Shape Memory Antimicrobial Radioprotective Textiles™ (SMART™) Garments

NanoSonic specializes in the production of low cost, ultra-lightweight (0.98vg/cc), highly EMI shielding (-70 dB SE) Au-nanoparticle based Metal Rubber™ Skins and Textiles. We have recently demonstrated Metal Rubber™ with shape memory polymers (SMP) and Ag nanoparticles, resulting in active, breathable, microbe growth inhibiting, shielding garments. Shape Memory Antimicrobial Radioprotective Textiles™ (SMART™) garments are not a filled composite, conducting polymer or a sputter coated polymer film; rather a free standing “unfilled” nanocomposite formed in-situ by the conformal and covalent self-assembly of nanostructured particles and high performance copolymers onto high performance textile substrates. Recently, we have demonstrated these revolutionary materials with proprietary modifiers resulting in radiation resistance to a proton dose of approximately 1 Mrad (Si) (fluence of 7.42x1012 p/cm2). Unlike air and water impermeable crosslinked butyl rubber, Shape Memory-Metal Rubber™ would breathe at elevated temperatures, by actively allowing perspiration to permeate, while POSS/quantum dot modified nanoporous channels would provide radiation attenuation in the Cs-137 range. NanoSonic’s SMART™ garments are impermeable to harsh solvents, can be repeatedly stretched to greater than 1000% strain, and laundered without delamination or loss of performance. Durable and comfortable SMART™ garments shall serve our U.S. warfighters and responders to environments contaminated with radiation dispersal devices.