Document Details

OPERATION PLUMBBOB, NEVADA TEST SITE, MAY - OCTOBER 1957, PROJECT 8.1, THERMAL PROTECTION OF THE INDIVIDUAL SOLDIER

BABERS, F H; MCQUADE, A J

PLUMBBOB OPERATION; DESERT ROCK OPERATIONS; SAFETY

Location - DOE/NNSA NUCLEAR TESTING ARCHIVE Address - P.O. Box 98521 City - Las Vegas State - NV Zip - 89193-8521 Phone - (702)794-5106 Fax - (702)862-4240 Email - NTA@NV.DOE.GOV

REPORT

1957 May 31

Unknown

0048

NV0006230

WT1440

1994 Aug 26

2003 Sep 18

THE OBJECTIVES WERE TO EVALUATE IN THE FIELD, UNDER THE CONDITIONS OF AN ACTUAL NUCLEAR DETONATION, THE PERFORMANCE OF CLOTHING AND OTHER IT EMS DEVELOPED FOR THE PROTECTION OF THE INDIVIDUAL SOLDIER AND TO PROV IDE ASSISTANCE TO THE PERSONNEL OF PROJECT 8.2 IN AN INVESTIGATION OF THE FEASIBILITY OF USING A SKIN SIMULANT AS A SUBSTITUTE FOR ANIMATE S KIN IN STUDYING WEAPON EFFECTS. THE ITEMS DEVELOPED TO PROVIDE THERMA L PROTECTION FOR THE SOLDIER INCLUDED TWO EXPERIMENTAL HOT-WEATHER UNI FORM ENSEMBLES, THREE SHIELDING MATERIALS, A PROTECTIVE CREAM, AND A T HREE-LAYER FLASHOFF-REFLECTOR-INSULATING SYSTEM. THESE WERE EXPOSED D URING SHOT PRISCILLA TO ANTICIPATED THERMAL ENERGIES VARYING FROM 10 T O 25 CALORIES/CENTIMETERS SQUARED, TOGETHER WITH APPROPRIATE CONTROLS, WHILE USING WHITE SKINNED PIGS AS SUBJECTS. BOTH EXPERIMENTALLY DESI GNED UNIFORM ENSEMBLES PROVIDED CONSIDERABLY GREATER PROTECTION THAN D ID THE CONTROL. THESE EXPERIMENTAL UNIFORMS WERE SIMILAR WITH RESPECT TO THEIR OUTER LAYER, FIRE-RESISTANT-TREATED COTTON POPLIN, AND A COT TON TEE-SHIRT UNDERLAYER. THEY DIFFERED WITH RESPECT TO THEIR MIDDLE LAYER, ONE USING A LIGHT-WEIGHT 50-50 WOOL-COTTON FABRIC AND THE OTHER A FABRIC DESIGNED TO SEPARATE THE INNER AND OUTER LAYERS. OF THESE, THE UNIFORM CONTAINING THE SPACING FABRIC WAS CONSIDERED THE MOST EFFE CTIVE IN PREVENTING BURNS, FOR EIGHT OF THE TWELVE ANIMALS EXPOSED AT THE THREE STATIONS WERE JUDGED TO HAVE RECEIVED ESSENTIALLY NO BURNS, AND LARGE-AREA BURNS WERE NO MORE THAN 1+. HOWEVER, ALL UNIFORM ASSEM BLIES WERE SO DAMAGED AT ALL EXPOSURE LEVELS AS TO BE JUDGED FUNCTIONA LLY UNSUITABLE. THE THREE SHIELDING MATERIALS TESTED WERE: (1) A LIGH T-WEIGHT COTTON POPLIN, 5 OZ/YD-SQUARED, FIRE-RETARDANT TREATED; (2) A N 8.5 OZ/YD-SQUARED SATEEN; AND (3) NEOPRENE-COATED FORTISAN PONCHO MA TERIAL. THE SHIELDS WERE POSITIONED 6 INCHES IN FRONT OF CLOTHED ANIM ALS WITH BARE SKIN AREAS AND SUBJECTED TO RADIANT EXPOSURES OF 14.5 AN D 24 CALORIES/CENTIMETERS-SQUARED. THE PONCHO MATERIAL AND THE FIRE-R ESISTANT POPLIN PREVENTED DAMAGE TO THE UNIFORM ENSEMBLE AND REDUCED T HE BARE-SKIN BURNS FROM 5+ ON UNSHIELDED ANIMALS TO SPOTTY 1+ AND 2+ B URNS. AT 24 CALORIES/CENTIMETERS-SQUARED OF EXPOSURE, THE SATEEN SHIE LD OFFERED LITTLE OR NO PROTECTION TO THE ANIMAL OR UNIFORM, BUT GAVE SOME PROTECTION AT THE 14.5 CALORIES/CENTIMETERS-SQUARED STATION. ALL SHIELDING MATERIALS WERE DESTROYED, BUT THE EFFICIENCY OF THE SHIELDI NG PRINCIPLE WAS DEMONSTRATED. AN EXPERIMENTAL THERMAL PROTECTIVE CRE AM, QMC 305-X AND A THREE-LAYER FLASHOFF-REFLECTOR-INSULATOR SYSTEM SH OWED EXCELLENT PROTECTIVE QUALITIES WHEN SUBJECTED TO RADIANT EXPOSURE S OF 14.5 AND 24 CALORIES/CENTIMETERS-SQUARED. THE NAVAL MATERIAL LAB ORATORY CONDUCTED A SKIN-SIMULANT STUDY IN CONJUNCTION WITH THE QMC PR OJECT AND PROVIDED THE PROJECT WITH DATA AS TO THE CALORIE LEVELS PROD UCED AT EACH STATION. THE RESULTS OF THIS TEST WILL BE GIVEN IN THE F INAL REPORT OF PROJECT 8.2 (NAVAL MATERIAL LABORATORY). IT IS CONSIDE RED THAT THE OVERALL OBJECTIVES OF THE TEST WERE MET SUCCESSFULLY.