Crosslinked Fire-Resistant Poly (ethylene terephthalate) for Batting Insulation

There is a need for an inexpensive, lighter, effective nonhalogenated, and environmentally friendly fire-resistant (FR) textile material for batting insulation and shell fabrics to be used in ground soldiers combat uniforms. The current FR textile materials are very expensive, ranging in price from $13/pound (Nomex TM) TO $70/pound (polybenzimidazole). Less expensive FR textile material either contains toxic chemicals (e.g., halogenated chemicals) or the level of fire-resistivity is inadequate (e.g., Trevira CS TM) for soldier clothing. Consequently, the environmentally benign, and inherently FR poly(ethylene terephthalate), PET, by incorporating nonhalogenated FR additives into PET's chemical structure, followed by crosslinking. Two such additives have been investigated by Material Innovations, Inc. (MII) to develop a FR PET [1]. Although the initial studies were shown to be successful, more research is needed to determine the optimum quantity of each additive to provide the most efficient thermal insulation and compatibility with other technologies used in solder clothing. In Phase II, Thermal Protective Performance, cone calorimetry, thermal conductivity, and moisture vapor permeability testing will be used to evaluate the performance of FR PET followed by producing prototype soldiers combat uniforms with an optimum configuration.