Phase Change Material and Metal Organic Framework Fabrics for Enhanced Chemical Protection and Reduced Physiological Burden

Apollodyne proposes a next-generation personal protective equipment (PPE) garment designed to enhance chemical protection while alleviating the physiological burden on the Warfighter. Current PPE options, such as the Joint Service Lightweight Integrated Suit Technology (JSLIST) and Mission Oriented Protective Posture (MOPP) suits, face challenges in balancing protection and comfort. The JSLIST suit relies on air-permeable activated carbon, limiting moisture vapor transport essential for cooling, while the MOPP suit, made from Tyvek, fully blocks moisture and heat dissipation, increasing physiological stress and reducing operational duration. To address these limitations, Apollodyne and North Carolina State University have developed complementary technologies. N.C. State has developed a solution vapor deposition processes to grow metal-organic frameworks (MOFs) directly onto non-woven fabrics. These MOF-fiber composites, featuring UiO-66-NH2 and HKUST-1, demonstrate enhanced air permeation, water vapor transport, filtration efficiency, and chemical reactivity, outperforming current JSLIST suits. In parallel, Apollodyne has developed an advanced encapsulation technique for phase change materials (PCMs), which absorb and release latent heat to mitigate excess heat accumulation of the wearer. Apollodyne’s method achieves encapsulation of up to 10 wt.% PCM with negligible leakage, supporting large-scale adoption of PCM-enhanced fabrics for thermal regulation. Together, these innovations aim to deliver a PPE solution that significantly improves both protection and comfort for extended operational use.