CFEM (Composite Fabric Endothermic Material) Applied to Fire Fighter's Clothing

Present NFPA approved designs for fabric suitable for fire fighti ng garments makes use of outer reflective surfaces attached to Kevlar insulations followed by a vapor shield and additional batting insulation. These materials are effective in preventing the rapid and direct transfer of heat to the fire fighter. However, after some period of time, the internal heat buildup makes it necessary for the fire fighter to withdraw to avoid thermal overload. Composite Fabric Endothermic Material (CFEM), a patented technology, has been demonstrated in other applications as a successful means for delaying temperature rise. It is expected that a fire fighter's fabric with a CFEM integration will greatly enhance the effectiveness of such fabrics and prolong the user's time in adverse thermal conditions. Phase I is necessary as a proof of concept while Phase II should resolve any manufacturing and applications issues. If this product is specified by the military, it will be an effective best seller in the commercial world as well. In past military applications, CFEM was successfully applied and demonstrated as a LASER defensive shield for satellites and as a lightweight effective means for cooling TR modules and IMPATT diodes. A recent commercialization of the CFEM concept resulted in a food warmer licensed to Pizza Hut Inc. A pending CFEM application of the technology to flight data boxes is underway.