Biaxially Stretchable Barrier Laminate Fabric Composite
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current CBRN protective ensembles are bulky due to stiff polymers with low elongation levels, restricting user movement and agility.
Innovation Solution
A biaxially stretchable barrier laminate fabric composite material is developed by biaxially stretching a substrate fabric, forming bond points with a barrier film, and then relaxing it, allowing the barrier film to fold randomly between these points, enabling reversible stretching without compromising chemical barrier performance.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If a barrier polymer layer is used to prevent chemical permeation, then chemical protection performance is improved, but the fabric becomes stiff with low elongation levels, worsening flexibility and user movement
Solution Approach 1:
The barrier film is divided into multiple segments by creating discrete bond points rather than continuous bonding. This segmentation allows the barrier film to fold and deform between bond points, enabling flexibility and stretching while maintaining chemical protection through the intact barrier segments.
Solution Approach 2:
A thin barrier film is used instead of a thick rigid barrier layer. The thin film can be bonded at discrete points to allow it to flex and fold, providing chemical protection while maintaining flexibility and stretchability for user movement.
2Reliability
If the barrier film is continuously bonded to the substrate fabric, then chemical barrier integrity is improved, but the fabric loses stretchability and becomes bulky, worsening comfort and agility
Solution Approach 1:
The continuous bond is segmented into discrete bond points arranged in a pattern. This allows the barrier film to remain intact for chemical protection while creating unbonded regions that enable folding and stretching, reducing bulk and improving agility.
Solution Approach 2:
The barrier film is allowed to deform in the out-of-plane dimension by forming random folds between bond points. This dimensional change enables the flat barrier film to accommodate fabric stretching without compromising its integrity or requiring additional bulk.
3Ease of operation
If the fabric is made stretchable to allow unrestricted movement, then user comfort and agility are improved, but the chemical barrier performance may degrade, worsening protection reliability
Solution Approach 1:
The bond points are pre-formed in a specific pattern before the fabric is stretched into use. This preliminary bonding configuration allows the fabric to stretch while maintaining barrier integrity, as the discrete bond points accommodate deformation without compromising the chemical protection.
Solution Approach 2:
The bonding parameters are optimized by using discrete bond points with specific spacing and size rather than continuous bonding. This parameter change allows the fabric to achieve high stretchability while maintaining chemical barrier performance through the strategically positioned bond points.
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
The solution results in a more flexible and comfortable CBRN garment that maintains chemical protection while allowing for unrestricted movement, with the fabric capable of reversible stretching cycles without degrading its protective properties.
Implementation Method 1
biaxially stretching a substrate fabric from a substrate relaxed state to a biaxially-stretched state; and after forming the bond points: biaxially relaxing the substrate fabric from the biaxially-stretched state to the substrate relaxed state
Implementation Method 2
selectively applying an adhesive to the substrate fabric and/or to the barrier film; after selectively applying the adhesive to the substrate fabric and/or to the barrier film, physically contacting the substrate fabric and the barrier film such that the adhesive is between the substrate fabric and the barrier film
Implementation Method 3
selectively applying radio-frequency, ultrasound, and/or heat energy to the substrate fabric and the barrier film to form the bond points
Implementation Method 4
selectively applying radio-frequency, ultrasound, and/or heat energy to the substrate fabric and the barrier film to form the bond points
Implementation Method 5
while the substrate fabric is biaxially relaxed, forming random folds in the barrier film between the bond points
Data Source
AI summary
A biaxially stretchable laminated fabric composite material includes a four-way stretchable fabric and a barrier film. The barrier film and the fabric are selectively attached at a plurality of individual bond points. When the fabric is in an unstretched state, random folds are formed in the unbonded regions of the barrier film. When the fabric is in a stretched state, the random folds are partially or fully flattened to allow the biaxially stretchable laminated fabric composite material to biaxially stretch.