ABRASION RESISTANT NON-FLAMMABLE OXIDIZED POLYACRYLONITRILE FABRICS

ONE OF THE MOST OUTSTANDING FABRICS FOR THE PROTECTION OF PERSONNEL WITH RESPECT TO EXPOSURE TO DIRECT FLAME AND YET HAS THE FEEL OF A SOFT TEXTILE IS COMPOSED OF OXIDIZED POLYACRYLONITRILE FIBER (OPF). HOWEVER OPF FABRICS HAVE LACKED SUFFICIENT ABRASION RESISTANCE FOR USE IN PROTECTIVE CLOTHING. THE NAVY CLOTHING AND TEXTILE RESEARCH CENTER (Z. KUPFERMAN AND M. ROY) HAS DEMONSTRATED THE OPF FABRICS CAN OFFER PROTECTION IN FLAME EXCURSIONS UP TO 5500 DEG F. AMERICAN HYPERFORM PROPOSES TO MAXIMIZE THE ABRASION RESISTANCE OF OPF FABRICS BY THE INTIMATE BLENDING OF 10 TO 20% OF VARIOUS ABRASION AND FIRE RESISTANT FIBERS IN THE OPF YARNS WHICH WILL BE WOVEN INTO 2X2 TWILL AND JERSEY KNOT TEST PIECES FOR EVALUATION. THE EVALUATION WILL DETERMINE WHAT PERCENTAGES OF PBI, ARAMIDE, OR FR WOOL FIBERS ARE NEEDED TO ACHIEVE SATISFACTORY ABRASION RESISTANCE AND MAXIMIZE THE AMOUNT OF OPF IN THE YARN AND SUBSEQUENT FABRICS. THE BEST COMBINATION FABRIC OF BLENDED OPF YARNS WILL BE WOVEN OR KNITTED IN SUFFICIENT QUANTITIES TO MAKE ABOUT FOUR PROTOTYPES EACH OF A T-SHIRT, SHIRT, COVERALLS, ANTIFLASH MASK, AND GLOVES. THESE ITEMS WILL BE SUBMITTED TO NAVY CLOTHING AND TEXTILE RESEARCH CENTER FOR EVALUATION. THEIR COMMENTS WILL BE INCORPORATED FOR LARGER RUNS OF QUANTITIES OF FABRIC AND APPAREL FOR FIELD TESTING IN PHASE II.