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Title: STUDIES ON LARGE AREA SUB-FABRIC BURNS: THE EFFECT OF AN AIR SPACE BETWEEN A TWO LAYER SYSTEM

Abstract

It is well known that protection against radiant energy burns afforded by fabrics may be increased by creating an air space between the fabric and the underlying skin. Earlier work in this laboratory has also shown that if one layer of fabric is in contact with skin, protection of a two layer fabric system increases progressively as the space between the fabrics changes from two to five millimeters. With the magnesium source, large area sub-fabric burns were produced to determine the cffects of still greater air spaces between the two layers. With underwear material in contact with the skin of white pigs, green poplin material was placed either in contact with or at distances of from one to four centimeters from the underwear. Magnesium flash powder, in 150 gm charges, was exploded at a distance of 20 cm from the animals. It was found that combinations of fabric and spacing which resulted in the underwear's remaining intact resulted in the greatest protection. In general, fireretardant treated material was superior to untreated material, and increasing the air space between the two layers decreased severity of the resulting burns. (auth)

Authors:
Publication Date:
Research Org.:
Rochester, N.Y. Univ. Atomic Energy Project
Sponsoring Org.:
USDOE
OSTI Identifier:
4275387
Report Number(s):
UR-539
NSA Number:
NSA-13-009567
DOE Contract Number:
W-7401-ENG-49
Resource Type:
Technical Report
Resource Relation:
Other Information: Orig. Receipt Date: 31-DEC-59
Country of Publication:
United States
Language:
English
Subject:
BIOLOGY AND MEDICINE; AIR; ANIMALS; BURNS; CLOTHING; COLOR; COMBUSTION; COTTON; LAYERS; MAGNESIUM; POWDERS; RADIATION INJURIES; RADIATION PROTECTION; RADIATION SOURCES; SAFETY; SKIN; SWINE; TEXTILES; THERMAL RADIATION

Citation Formats

Berkley, K.M. STUDIES ON LARGE AREA SUB-FABRIC BURNS: THE EFFECT OF AN AIR SPACE BETWEEN A TWO LAYER SYSTEM. United States: N. p., 1959. Web. doi:10.2172/4275387.
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Berkley, K.M. STUDIES ON LARGE AREA SUB-FABRIC BURNS: THE EFFECT OF AN AIR SPACE BETWEEN A TWO LAYER SYSTEM. United States. doi:10.2172/4275387.
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Berkley, K.M. Wed . "STUDIES ON LARGE AREA SUB-FABRIC BURNS: THE EFFECT OF AN AIR SPACE BETWEEN A TWO LAYER SYSTEM". United States. doi:10.2172/4275387. https://www.osti.gov/servlets/purl/4275387.
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@article{osti_4275387,
title = {STUDIES ON LARGE AREA SUB-FABRIC BURNS: THE EFFECT OF AN AIR SPACE BETWEEN A TWO LAYER SYSTEM},
author = {Berkley, K.M.},
abstractNote = {It is well known that protection against radiant energy burns afforded by fabrics may be increased by creating an air space between the fabric and the underlying skin. Earlier work in this laboratory has also shown that if one layer of fabric is in contact with skin, protection of a two layer fabric system increases progressively as the space between the fabrics changes from two to five millimeters. With the magnesium source, large area sub-fabric burns were produced to determine the cffects of still greater air spaces between the two layers. With underwear material in contact with the skin of white pigs, green poplin material was placed either in contact with or at distances of from one to four centimeters from the underwear. Magnesium flash powder, in 150 gm charges, was exploded at a distance of 20 cm from the animals. It was found that combinations of fabric and spacing which resulted in the underwear's remaining intact resulted in the greatest protection. In general, fireretardant treated material was superior to untreated material, and increasing the air space between the two layers decreased severity of the resulting burns. (auth)},
doi = {10.2172/4275387},
journal = {},
number = ,
volume = ,
place = {United States},
year = {Wed Jan 14 00:00:00 EST 1959},
month = {Wed Jan 14 00:00:00 EST 1959}
}
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Technical Report:
View Technical Report (0.67 MB)
DOI:  10.2172/4275387
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  • A series of cutaneous burns was produced on swine by exploding 150 mgm of magnesium powder at distances of 20 and 25 cm from the animal. This provided 20 cal/cm/sup 2/ at exposure times of 0.7 and 2 to 3 sec and 16 cal/cm/sup 2/ at an exposure time of 0.7 sec respectively. The effect of placing green and khaki poplin fabrics untreated and treated with fire-retardant material L-S 123P, in contact with and separated 5 and 10 mm from skin was studied. Burns were evaluated both by surface appearance and by microscopic examination. All the fabrics reduced the severitymore » of the burns. As the amount of separation increased, the severity of the burns decreased if the fabric remained intact. The knaki fabric with its higher reflectance gave more protection than the green fabric at 16 cal/cm/sup 2/ at 0.7 sec exposure time and 20 cal/cm/sup 2/ at 2 to 3 sec exposure time, but not at 20 cal/cm/sup 2/ at 0.7 sec exposure. The fire- retardant treated material gave more protection than the untreated material if it persisted longer during the exposure. If both persisted during the exposure but flaming or flaring occiirred, the untreated fabric gave more protection than the treated. (auth)« less

