaust air systems for plasma-activated water vapour (dry steam) and air (drying medium) into the inner shoe.
A shoe disinfection system is developed by adapting a dielectric barrier discharge plasma nozzle.

Within the scope of laboratory investigations, the hygienic (disinfection and deodorization) and gentle treatment of the inner shoe material with plasma-activated water vapour is examined.

By employing model shoes with integrated sensors (e.g. temperature, relative air humidity), that were developed for this purpose, relevant plasma and steam parameters are optimized for the realization of an automatic processing for an efficient disinfection and drying of safety shoes.

Finally, the maintaining of the safety functions of the shoes after several treatments is verified and the development of logistic concepts with RFID is carried out.

The research report is available on request from FRT.

The IGF-pro­ject 19288 N of the re­search as­so­ci­a­tion Europäische Forschungs­ge­mein­schaft Reini­gungs- und Hy­gien­etech­nolo­gie e.V., Cam­pus Ficht­en­hain 11, 47807 Krefeld, was sup­port­ed via the AiF with­in the fund­ing pro­gram „In­dus­trielle Gemein­schafts­forschung und -en­twick­lung (IGF)“ by the Fed­er­al Min­istry of Eco­nom­ic Af­fairs and Cli­mate Ac­tion due to a de­ci­sion of the Ger­man Par­lia­ment.