Shear Thickening Fluid Enhanced Textiles for Durable, Puncture- and Cut-Resistant Environmental Protection Garments

This Small Business Technology Transfer Research Phase II will develop and advance the commercialization of STF-ArmorTM nanocomposite materials for use in Environmental Protection Garments (EPG) for extended exploration missions in diverse environments, including LEO, cis-lunar space, and Lunar and Martian surfaces. The Phase II research will optimize and deliver a validated prototype suit component with an EPG containing STF-ArmorTM textiles that offer superior crew protection to meet the rigorous needs of future missions. The Phase II development of STF-ArmorTM EPGs directly addresses key EVA suit technology gaps related to dust, puncture, MMOD and secondary ejecta at both the material and testing/methods levels. The research objectives are structured to deliver a high TRL at the end of Phase II, culminating with the delivery of suit component prototypes that are compatible with existing test hardware and continued Phase III suit system development and commercialization through infusion into future Advanced EVA Suit Development programs. The proposed Phase II leverages the results of synergistic NASA-sponsored research (including ISS materials testing) conducted at the University of Delaware, combined with a commercialization pathway provided by STF Technologies and our commercialization partners, to develop advanced EPG materials that improve crew safety without increasing weight or joint torque. STF-ArmorTM textiles offer a mass-efficient means for improving the puncture, MMOD, and dust resistance of EVA suits as superior shell and absorber layers with good flexibility, as demonstrated in Phase I. STF-treatment in combination with superhydrophobic coating of textiles creates EPG materials with exceptional dust resistance and self-cleaning properties that will be further developed and optimized in Phase II.

The primary target market for the proposed innovation is in the EPG for advanced EVA suits for future, extended duration, surface exploration missions. Specifically, STF-ArmorTM provides multi-functional protection within EPG lay-ups. STF-ArmorTM has excellent resistance to puncture, dust infiltration, ballistic and MMOD threats combined with superior flexibility, as compared with conventional textile materials. Phase I results showed that STFs meeting outgassing and thermal requirements increased the standard force to puncture Orthofabric by 198% with only 10% added mass and no change in flexibility. The properties of STF-ArmorTM textiles are beneficial to a number of NASA applications beyond EPGs. STF-ArmorTM can potentially improve the MMOD resistance when used as a layer within the shell of an inflatable space habitat. STF-Kevlar can potentially replace conventional Kevlar and improve MMOD resistance in a stuffed Whipple shield for spacecraft protection. An inflatable surface habitat would also benefit from the proven ballistic resistance of STF-ArmorTM to improve protection against secondary ejecta.

Terrestrial applications of the innovation include a wide array of personal protective equipment (PPE). Chem-bio suits, which are multi-layer softgoods akin to spacesuits, also require effective puncture resistance/durability to ensure safety while the wearer completes the required cleanup task. The dust repellant coatings investigated in this Phase II research can potentially serve to limit contamination by materials on the suit, which may also find use in chem-bio suits used in pharmaceutical manufacturing and in handling toxic powders more generally. Firefighting gear is another potential market for the STF-ArmorTM materials developed in Phase II. Similar to the EPG dust problem, small soot particles from fires can penetrate deep within the fibers of firefighting suits where they are difficult to wash out and can release toxic chemicals over time. Firefighters and law enforcement protective clothing can also benefit from the improved puncture properties of the STF-ArmorTM materials. The hazmat suit and police/firefighter protective clothing markets are valued at nearly $7 billion and $1 billion, respectively, and are attractive markets for our disruptive protective material innovation. Further applications include protective industrial clothing, such as gloves, gloveboxes or chaps designed to protect against both physical and chemical hazards.

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