PFAS Free Next Generation Tactile CBRN Gloves

The proliferation of weapons of mass destruction presents a serious security threat to U.S. and allied personnel around the world. Military personnel and first responders must be prepared to operate under a wide range of chemical, biological, radiological, and nuclear (CBRN) threats and rapidly counter these hazards. Like Class 1 protective ensembles, current CBRN gloves offer excellent durability and protection from CBRN threats but are bulky, offering little in the way of dexterity, induce an elevated thermal burden when worn for extended periods of time, and cannot be used while operating capacitive-based touch screen systems. To meet this need Luna Labs developed a PFAS-free glove that meets NFPA 1994 Class I permeation requirements for glove materials (dimethyl sulfate – DMS, soman – GD, sulfur mustard – HD, and toluene) tested at Battelle, is touch screen compatible, and has a ~40% reduction in thickness (25 mil) which lends itself to improved dexterity and decreased thermal burden over the current Class I gloves (40 mil butyl rubber). Internal permeation testing showed >24-hour protection against toluene (challenged at 20 g/m2) compared to 5.2 hours for butyl of the same thickness (25 mil).