A LIGHTWEIGHT, NON-ABSORBENT, LOOSE-FILL, THERMAL INSULATIONFOR COLD CLIMATE CLOTHING

RESEARCH ON THERMAL INSULATION FOR USE IN COLD CLIMATE CLOTHING DERIVED FROM THERMALON'S LICENSED POLYMERIC HONEYCOMB TECHNOLOGY IS PROPOSED IN RESPONSE TO THE EMPHATICNEED FOR ONE INSULATION WHICH HAS THE SAME LOW DENSITY, COMPRESSIBILITY AND LONG SERVICE LIFE AS HIGH QUALITY DOWN; EXHIBITS THERMAL TRANSMITTANCE EQUAL TO OR BETTER THAN 550 FILLPOWER DOWN; RETAINS LESS WATER, DRIES FASTER AND MAINTAINS MORE LOFT WHEN SATURATED THAN DOWN OR SYNTHETIC FIBER INSULATIONS; AND READILY TRANSMITS VAPOROUS PERSPIRATION TO REDUCE THERMAL STRESS DURING PERIODS OF EXERTION IN COLD ENVIRONMENTS. A LOOSE-FILL HONEYCOMB-LIKE MATERIAL, WITH AN INITIAL DENSITY OF 0.14 POUNDS PER CUBIC FOOT (750 CUBIC INCH PER OUNCE FILLPOWER), WILL BE CREATED FROM THIN, STIFF, RESILIENT POLYMERIC FILMS USING IN-HOUSE EQUIPMENT. THIS MATERIAL, CONTAINED BETWEEN LAYERS OF FABRIC TO SIMULATE CLOTHING APPLICATIONS, WILL BE TESTED TO DETERMINE THERMAL TRANSMITTANCE, EVAPORATIVE HEAT TRANSFER, WATER RETENTION AND DRYING RATE. COMPRESSION CYCLING AND WASH CYCLING WILL SIMULATE TYPICAL GARMENT/SLEEPING BAG LIFE. CONTROL SAMPLESOF 550 FILLPOWER DOWN AND DUPONT QUALLOFIL WILL UNDERGO THE SAME RIGOROUS TESTING TO ALLOW COMPARISON. PREVIOUS RESEARCH INDICATES THAT LOOSE-FILL POLYMERIC HONEYCOMB WILL BE SUPERIOR TO 550 FILLPOWER DOWN OR FIBROUS SYNTHETIC INSULATIONS.