Grant: Applied Research and Development Grants - Level 3

There is a need for novel barrier technologies -to protect against harmful chemicals- that will eventually provide better comfort for firefighters, chemical industry workers and military staff. Such chemical protective clothings could be used, for example, in personal protection, outerwear, arctic military missions and scientific protective clothing.*State of the art barrier membranes are actually used in the manufacturing of Class 3 and Class 4 NFPA (National Fire Protection Agency) Ensembles and clothings for CBRN (Chemical Biological Radiological Nuclear) protection. Related to this type of protective clothings, inward leakage, liquid penetration and chemical permeation properties are important requirements. In addition, such protective clothing must be fire resistant, virus resistant and wash resistant. *Given the complexity of such protective clothings and numerous/stringent requirements, progress in this area has been slow regarding relief of heat stress and improvement of thermo-physiological comfort for the users.*The textile industry in Canada is currently showing interest in new processes, technologies and materials that would allow them to manufacture better, more competitive products with lower environmental impact and improved productivity. It is important to invest in R&D projects related to the technical textile industry because we could assist in the expansion of the canadian manufacturing sector, including technical textile manufacturing, in the coming years.*