  • ;
    The detonation of shot one at Bikini Atoll on March 1, 1954, produced a fallout of radioactive ash upon Rongelap Atoll, Marshall Islands. The distribution of the radioactive ash on the islands and in the plants and animals of the area has been studied and evaluated. During the first expedition to Rongelap Atoll on March 26, 1954, biological samples were collected and measurements made of the radiation contamination. On three additional expeditions extensive collections of material were made for this study, the last on January 25-30, 1955. The decline in radioactivity was measured in 1499 samples of fish, invertebrates, landmore » plants, algae, birds, plankton, soil, and water from the Rongelap area. During this study particular emphasis was placed upon evaluation of the radioactivity in food used by the natives. Coconut milk collected on March 26, 1954, contained 1.03 microcuries per kilogram of wet tissue while the coconut meat had 1.16 mu c/kg. By January 25-30, 1955, the level in coconut milk had declined to 0.041 mu c/kg and the meat to 0.036 mu c/ kg. Fish muscle on March 26, 1954, averaged 2.74 mu c/kg and fish liver 204.0 mu c/kg. The decline to January 25-30 was 0.10 mu c/kg for the muscle and 3.52 mu c/kg for the liver of fish. Somewhat similar declines were found for clam muscle, crab muscle, bird muscle and liver, and for squash, papaya, arrowroot and pandanus. The level of radioactivity was highest in the northern portion of the atoll, except for samples of algae and fish-eating birds, collected during January 1955 from the southern part of the atoll, which had higher levels of radioactivity than samples collected from the northern islands on the same date. This may indicate a translocation of radioactive materials within the lagoon. (auth)« less

  • ;

  • In a series of 1850 exposures with a modified 24-in. carbon arc searchlight, the influence of two cotton poplin fabrics alone and in combination with underwear material on the energy required to produce 2+ cutaneous burns in swine were studied. Impregnation of both khaki and green poplin with flre retardant material reduced the amount of energy necessary to produce a 2+ burn below that required with the untreated material, when the fabrics were spaced 2 and 5 mm from the skin. As a fabric is separated from the skin, the amount of absorbed energy required to produce a 2+ sub-fabricmore » burn increases in a linear relationship with the amount of spacing. Maximum protection was provided by a two layer combination of poplin and underwear separated by a 5 mm air space. The energy required to produce a 2+ burn beneath two fabric layers separated by 5 mm decreased as the exposure time increased. With two layers spaced 2 mm, the requirements were the same. (auth)« less