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

This STTR Phase II-E will continue the development and 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-E research will optimize and deliver a validated prototype suit leg with an EPG containing STF-ArmorTM textiles that offers superior crew protection to meet the rigorous needs of future missions. The research objectives are structured to deliver a high TRL at the end of Phase II-E, 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 research includes proposed validation testing of the prototype leg to further explore dust resistance of suits made with the materials developed during the Phase II work. In particular, the Phase II-E effort will consider materials that can perform in extremely low temperatures, such as permanently shadowed Lunar regions. In addition to the space suit application, the proposed Ph. II-E work will extend the protective textile materials to inflatable habitats. In partnership with NASA researchers, the Ph. II-E work will conduct proof-of-concept ballistic testing of the STF-ArmorTM materials under conditions relevant to inflatable habitats. For both the suit and habitat development, STF-ArmorTM textiles offer a mass-efficient means for improving the puncture, MMOD, and dust resistance properties.

The primary target market for the innovation is in the EPG for advanced EVA suits for future, extended duration, surface exploration missions. STF-ArmorTM has excellent resistance to puncture, dust, ballistic, and MMOD threats combined with superior flexibility, compared with conventional textiles. Additionally, STF-ArmorTM can potentially improve MMOD resistance when used as a layer within an inflatable space habitat or stuffed Whipple shield for spacecraft. Surface habitats would benefit from the improved protection against secondary ejecta.

Applications include an array of personal protective equipment: Chem-bio suits, suits for pharma manufacturing, firefighting gear, and law enforcement protective clothing . Hazmat suit and police/firefighter protective clothing markets are valued at nearly $7 billion and $1 billion, respectively. Further applications include protective industrial clothing, such as gloves, gloveboxes or chaps.

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