Engineered Beads for Chem-Bio Defense (CBD) Personal Protective Equipment (PPE)

Metal-Organic Frameworks (MOFs) are a relatively new class of materials that have extremely high porosity and provide chemical tailor ability that is particularly useful for gas and liquid sorption and catalytic applications. Some MOFs have been optimized for the decontamination of Chemical Warfare Agents (CWAs) and significantly outperform current activated-carbon technologies in this area; however, MOFs in their as-synthesized state are difficult to incorporate into useful substrates such as fabrics and textiles. The proposed work will leverage the advantages of MOF materials and improve their manufacturability by producing MOF microbeads that can be used to dramatically enhance the capabilities of current Personal Protective Equipment (PPE). Tetramer will leverage it’s significant experience with MOF materials, polymeric binders, textile modification chemistry and testing, microbead synthesis, and understanding of commercial markets to provide a cross-platform technology that can be easily integrated by PPE manufacturers. Additionally, Tetramer will work closely with major PPE manufacturers to ensure smooth transition of the beads into their products. As a result of this Phase I and Phase II effort, Tetramer® microbeads will provide a disruptive enhancement in chemical and biological protection capabilities for U.S. warfighters and industrial safety personnel.