Breathable, Non-Fluorinated Chemical Barrier Materials

NFPA Class 3 Chemical, Biological, Radioactive and Nuclear (CBRN) protective ensembles use an expanded polytetrafluoroethylene (ePTFE) membrane to provide chemical protection. Research into fluorine containing and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) based materials has revealed numerous adverse effects to human health and the environment due to their toxicity and persistence. To comply with the National Defense Authorization Act (2022) that mandates the elimination of PFAS compounds in US Military products, the US Army is seeking fluorine free breathable chemical barrier solutions to replace the current PFTE membrane. In Phase I, LaunchBay successfully developed a novel PFAS-free breathable chemical barrier material and validated the feasibility of fabricating a new PFAS-free breathable chemical barrier material for the next generation NFPA Class 3 protective garments. LaunchBay’s approach in the Phase II is built on the successful results obtained in the Phase I. This project will achieve the following technical objectives : PFAS-free chemical barrier material technology • Breathable protective fabric materials that exhibit: Evaporative Resistance < 30 Pa-m2/W (ASTM F1868/ISO 11092) ? Total Heat Loss >200 W/m2 (ASTM F1868) ? Meets NFPA Class 3 Chemical Permeation <6 ug/cm2 cumulative permeation after 60 min for specified liquid and vapor toxic industrial chemical (TIC) challenges ? < 4 ug/cm2 cumulative permeation after 60 min for Mustard CWA ? <1.5 ug/cm2 cumulative permeation after 60 min for Soman CWA ? ? Meets NFPA 1994 Class 3 Garment element physical characteristics Burst strength > 30 lbf (ASTM D751) ? Puncture strength > 5.6 lbf (ASTM D2582) ? Low temperature performance (ASTM D2136) ? ? Compatible with garment design and fabrication Compatibility with closure and testing ? Seam and closure strength >7.5 lbf (ASTM D751) ? ? • Scalability to full scale, ~60” width rolls