High stretch, environmentally robust hybridsil, perfluoroelastomer barrier composits for CBRN protective ensembles

Electro-optical infrared and long wavelength infrared detectors and sensors are increasingly important for the Chemical/Biological Defense community. Solid-state optical cooler materials are in demand for replacing mechanical closed cycle coolers used in current LWIR standoff sensors to achieve cryogenic temperatures. Recent advances in optical cooling of rare-earth doped materials are pointing towards a possible paradigm shift in vibration-less cooling systems. Optical cooling has been demonstrated experimentally in Yb3+-doped material operating at 1 micron and Tm3+-doped material at 2 microns, but their cooling efficiencies are very low. Through the proposed SBIR program, NanoSonic will design, empirically validate, and commercially transition durable, high stretch HybridSil® barrier composites for next-generation CBRN protective ensembles. NanoSonic's durable HybridSil stretch barrier composites will be molecularly designed and empirically optimized to provide a previously unavailable combination of biaxial isotropic stretch for wearer comfort and freedom of movement, as well as retained barrier protection against vapor and liquid chemical agent challenges before and after extensive flex and abrasion cycling using testing procedures outlined ASTM F739. NanoSonic's highly durable CBRN stretch barrier composites will directly build from its HybridSil Diver Armor drysuit and wetsuit fabric technology, which has been used to construct next-generation laceration, abrasion, puncture, and chemical resistant drysuits and wetsuits that have completed multiple form, fit, and function testing events coordinated by the Navy Experimental Dive Unit. Leveraging an established technical foundation for producing durable, high stretch fabrics through pilot scale roll-to-roll manufacturing, the proposed CBD SBIR program will enable NanoSonic to create innovative, high flex HybridSil perfluoroelastomer barrier composites with extreme chemical resistance and empirically optimize the ability of these materials to provide retained vapor and liquid chemical agent protection following rigorous cyclical strain and abrasion cycling.