Breathable, Chemically Resistant Materials for Protective Clothing

Luna Innovations proposes to develop a cost effective, elastomeric material for lightweight breathable chemical protective clothing. Materials currently used for chemical protective clothing are either impermeable, leading to heat exhaustion, or based upon a permeable, absorptive technology, which is expensive and heavy. The proposed program involves 1) producing block copolymers based on poly(isobutylene) and an ionic segment 2) converting the block copolymers into an aqueous dispersion 3) casting films to demonstrate sufficient water permeation for breath-ability, resistance to chemical agents and mechanical properties necessary for use with flexible textile materials. The proposed elastomer is based on chemistries that can be readily scaled to produce large quantities for field testing and eventual commercialization. In addition, Luna has identified methods of making films from environmentally sound aqueous dispersions saving on the cost of handling, processing and waste disposal. This development will contribute to the Army's goal of producing clothing to protect personnel from lethal chemical agents while maintaining the comfort of the wearer.