Performance characteristics of clothing materials to thermal radiation
Tests were conducted in which various fabric systems as used in U. S. Army clothing were exposed to the effects of atomic weapons. Samples were exposed to energies ranging from approximately 9 cal/sq cm to 75 cal/sq cm. Three of the fabric assemblies, each with and without a fire resistant treatment, corresponded to the same fabric systems on the animals used in Project 8.5. Fire resistant treatment did not enhance the resistance of the fabric to thermal transfer when the assemblies were in contact with the backing but was definitely superior to the untreated assembly when the combination was spaced away from the backing. In addition, other clothing fabrics, assemblies, and parameters were studied. The cold-dry and cold-wet assemblies offered the best protection against thermal transfer of any combination tested. In a comparative test of three underwear fabrics, the 50 per cent wool/50 per cent cotton was much better than an all cotton fabric of approximately the same weight. Both were very superior to the lightweight cotton underwear fabric. The wool/synthetic blended fabrics showed that for 15 per cent synthetic fiber there was very little or no difference from the all wool fabric regardless of the synthetic. With higher percentage blends the differentiation became greater. The higher the per cent of synthetic the poorer the resistance to thermal damage and heat transfer.
- Research Organization:
- Army Natick Labs., MA (USA)
- OSTI ID:
- 6272907
- Report Number(s):
- AD-460273/6
- Country of Publication:
- United States
- Language:
- English
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