KOSEN 한인과학기술자네트워크

Breathable Clothing Material for Chemical Agent Protection for the Soldier Primary Sponsor: Department of Defense Deadline: 4/11/2001 KEYWORDS TECHNOLOGY AREAS: Materials/Processes, Human Systems OBJECTIVE: Develop a semipermeable membrane coating for clothing that is a barrier to toxins, including chemical agents, while being permeable to water to provide the wearer comfort. This will be accomplished by preparing a permselective coating using reverse microemulsion technology to form a bicontinuous percolating microstructured system. DESCRIPTION: Defense against weapons of mass destruction is a critical DoD requirement named by the Joint Chiefs of Staff as one of the Ten Future Warfighting Capabilities most needed by U.S. Combatant Commands. It is also critical for the civilian population for civil defense for an effective response in the event of a terrorist attack or an accident. An effective defense requires the development of unique clothing systems that are a physical barrier to toxic vapors, liquids, and aerosols. In addition, the protective material must be permeable to water to reduce incapacitating heat stress, and must be lightweight, flexible, and cost effective. Materials currently in use by DoD are effective barriers to chemical and biological weapons but they produce dangerous heat stress and are bulky, severely reducing maneuverability and the overall effectiveness of the wearer. This topic will exploit recent research progress in the area of reverse microemulsion technology to solve these problems. This will be accomplished by forming a reverse microemulsion using polymerizable surfactants to produce clusters of water droplets to form a percolating microemulsion (ref. 1). The system will then be polymerized and crosslinked (ref. 2) to impart mechanical stability to form a material that may be tailored for selective permeation and barrier properties. The challenges include choosing materials that will polymerize without disrupting the microstructure (ref. 3) thus retaining permselectivity. Components such as isobutylene are likely candidates that can impart the desired barrier properties without compromising the microstructure. Further, an understanding of how these choices affect bulk properties needs to be fully developed. Although the scientific basis for generating such materials exists, no one has explored the system or application discussed in this topic. PHASE I: Reverse microemulsions will be prepared using polymerizable surfactants to form coatings with clusters of water droplets creating a percolating microemulsion. In order for the material to be a barrier to toxic compounds, such as chemical agents, it is anticipated that the system will consist of components such as isobutylene or other similar compounds. The system will be polymerized and crosslinked to impart mechanical stability. Phase I will be proof of concept and focus on identifying components and preparing a percolating microemulsion that will produce a mechanically durable and flexible coating that is a barrier to toxic chemicals (chemical agent simulants are one example) while being permeable to water. The material will be characterized with respect to permeation and mechanical properties and the effect of polymerization of the system on these properties will be explored. PHASE II: Phase II will focus on gaining a full understanding of how to tailor the materials to have targeted properties of interest to DoD and commercial markets. Areas to be explored include phase behavior, polymer molecular weights as a function of their effect on the microemulsion phase diagram, molecular weights as a function of initiator concentration, and the effect of polymerization on properties such as microstructure, permeation, and strength and toughness. In addition the process of coating materials of interest, such as cloth, will be characterized and optimized. During Phase II the investigators will collaborate with the Army to target specific properties and will prepare materials for evaluation by the Army Research Laboratory and the Natick Soldier Center. PHASE III DUAL USE COMMERCIALIZATION: Materials that are comfortable to wear while protecting the wearer from toxins are critically important to law enforcement and fire fighters, including first responders to chemical and biological attack and chemical accidents. In addition the chemical industry, academe, and the healthcare industry would benefit from protection, such as gloves or full suits that protect against toxins while being breathable. REFERENCES: 1. "Organic Microporous Materials Made by Bicontinuous Microemulsion Polymerization", J.H. Burban; M. He; E.L. Cussler, AIChE J. 41, 907, 1995. 2. "Polymerization of Tetrahydrofurfuryl Methacrylate in Three-Component Anionic Microemulsions", A.P. Full; J.E. Puig; L.U. Gron; E.W. Kaler; J.R. Minter; T.H. Mourey; J. Texter, Macromolecules, 25, 5157, 1992. 3. "Polymerization of the Inverted Hexagonal Phase", W. Srisiri; T.M. Sisson; D.F. O'Brien; K.M. McGrath; Y. Han; S.M. Gruner, J. Am. Chem. Soc. 119, 4866, 1997. KEY WORDS: percutaneous protection, permselective membrane, chemical agents, reverse microemulsion, bicontinuous percolating microstructured systems DoD Notice: Between January 2 and February 28, 2001, you may talk directly with the DoD scientists and engineers who authored the solicitation topics, to ask technical questions about the topics. The Topic Author is listed in the box below. For reasons of competitive fairness, direct communication between proposers and topic authors is not allowed after February 28, 2001, when DoD begins accepting proposals under this solicitation. Technical Point of Contact: Douglas J. Kiserow Phone: 919-549-4213 Fax: 919-549-4310 Email: kiserow@arl.aro.army.mil After February 28, 2001 proposers may still submit written questions about solicitation topics through the SBIR/STTR Interactive Topic Information System (SITIS). If you have general questions about DoD SBIR program, please contact the DoD SBIR Help Desk at (800) 382-4634 or email to SBIRHELP@teltech.com. NOTE: The Solicitations listed on this site are copies from the various SBIR agency solicitations and are not necessarily the latest and most up-to-date. For this reason, you should use the agency link listed below which will take you directly to the appropriate agency server where you can read the official version of this solicitation and download the appropriate forms and rules. The official link for this solicitation is: http://www.acq.osd.mil/sadbu/sbir/sttr01/dod_sttr01.htm. DoD will begin accepting proposals on March 1, 2001. The solicitation closing date is April 11, 2001.