According to an October 18 (Beijing time) report from the Physicist Organization Network, researchers at several institutions including the Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory (LLNL) and the Massachusetts Institute of Technology are developing a new uniform for the military. This uniform fabric is made of a new type of carbon nanotube fiber that protects against chemical and biological weapons.
This cloth can quickly change from a breathable state to a protective state. It has many micropores on its membrane. It consists of vertical symmetrical carbon nanotubes (CNTs) that are only a few nanometers wide, highly air permeable, and reacts with a chemical agent. Improvements have been made. If the surface of the film is attacked directly with a chemical warfare agent, a reaction is initiated, the CNT pores are closed or the contaminated surface layer is shed, and the fiber is turned into a protective state.
High air permeability is the key to protective clothing, enabling soldiers to avoid overheating and wasting their energy while performing tasks in polluted environments. The current military protective clothing is based on heavy-weight full-barrier protection, or osmotic adsorption protection, which cannot meet both the comfort and protection functions. And it is a passive response to environmental dangers, not active defense. The new material utilizes the unique conductivity of carbon nanotubes and the gas conduction velocity is two orders of magnitude higher than other equally sized pores. The researchers showed a small sample of carbon nanotube films. The pores on the membrane were tiny and dense, showing excellent air permeability.
Biological agents, such as bacteria or viruses, are all about 10 nanometers in size, while microscopic holes in uniform films are only a few nanometers wide and can easily block them. However, chemical agents are much smaller and require the micropores on the membrane to react to block the threat. They used the chemical threat reaction functional group to improve the carbon nanotube film. This functional group, like a guard, can sense and prevent danger. Subsequent to the secondary reaction, fibers and chemical agents react and flakes off like scales. By these means, the fiber can block chemical agents such as mustard gas, nerve gases, toxic substances such as staphylococcal enterotoxins, biological spores such as anthrax, and the like.
"This kind of uniform is like a smart second skin that can respond to the environment," said Francisco Vernáslo, chief researcher at the National Defense Agency funded project for the laboratory. "Its fiber does not require an external control system. It can respond to threats in the environment and undergo reversible conversions. From highly ventilated to protective, it can stop the threat of chemicals and maintain good air permeability.â€
This new uniform is expected to be applied in the wild in 10 years. “Developing carbon nanotube films that can respond to chemical threats is a good example of the potential of using new materials to provide innovative solutions to the Department of Defense.†Trix, Director of Technology, Dynamics, Multifunctional Materials, Second Skin Project, Defense Dangers Agency Harris said, "This future uniform will enable our troops to operate safely in the environment contaminated by biological weapons for longer periods of time and successfully complete their tasks." (Reporter Chang Lijun)
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