Optimal protective cloth

An optimal protective cloth should be able to preveut infiltratiou of aerosols (e.g., chemical/biochemical agent microdroplets, bacteria, virus, radioactive dust, etc.) and at the same time must be highly permeable to the air and water vapor to improve wearer comfort. Nonwoven polymeric nanofibers are a natural fit for this application due to their enormous surface area and microscale pore size. By physical absorption and exclusion, the nanofiber mat can provide an impermeable barrier to toxic chemical agents, that is lightweight with remarkable breathing properties [17,18]. 

Schwenzfeier, L., et al. Optimization of the thermal protective clothing using a knowledge bank concept and a learning expert system, in The sixth biennial conference of the European Society for Engineering and Medicine. 2001. 

SPMs can now be found in commercial markets and specialty clothing due to their lightweight structure, liquid and aerosol repellent properties, and facilitation of moisture vapor transport. However, for military use, SPMs have limitations (Wilusz 2007). SPMs may act as liquid-repellents but may allow vapors to pass and therefore need an activated carbon layer to add extra protection capabilities. Moreover, military garments experience tremendous stress on a day-to-day basis. SPM-based ensembles are more susceptible to tearing as compared to activated carbon-based textile fabrics (Wilusz 2007). Optimizing the permselectivity of the membrane by surface modification or other such techniques is necessary to achieve a balance between comfort (e.g., moisture vapor transmission) and chemical vapor barrier properties. Furthermore, SPMs or membrane-carbon ensembles must possess acceptable mechanical strength to sustain daily military operations. 

There are now, however, reasons for optimism. Inexpensive disposable or limited-use lightweight clothing and accessories have now become commonplace in industry as personal protective items ... 

The main goal of sportswear for applications in cold conditions is to protect the wearer from hypothermia. For centuries, this has been achieved by the combination of different layers of clothing with specific properties to offer sufficient thermal insulation and sufficient protection against severe weather, especially wind. In the last few years, it has been recognised that the different layers of a clothing system interact with one another, and only complete layering concepts can ensure the optimal performance of cold protective garments. 

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