Protective clothing systems composed of permselective polymer film laminates are an alternative to standard air-permeable garments based on activated carbon. These polymer layers are designed with high water vapor permeation rates and low permeation of chemical warfare agents. Polymer films that have a significant water vapor flux usually also have an affinity for water, and will hydrate and swell significantly at high humidity levels. The polymer film's increase in water content has the potential to affect the transport rate of chemical warfare agents in vapor and liquid form, and usually also has a large effect on the intrinsic water vapor permeability of the membrane.
References
1.
Schreuder-GibsonH., GibsonP., OwensJ., GillH., OrlickiJ., PrughA., ThornbergC., EngelR., WalkerJ., YeomansW., StoteR., CarneyD., ZukasW., “ Self-Detoxifying Materials for Chemically and Biologically Protective Clothing,”U.S. Army Natick Soldier Research, Development, and Engineering Center Technical Report, Natick/TR-08/008L, 2008.
2.
GibsonP.W., “Water Vapor Transport and Gas Flow Properties of Textiles, Polymer Membranes, and Fabric Laminates,”Journal of Coated Fabrics28, 1999, 300–327.
3.
GibsonP., “Effect of Temperature on Water Vapor Transport Through Polymer Membrane Laminates,”Journal of Polymer Testing19(6), 2000, 673–691.
4.
LomaxG., “Breathable Polyurethane Membranes for Textile and Related Industries,”Journal of Materials Chemistry17, 2007, 2775–2784.
5.
Schreuder-GibsonH., GibsonP., YeomansW., WalkerJ., “Development and Performance Assessment of Reactive Membranes for New Self-Detoxifying Materials Systems for CB Protective Clothing,”Proceedings of the 2006 Scientific Conference on Chemical and Biological Defense, Hunt Valley, MD, 13–15 November, 2006.
6.
GibsonP., “Multiphase Heat and Mass Transfer Through Hygroscopic Porous Media With Applications to Clothing Materials,”U.S. Army Natick Research, Development, and Engineering Center Technical Report, Natick/TR-97/005, 1996.
