Durable Stretch Barrier Materials

Chemical, Biological, Radioactive and Nuclear (CBRN) protective ensembles are widely used by the US Military and civilian first responders as the first line of defense for personnel working in contaminated environments. Many innovative products have been developed for the chemical protective clothing market in response to demand from the market place for improved performance. However, the need for technology that improves end-user comfort remains largely unmet. LaunchBay’s proposal aims to overcome these drawbacks in current ensembles by developing new barrier materials and/or garment fabric structures that will enable the ensemble fabric to stretch to 12% (or beyond) without the loss of its barrier properties. The Phase I program is aimed at developing the proposed structure of the suit fabric by optimizing the thickness of the stretchable barrier layer to achieve the desired level of chemical barrier and elasticity.