Grant: Applied Research and Development Grants - Level 2

Firefighters are exposed to severe conditions including flames, flash fire, heavy load, high level ofcardiovascular activity and extreme heat. These combined effects may lead to thermophysiological stress andheat stress. Heat stress and heat-related illness are major causes of casualties for firefighters. In response to thiscurrent challenge, it is important to develop better technologies in order to manage heat build-up in themicro-climate created between the skin and the protective uniform. One of the strategies consists of improvingthe breathability of the moisture barrier, the waterproof intermediate layer in the protective uniform thatprotects against hot water and chemicals. In fact, the presence of this moisture barrier limits the evacuation ofthe body moisture then impedes evaporative cooling of the body. We propose new surface treatments to renderthe moisture barrier more hydrophilic in order to obtain higher water vapor permeability and so breathability.