Breathable Butyl Rubber for Chemical Agent Protection

Defense against chemical weapons is a critical DOD requirement. An effective defense requires the development of unique clothing systems that are a physical barrier to toxic vapors, liquids, and aerosols. In addition, the protective material must bepermeable to water to reduce incapacitating heat stress, and must be lightweight, flexible, and cost effective. Materials currently in use by DOD are effective barriers to chemical and biological weapons but they are not permeable to water vapor andproduce dangerous heat stress. TDA Research, Inc. is developing a breathable protective clothing material from polymerizable surfactants and butyl rubber. The surfactants form a continuous porous structure with angstrom scale pores large enough to allowwater vapor to pass while preventing chemical agents from reaching the wearer.In Phase I, we demonstrated the ability to produced a breathable rubber material from a self-assembled nanocomposite that consisted of polymerizable surfactants and butyl rubber. To our knowledge, this work represents the first successful demonstration ofa liquid crystalline phase that contains butyl rubber, or any high molecular weight linear polymer and a polymerizable surfactant. The development of a breathable clothing material for chemical agent protection would be a very significant benefit to the armed forces and civilian defense. Currently, individuals wearing a protective suit are very limited in the amount of physicalactivity they can endure without the use of a cooling vest or external air supply. The commercial application of this technology would be to manufacture clothing materials for garments produced for the armed forces and civilian defense as a means toprotect against chemical warfare or terrorism. Additionally there will be markets for personal protection in industries that handle or produce dangerous chemicals, as well as applications in the separations industry.